It has been said that the opposite of addiction is connection. At Freedom House, we know this to be true.
We have worked for over fifty years helping people with substance use and mental health disorders get all the resources needed to fully recover and live their best lives.
Full recovery includes both receiving support from, and giving back to one’s community with one’s own unique talents and strengths. A great example of this, and, Freedom House’s commitment to the value of employing staff with their own lived experience, is our Peer Support Service.
Peer Support professionals are people who have been in recovery from a substance use or mental health disorder for at least two years and have completed the required NC state certification process, including fifty hours of structured Peer Support training. The Peer workforce is trained in peer-to-peer counseling, navigating the mental health system, ethics and professional boundaries, the impact of psychological trauma on addiction and mental health, and cultural competency, before they begin to work in the field.
Once working, the Peer Support professional’s primary role is to assist those in early recovery to develop connections in their community so they may also sustain their recovery and meet their personal goals to the fullest.
The Peer Support professional offers:
· Peer Mentoring, offering a unique perspective on recovery from one who has “been there”.
· Recovery resource connection to treatment, self-help, and other resources the person may benefit from,
· Development of practical life skills by teaching budgeting, resume writing, interview skills and many others
· Community building by helping the person they are serving find recovery groups and opportunities to find a sponsor, sober social events and/or opportunities to practice social skills and building their network of natural supports so they can be there for each other as needed.
Although Freedom House has always maintained a work force that included people with lived experience, we are proud to say that we now have North Carolina certified Peer Support professionals working in every Freedom House service in every county we serve. Our Peer Support staff assist people in our crisis services by connecting them to needed follow-up services within seven days of discharge from our crisis stabilization facility.
Peer Support staff in our residential programs offer daily peer mentoring and array of Life Skills learning sessions. Our Peer Support staff working in our outpatient clinics and justice services programs help people in early recovery build their community network as they live in or return to the community.
Pam Collins, a Freedom House Peer Support Specialist working in our Chapel Hill Outpatient Clinic, had this to say about her role:
“I get to make a direct, positive impact on someone’s life by helping them through their struggles. It’s fulfilling to see people grow, overcome challenges, and find strength in their recovery process. I have the ability to connect with clients on a deeper level because of my own personal experiences. I can relate to some of their struggles, which helps build trust and creates a supportive environment for healing.”
Our Peer Support staff are an invaluable part of helping people in early recovery find connection that saves lives.
