'It fills a need:' New addiction support center helps people achieve long-term recovery

TAUNTON – “We haven’t really had a treatment center like this around here. It fills a need in the community,” said Beth Burnham, a recovering addict for the last 15 years, and member of the Taunton Peer Recovery Support Center. This new facility, which opened in mid-May, offers support and services for people either on the road or trying to sustain recovery from addiction.

Located at 1 Washington St. in Taunton, around the corner from WOW! Work Out World and Lavender Laundromat, the Peer Recovery Support Center follows a loose but compassionate approach to mitigating relapses and helping people achieve long-term recovery.

“We support all pathways of recovery. Whatever help they need. Whatever their journey is,” said Program Director Lisa Reid.

Reid said there are a variety recovery and/or abstinence programs associated with drug and alcohol addiction including Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), Christian-based recovery, or Smart Recovery, to name a few.

The journey, Reid says, doesn’t always mean complete abstinence and “we don’t judge.”

“As long as your life is manageable and you are striving to be productive, we respect every pathway,” said Assistant Program Director Nicholas Teixeira.

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Teixeira added that participants can’t show up to the center under the influence, using, or holding alcohol or substances, as that runs the risk of affecting other people’s recovery or sobriety.

Who is this available for?

The Taunton Peer Recovery Support Center is fully funded by the state’s Bureau of Substance and Addiction Services.

There is no cost to patients, no insurance needed, and no referrals of any kind required. Anyone looking to manage their sobriety can walk right in.

Beyond recovery

The Taunton Peer Recovery Support Center is an extension of Community Counseling of Bristol County, Inc. (CCBC), which provides assorted behavioral healthcare services for people in need.

The goal of the Peer Recovery Support Center is to be a one-stop shop for addressing the needs of people trying to stay clean and productive. With CCBC as its parent, it has access to those necessary resources.

For example, Reid said, this isn’t a drop-in center or detox facility for people trying to get clean, but if someone walks in, they have the resources to find space for them at one nearby.

If people walking into the center currently don’t have stable living conditions, they can also refer them to the CCBC to help find them a sober residential living house.

“Everything is connected,” said Burnham, adding that the center will try to address anything attributed to maintaining a healthy recovery, either through CCBC or through the agency’s other partners. This includes programs and services related to mental health, dealing with domestic and/or sexual abuse, career and workforce development for finding employment, and even finding housing or shelter.

“I’ve been to other [treatment] places. I’ve been all over. This place has helped me a lot. Anything I need, they have helped me get,” said Joe Nekos, a member in recovery at the center.

“This is one piece of CCBC; if a person walks in, our staff will work to get them the resources they need,” said Ellen Bruder-Moore Abramowitz, vice president of housing and community initiatives with CCBC.

Understanding needs

“I wish I had a place like this when I was trying to get my life together,” said Teixeira, who is in recovery himself.

Teixeira, a Taunton native, dealt with addiction as a teenager. He underwent an 18-month residential treatment program with Adult & Teen Challenge in Brockton. He doesn't regret the experience, he said, because it also set him on his career path in addiction recovery and counseling.

He added the staff, including himself, “are all in recovery in some way” which gives them greater ability to help through shared and personal experience.

Teixeira said that with many residential treatment programs, there are clinicians and licensed therapists who have no shared experience to connect with patients. “Residents would say you don’t know what I’m going through. They can’t use those excuses here.”

“People with that experience already understand the issues. It’s more easy to relate," added Burnham, who volunteers at the center.

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Peer governed

The Taunton Peer Recovery Support Center has a tiered system for inclusion and decision-making into how the center is run and what programs are offered.

Participants are those who show up and attend meetings whenever they want. They typically have no say in matters, nor consistency in how often they come to the center.

Members, as Teixeira puts it, "show desire to invest" their time into helping the Peer Recovery Support Center and having a voice in decision-making. They are there more than participants, have extra privileges, and voting rights.

Volunteers actually invest time into the center, including outreach, cleaning the facility, running support groups, etc. They have the same rights and privileges as members.

Peers have a designated weekly workload, including acting as direct support for staff. They are also paid with a monthly stipend.

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Welcoming environment

Teixeira wants the center to be thought of as a “Boys & Girls Club for recovery,” meaning participants and members feel they can come here anytime during operation hours, whether for support or to socialize.

“Boredom is one of the biggest factors leading to relapse,” he said, adding that he is looking at adding more sources of recreation and socialization at the center.

Reid said the calendar of events changes weekly. In between scheduled mental health-related and recovery support group sessions, they have meditation, yoga, and seminars with outside partners, like Manet Community Health Center.

Ashley Gauthier, a member in recovery, said she’s been to different treatment centers and support groups over the years and “this is probably the most welcoming one I’ve been to.”

City support

Mayor Shaunna O'Connell attended the Taunton Peer Recovery Support Center's grand opening on July 8.

"We are grateful to see the opening of the Taunton Peer Recovery Support Center. This room is filled with caring, compassionate people with a deep devotion to helping people build a promising life and future for themselves," she said. "The road to recovery is not an easy one, but we have heard extraordinary success stories today, and I know we will hear many more."

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton Peer Recovery Support Center opens Washington Street Taunton