The Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR) rapidly grew its recovery efforts in 2021! Three national programs were brought on in July to further expand recovery in Illinois: Recovery Corps, Faces and Voices of Recovery, and Oxford House, Inc.
Illinois Recovery Corps (like AmeriCorps) is a program designed specifically for people in recovery to guide other individuals who are trying to sustain their own recovery from substance use disorders.
Since September, 4 Project Coordinators and 11 Recovery Navigators have performed a total of over 5700 hours of service. Partner agencies are spread out across all 5 regions and include: Amare, Carle Health System, Chestnut Health Systems, Community Resource Center, Comprehensive Behavioral Health Care Center of St. Clair County, ComWell, Family Guidance Center, Sinnissippi Centers, Take Action Today, and WestCare Illinois.
These additional service hours have afforded some programs the ability to outreach with more area providers like jails and drug courts, as well as helping increase client engagement and follow-up.
In addition to helping clients, it is also a great experience for the cohort members: "Some of the most rewarding parts of me serving in the Recovery Corps [have been] watching people grow in their recovery, watching people succeed. I work in the same city I used to live in, so people come in that I knew on the streets. Serving for Recovery Corps has been a great blessing and has felt so rewarding."
Outreach for FY23 sites has started. For details on how you can partner with Recovery Corp, please see the Recovery Corps website.
Faces and Voices of Recovery is dedicated to organizing and mobilizing the over 23 million Americans in recovery from substance use, their families, friends, and allies into recovery community organizations (RCO) and networks. They promote the right and resources to recovery through advocacy, education and demonstrating the power and proof of long-term recovery.
Since July, they have been meeting with agencies across the state to help in building RCOs, as well as providing trainings on Recovery Messaging, The Science of Addiction and Recovery and RCOs.
IDHS/SUPR is pleased to support two new RCOs in January 2022- Take Action Today and Sauk Valley Voices of Recovery.
Learn more about upcoming Illinois Recovery Trainings at Faces and Voices of Recovery!
