UKRF Conference: News!

UKRF Conference: News!

UKRF Conference, 7th May 2010, Tameside, Greater Manchester

Dear all,

Things are moving on apace and I must admit that I am genuinely looking forward to what will be a genuinely exciting and engaging day.

The fact that the powers that be may hold an election at the same time as our conference is making things a little complicated venue-wise but we are working on this.

The UKRF are meeting on 19th March to put final touches to the programme for the day and all individuals who have reserved a place will receive full details the following week. But in the meantime we thought we would give you a quick update on the purpose of the conference and what to expect.

The main purpose of the day is to build on the consultation paper circulated previously and bring together the thoughts and ideas that will form the basis of the UKRF Community Recovery Manifesto. Together we will be focusing on Community Recovery ‘Assets’, i.e. current strengths, abilities, experience, knowledge, passion and enthusiasm. These ‘Assets’ will be our foundation, the strengths-based framework from which we will build a strong Community based UK Recovery movement.

As many of you will be aware we have three speakers Mark Gilman, Phil Valentine and David Clark. Alistair Sinclair will be chairing the conference andAnnemarie Ward will be giving an update on the UK Recovery Walk 2010. Speakers will set the scene, outline some of the challenges we face, give us a sense of what we can learn from Connecticut and outline some of the directions worth exploring in the UK.

There’s lots to discuss so most of the day will be focused on us all working together to establish what’s great out there in the ‘Recovery World’; what are our ‘assets’ and how can we support and develop them, what’s missing and how can we fill the gaps. Discussion will take place in a series of workshops looking at different ‘themes’ within Recovery. There will be 15 (yes 15) workshops running in blocks of 5. This means everyone will have the opportunity to attend workshops in 3 different areas. You will be able to choose which workshops you would like to attend prior to the day – more details on this will come with the joining instructions.

Each workshop will be 45 minutes of pure energy so make sure you have a relaxing weekend planned afterwards. The workshops will be facilitated by a range of individuals with a particular personal or professional interest in the area. However, their job will be to get the best out of you. The emphasis will be on your participation. We want to create safe and structured spaces where you can express your thoughts and views. We start together and we build together!

We know we have not covered everything but we hope we have come up with a good range of topics that will stimulate you and reflect your interests. They are (in no particular order):

(1) Regional UKRF Representation
(2) Mutual Aid & Recovery
(3) Families, Carers & Recovery
(4) Young People & Recovery
(5) Offenders & Recovery
(6) Virtual Recovery Communities
(7) Social Enterprise & Recovery
(8) Service Users & Recovery
(9) Celebrating & Promoting Recovery
(10) Mental Health & Recovery
(11) An Ethical Framework & Evidence Base for Recovery
(12) Diversity & Recovery
(13) Training & Recovery
(14) Harm Reduction & Recovery
(15) Treatment & Recovery

Hope some of those have tickled your Recovery focused fancy.

Other important bits of information:

Cost
The conference is free for all community members as we would like everyone who can to be able to attend. However, if you are coming along from an organisation or service that has significant funds we would be very grateful if you would make a donation. Donations will be used to cater the conference (no dosh – no dinner!), cover general costs and to generate a fund to finance travel and accommodation for those that would otherwise struggle to attend. We are relying on those organisations who can afford it to support wide community access.

We are pleased that all catering will be provided by volunteers from uchooseit in Tameside who are all service users or ex-service users

To make a donation please click here and use the PayPal facility at the bottom of the page.

Co-sponsoring
If you would like to co-sponsor the event, have stall or to display information or banners please contact us as soon as possible onUKRFConference@wiredin.org.uk

Reserving places
Please make sure that you book a place (or places) as we will have to limit numbers. If you turn up on the day without having booked we may well not be able to accommodate you due to Health and Safety regulations. We really don’t want to have to turn people away so PLEASE BOOK onUKRFConference@wiredin.org.uk. Please also use this e-mail address if you have any queries or questions.

Looking forward to seeing you there – onwards and upwards. Recovery is a Reality.

UKRF Conference: Tameside, 7th May 2010

UKRF Conference: Tameside, 7th May 2010

Dear all,

We are really pleased (and I mean really, really and thrice really) to announce that our own Professor Clark (even though he is based in Australia he is still ours!), Mark Gilman and Phil Valentine will be speaking at the above conference. For those of you who may not know about Phil, he is Executive Director for the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) and has been an integral component in this Recovery Community Organization since January 1999.

So what is CCAR and why is it relevant for the UKRF? One of the distinctive characteristics of recovery-oriented systems of care is the elevated role of peer-based recovery support services within such systems and the importance of post-treatment monitoring, sustained support, and early re-intervention. Such systems are pioneering new volunteer and paid roles under such titles as recovery coaches, recovery support specialists, personal recovery assistants, peer helpers, etc.

CCAR is one of the most successful grassroots recovery support organisations, Phil Valentine envisions a world where the power, hope, and healing of recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction are thoroughly understood and embraced. CCAR’s mission is to put a positive face on recovery through advocacy, education, and service in order to end the discrimination surrounding addiction and recovery, open new doors and remove barriers to recovery and ensure that all people in recovery and people seeking recovery are treated with dignity and respect. Sounds familiar eh?

So what do they do and how does it work? Well, CCAR has a central office and four recovery community centers that are recovery-oriented anchors in the hearts of their communities, a place where local communities of recovery can design and deliver the supports they need to initiate and maintain their recoveries. Their staff members constitute an inner circle, and their task is to support, empower, and train the volunteers who form the next circle.

Their ‘target audience’ is the volunteers, people in all stages of recovery, family members, students, friends, and allies. One of their ‘ideal’ volunteers is a retired person in long-term recovery. Their target audience is not people still actively using, or even those seeking recovery or those in early recovery. They are their secondary target audience, and they reach them through the volunteer force.

Staff interact with people at all stages of need, but they gradually work to have volunteers handle most of the direct peer support. CCAR currently have 10 staff and 150 trained volunteers. They use this model to multiply their efforts and get the most value for the government and local government funding they receive.

Their first ‘Recovery Walks!’ were held in 2000 with 700 people turning up. Last September 70 thousand people turned up for walks for recovery that were held coast to coast across the USA. In a few short years that’s an incredible breakthrough. Recovery is truly becoming more visible. They just held their third legislative day, and a few legislators revealed for the first time publicly their own personal recoveries.

CCAR wrote the ‘Recovery Core Values’in collaboration with mental health recovery advocates that became the cornerstone of Tom Kirk’s (DMHASCommissioner) policy on a Recovery-Oriented System of Care, which has become a national model in the USA.

CCAR has developed a very close relationship with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), their state addiction agency. This relationship evolved over time because it places a high emphasis on integrity, honesty and trust.

The DMHAS staff trusts that CCAR will tell them the truth, even if it might mean some temporary ‘loss’ for CCAR. This is because the DMHAS know that CCAR have the best interests of the recovery community at heart. That they will not inflate their numbers or exaggerate what they are doing or minimise their struggles to make themseves look good. Now wouldn’t that be something worth striving for!

So be there,or be square!