DOVER — SOS Recovery Community Organization received a $20,000 grant from CVS Health that will help it build capacity for recovery coach training and development in Strafford County.
John Burns, the director of SOSRCO, said the money will be used to develop curriculum for a comprehensive motivational interviewing and ethics curriculum along with a training of trainers. In addition, the grant will provide funding for an excellence-in-recovery coaching curriculum that will enhance recovery coaches’ skills and will provide access to staff and volunteers locally and to any of the recovery community organizations in the state at reduced rates.
The grant will also provide money to SOSRCO to provide additional professional supervisory hours from a master licensed alcohol and drug counselor for recovery coaches. Burns says this will help with the work force development shortage in the treatment and recovery industry in the state by developing a stronger pipeline of certified recovery support workers in the Strafford County community.
“We are grateful to receive these monies which will not only help build capacity for recovery coach training and development in Strafford County but will also help us to enhance training for SOSRCO coaches and staff and to improve our overall trained volunteer capacity,” Burns said in a statement. “We are greatly appreciative of the fact that CVS Health is committed to building healthy communities through grants such as this which will enrich recovery supports in Strafford County, help reduce financial barriers for volunteers seeking to become volunteer recovery coaches and assist in developing a stronger pipeline of certified recovery support workers in our community.”
Eileen Howard Boone, CVS senior VP of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, said in a statement, “As a pharmacy innovation company, we are committed to helping people on their path to better health. We are proud to support organizations that increase access to quality health care because we know their efforts are critical to delivering better community health. We are pleased to support the work that SOS Recovery Community Organization does in the community and look forward to working with them to fulfill their program’s mission.”
SOSRCO operates two recovery community centers, one located at 4 Broadway in Dover and the other located at 63 S. Main St. in Rochester. Each center offers a variety of programs, events and services for multiple pathways to recovery including peer recovery coaches, telephone recovery support services, meetings and special programs ranging from mindful art in recovery and yoga to indoor rock climbing at Indoor Ascent in Dover and monthly bowling at Dover Bowl.
A program of Goodwin Community Health, the mission of SOSRCO is to reduce stigma and harm associated with substance misuse by providing a safe space and peer-based supports for people in all stages of recovery. For information about SOS RCO, call (603) 841-2350 or visit www.sosrco.org.