Family members, friends, neighbors, professionals, and other community members play a critical role as allies in supporting recovery. Research shows that creating a meaningful life in recovery requires access to healthcare, safe and affordable housing, educational opportunities that may have been missed during periods of drug use, and employment that allows people in recovery to support themselves and their families and contribute to society. Recovery capital refers to the resources, both internal and external, that an individual can draw upon in order to overcome substance use and maintain recovery. The session will begin with a presentation on the recovery ecosystem and recovery capital and will then identify real world examples of ways allies in communities have supported recovery by changing the community environment and creating opportunities to boost recovery capital.
Presenter
Author and public health professional, Alison Jones Webb, of Charlottesville, Va., is a passionate advocate for people in recovery from addictions. She has written extensively about issues related to recovery from addiction and harm reduction. Her book, Recovery Allies: How to Support Addiction Recovery and Build Recovery-Friendly Communities, lays out practical ways that communities can help support people in recovery and why this is so vitally important.
