By STEVE FREKER
MALDEN — Fast becoming one of the most responsive and proactive agencies in the region in addressing the epidemic of substance use disorder, Malden Overcoming Addiction (MOA) marked perhaps its most impressive milestone to date.
With financial backing from both the Malden Police and Fire departments and funding from the city of Everett, MOA sponsored 20 volunteers from Malden, Everett and other communities in their training as addiction recovery coaches.
The new recovery coaches completed a 30-hour training program administered by the Connecticut Community of Addiction Recovery (CCAR) Recovery Coach Academy at Malden High School. The academy trains people to help those in the community who wish to overcome addiction.
The coaches are certified to begin working and, with MOA’s help, they will start taking on cases.
“We got a terrific response and many applicants, which is great to see considering this is the first time anyone has attempted to (train recovery coaches) in this area,” said Paul Hammersley, MOA president.
The CCAR Recovery Coach Academy provided volunteer participants with a general understanding of what it takes to be a recovery coach. Hammersley, himself in recovery from a previous substance use disorder, said recovery coaches “are interested in promoting recovery by removing barriers and obstacles to recovery and serving as a personal guide and mentor for people seeking or already in recovery.”
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Hammersley, who spent nearly a year in promoting and then seeing the recovery coach program get off the ground, said it is “vital” that these volunteers are in place.
“Folks go through rehab and then finish their program and re-enter society. But there’s nothing there for them, no one to individually advise and encourage them to stay on the right path,” Hammersley said.
According to CCAR officials, “Recovery coaches are individuals, who may or may not be in recovery themselves, who help people along the path of recovery — either before, during, after, or instead of treatment.”
Recovery coaches focus on non-clinical issues such as housing, employment, proceeding through drug court, and dealing with probation officers. Recovery coaches can also help engage people who are waiting to get into treatment, according to CCAR training materials.
Hammersley said MOA is formulating a second Recovery Coach Academy scheduled for June 16, 17, 23 and 24. The city of Everett is covering the cost of this program which again will be administered by CCAR.
In conjunction with the successful recovery coach training program, Hammersley and the MOA are working at the state level with legislators and state Department of Public Health officials to put a Recovery Center in Malden.
If approved, the Malden-based Recovery Center would be run by Malden Overcoming Addiction and would serve residents of many communities in the greater Boston and North Shore region, including Malden, Medford, Everett, Melrose, Revere, Winthrop and Lynn.