Project Grant CE146623

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - RESEARCHERS OFTEN DESCRIBE ADDICTION AS A "RELAPSING DISEASE OF THE BRAIN". RECOVERY USUALLY PROCEEDS IN FITS AND STARTS: EARLY SUCCESS FOLLOWED BY LAPSES INTO USE, FOLLOWED AGAIN BY A NEW PURCHASE ON RECOVERY. IT CAN BE A LONG, DISCOURAGING, AND PAINFUL PROCESS. A RECOVERY CENTER IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT PEOPLE WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS CAN GO, DAY AFTER DAY, YEAR AFTER YEAR, UNTIL THEY FINALLY ACHIEVE A SOBRIETY THEY CAN MAINTAIN FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. SURVEYS OF THE RESEARCH SHOW THAT IT TAKES A PERSON AT LEAST FIVE YEARS OF CONTINUOUS RECOVERY TO ACHIEVE WHAT IS CALLED "LONG TERM RECOVERY". A PERSON IN LONG TERM RECOVERY FROM MOST SUBSTANCES HAS ABOUT AN 85% CHANCE OF REMAINING IN RECOVERY FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. A RECOVERING PERSON'S NEEDS CHANGE OVER TIME, AND THE RECOVERY CENTER IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT IS THERE TO MEET THEM AT EVERY STAGE OF THEIR JOURNEY. A RECOVERY CENTER IS THE ONE PLACE WHERE EVERYONE IS RESPECTED, WHERE THE HARD WORK OF RECOVERY IS UNDERSTOOD AND APPRECIATED, AND WHERE NO ONE IS JUDGED-ONLY SUPPORTED IN GETTING HEALTHIER. RECOVERY CENTERS HAVE SPECIAL PROGRAMS TAILORED TO MEET SPECIFIC NEEDS: PARENTING GROUPS; PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO EQUIP PARTICIPANTS TO DEAL WITH URGES TO USE, EMOTIONAL UPS AND DOWNS, AND SO ON; WORKSHOPS TO INTRODUCE THOSE NEW TO RECOVERY TO THE MUTUAL AID GROUPS THAT MEET IN THEIR AREA AND ARE OFTEN HOSTED BY THE RECOVERY CENTER, SUCH AS AA, NA, AL-ANON, FAMILIES ANONYMOUS, RECOVERY DHARMA (USING BUDDHIST PRACTICES), ETC. CENTERS HOST CREATIVE GROUPS, SUCH AS WRITERS FOR RECOVERY; SPONSOR SOFTBALL TEAMS; ORGANIZE HIKES AND BICYCLE TRIPS; AND MANY OTHERS. WHATEVER NEEDS OR INTERESTS ARISE WITHIN THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY, THEY WILL USUALLY FIND A HOME AT A RECOVERY CENTER. A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE RECOVERY CENTER IS THAT IT SERVES AS A HUB FOR THE LARGER RECOVERY COMMUNITY, A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE SEEKING RECOVERY CAN FIND OTHERS WHO ARE DOING THE SAME, WHERE NEW FRIENDS CAN BE MAD E WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO WORKING TO ACHIEVE GREATER HEALTH-WHERE PEOPLE SEEKING RECOVERY CAN BECOME MEMBERS OF A LARGER COMMUNITY OF PEERS SUPPORTING EACH OTHER IN THIS LIFE-SAVING WORK. THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE AN ATTRACTIVE, RESPECTFUL, AND FUNCTIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR US TO CARRY OUR RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE NEXT LEVEL. WORKING WITH THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE, WE WILL METICULOUSLY RESTORE A RARE LOCAL EXAMPLE OF A GREEK REVIVAL COTTAGE TO ITS ORIGINAL BEAUTIFUL-BUT SIMPLE-CONDITION. WE WILL BUILD A FULL, TWO-STORY ADDITION. WE WILL ALSO EXTEND THE PARKING LOT DEEPER INTO THE PROPERTY. THIS FACILITY WILL HAVE MEETING ROOMS OF VARIOUS SIZES AS WELL AS SMALL ROOMS FOR RECOVERY COACHING, A MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, AND OTHERS THE MEETING ROOMS WILL ENABLE THE CENTER TO HOST A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS, MAKING THE FACILITY A THRIVING "HUB" FOR THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY. WE WILL REPLACE ALL MECHANICAL SYSTEMS WITH STATE OF THE ART UNITS THAT MEET THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY, INCLUDING A SOLAR ARRAY ON THE ADDITION ROOF. THE CENTRAL AIR SYSTEM WILL INCORPORATE A HIGH EFFICIENCY AIR PURIFIER TO MITIGATE THE TRANSMISSION OF VIRUSES THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY. ALL ROOMS WILL BE WIRED FOR INTERCOMS, ETHERNET COMPUTER NETWORKING, AND VIDEOCONFERENCING CAPABILITIES TO ENABLE ANY COMBINATION OF IN-PERSON AND REMOTE ENGAGEMENTS BETWEEN RECOVERY SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS AND THE PEOPLE THEY ARE SUPPORTING. THE LOCATION AND CONDITION OF OUR CURRENT FACILITY EXEMPLIFIES THE SOCIAL STIGMA TOWARD ADDICTION, AND THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM THIS ILLNESS, THAT PREVAILED AT OUR ORIGINS. AS BOTH THE STATE OF VERMONT AND OUR REGIONAL COALITION UNDERTAKE MAJOR INITIATIVES TO COMBAT THE STIGMA OF ADDICTION, IT IS NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER THAT OUR FACILITY, IN EVERY ASPECT, SIGNALS HOPE FOR RECOVERY FROM A TREATABLE CHRONIC ILLNESS, OUR COMMUNITY'S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING ALL WHO SUFFER FROM IT, AND RESPECT F