The region’s first recovery community organization opens this month in Easton, thanks to a grant from the state’s Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC).
The new center, Grace Street, is funded through the OOCC’s Competitive Grant Program, which supports initiatives that address the opioid crisis. Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs) are a nationally recognized model that create a hub and spoke center for peer support, case management, outreach for harm reduction, prevention activities and other activities for people in recovery for substance use disorder. Easton’s center will help people establish healthy lifestyles and reacclimate into society, while building recovery capital and working to reduce stigma often associated with addiction.
“We’re grateful the OOCC chose to fund our program so we can bring this much needed resource to Easton,” said Linda Kohler, Executive Director of Chesapeake Charities. “Our goal is to bring all the recovery resources together in one place so our peer support specialists can help people in recovery connect the dots as they build healthy sober lives.”
RCOs help bridge the gap between professional treatment and a successful life in long-term recovery. Easton’s center will deliver an assortment of non-clinical, community-centered, peer recovery support services and care coordination, along with harm reduction resources; workforce training and development; youth programming; overdose prevention activities and resources; and support groups.
The RCO will serve people in Talbot County and in neighboring counties across the Mid Shore. Referrals are not necessary, and services are free. Center hours will include nights and weekends, and some transportation will be available. Anyone interested in volunteering, partnering or supporting this project may contact Kate Dulin, program director, at 410-690-7353 or visit GraceStreetRecovery.org.
Located in Stevensville, Chesapeake Charities is a community foundation that supports more than 135 nonprofit funds that impact a range of charitable causes, including animal welfare, arts, education, health and human services, and the environment. To date, it has generated more than $32 million in investment and grant funding for charitable projects in 10 counties: Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s and Talbot. For more information, contact Chesapeake Charities at 410-643-4020 or info@chesapeakecharities.org, or visit www.chesapeakecharities.org. Chesapeake Charities is accredited by the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.
The Opioid Operational Command Center is Maryland’s principal coordinating office for addressing the opioid crisis. Under the guidance of the Inter-Agency Heroin and Opioid Coordinating Council, the OOCC leads Maryland’s opioid-related strategic planning and coordinates the efforts of all state agencies involved in Maryland’s opioid crisis response, various community partners, and all 24 local jurisdictions throughout the state. The OOCC may be contacted at help.oocc@maryland.gov.