Q&A: How do recovery community centers support people in recovery over time?

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — More than one in 10 adults in the United States believe they had a substance use problem at some point, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Among these adults, more than seven in 10 considered themselves to be in recovery. An increasingly common way people support their recovery is by visiting recovery community centers (RCCs), which have emerged across the country and the state of Pennsylvania.

RCCs provide support for people who are building and trying to maintain recovery. Hobart “Bo” Cleveland, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State, studies the benefits of RCCs and their effects on maintaining recovery. Cleveland has published dozens of papers on RCCs and similar organizations over his 20-year career. In 2021, he was appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Program’s Recovery Rising initiative, a six-month initiative that worked to foster a resilient, diverse and accessible recovery framework in the state.

In the Q&A below, Cleveland discussed RCCs: what they are, how they help and his hopes for the future of recovery in Pennsylvania.

Q: Why are recovery community centers becoming more common?

Cleveland: When people leave treatment or otherwise try to start recovery, it’s a very difficult and daunting process. There are huge differences between individuals in the amount of support and resources they have access to that will help them maintain recovery. RCCs help level this playing field, so that everyone in recovery can have a supportive, understanding peer group in their lives and have opportunities to build other resources that can support their recovery.

These centers provide a space for social support and community, which are some of the most important aspects of recovery support. RCCs also provide access to the resources and connections that people need to really thrive in recovery.

People in recovery often have huge deficits of support and resources, like access to medical care, transportation services and stable employment. Without access to these resources, people in recovery can struggle to rebuild their lives and sustain recovery.

Q: What types of resources do RCCs offer?

Cleveland: Very often, people go to RCCs to participate in recovery meetings. RCCs are usually staffed by certified recovery specialists, who can work closely with recovering individuals to access employment training, medical care, and legal and social services. Certified recovery specialists are required to be in recovery themselves — by having first-hand experience with recovery and navigating the systems involved, these staff are well positioned to guide people who are new to recovery on their journey to well-being.

RCCs are a great place for people at the beginnings of recovery. Being at these centers allows them to see other people who are thriving in their recovery journey. These organizations provide social opportunities for the larger recovery community to come together and for new members to find a place to welcome them. Being surrounded by others in recovery helps individuals establish their own identity as someone who is in recovery and overcoming their addiction.

Q: What does your research say about the benefits of RCCs?

Cleveland: Our findings demonstrate that people who go to RCCs are positively impacted on a day-to-day basis, providing clear evidence for how these communities are valuable for sustaining recovery. We have found that RCCs, which are inherently inclusive and open to many different pathways of recovery, serve and help many people.

There is a lot of circumstantial evidence of the value of these types of social programs. However, by gathering complex, within-person data — following people across time and gathering information on how difficult their days are and whether they spend time at an RCC — we can evaluate the importance of these organizations on people’s daily lives.

We work closely with RCC leaders and community members to make sure that we are collecting the right data the right way and doing right by the members of the community who are working with us. It’s important for us to make our studies as approachable as possible for as many people as possible, which means lowering the barriers — real or perceived — to participation.

Q: What do you hope for the future of this work?

Cleveland: Working with RCCs has connected me to my own childhood experiences of family addiction and adjacent difficulties. My father was an addict when I was growing up, and he ultimately died of complications related to addiction. Collecting data that documents others’ recovery pathways is very meaningful to me. I hope our work can have a positive impact on individuals and families who are seeking pathways to recovery from addiction.

The leaders and members of RCCs — especially Lost Dreams Awakening in New Kensington — have been incredibly welcoming to us and we really appreciate the opportunity to learn from their knowledge and experiences.

The most important aspect of this work, for me, is continuing and growing collaborations with the recovery community in Pennsylvania. By demonstrating the importance of these communities to individuals, we can hopefully influence government and community systems to make these resources available to even more people. The Pennsylvania Recovery Organization Alliance and the Pennsylvania Peer Support Coalition have been essential partners in making this work happen.