Kevin Hauschulz, (right) speaking at a conference in Washington,DC
about recovery support services. The title of the conference
was "Sobering up to High Society", sponsored by CASA
(National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia
University) and the panel that he spoke on was entitled "It's
All About Kids", and focused on substance use and addiction
among young people. Kevin used the opportunity to speak about
his personal recovery and some of the Recovery Support Services
that CCAR delivers, as well as the loss of RCSP funding.
Upcoming
Events
WIRED
Women in Recovery Through Enhanced Design
An
important part of recovery is taking care of the spirit and
filling the void. WIRED is a women’s group that will allow
you to express yourself through different crafts and designs.
Try something new…
Relax your mind! Check back for upcoming sessions.
Second Project Completed! Christmas Wreath
Social Committee
The Social Committee is responsible for planning and organizing
sober social events. The Social Committee at the Hartford Recovery
Community Center has previously planned a successful open-mic
night at the center. This was the first event at our new Recovery
Community Center in Hartford. New members are always appreciated
and welcome.
For information regarding becoming a committee member please
contact
Laurie Fresher at 860-244-3343 or email laurie@ccar.us
All
Recovery Meeting
Meets every Monday and Thursday from 10:30 am - 11:30 am
All those that support recovery, by either being in recovery
from alcohol and other drug addiction, family member or friend
of those that want to live in an environment of recovery are
welcome to attend.
Come join us to talk about recovery and how we can sustain it
in ourselves and those around us.
Womens
All Recovery Meeting
Meets every Friday morning from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
We will be a unique women's group offering Recovery, Friendship,
and Activities. Bring your ideas!
Men's
All Recovery Meeting
Meets every Friday evening from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Come and get involved!
Family
Education Series
Every Friday beginning February 29, 2008 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
An alcohol and drug addiction education and support program
for members of the community, people in recovery and or their
families. Each Recovery Community Center will offer one evening
a week where family members can meet to learn about addiction
and recovery and share their experiences.
Please call Laurie at 860-244-3343 for more information.
Hartford
Chapter Meeting
Meets the last Wednesday of the month from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
All those in recovery or who support recovery are welcomed to
join to start working toward the solution of reducing the stigma
of addiction and assist in helping those enhance their life
in recovery.
Archives
01-25-07:
On October 11th, 2006 CCAR closed on a property in Connecticut's
capitol city, Hartford, at 198 Wethersfield Avenue. The three-story,
character laden Victorian is a significant milestone in CCAR's
history. It is the belief of the members, Board and staff that
this building establishes permanency. We have arrived! The administrative
offices were moved in mid-December. The Hartford Recovery Community
Center will be situated on the 1st floor and a highly anticipated
Open House was hosted on January 25th, 2007.
Close
to 300 people attended - standing room only. Hartford Senior
Peer Services Coordinator Laurie Fresher did an outstanding
job of organizing this event. The back conference room had an
incredible spread of food. The Center looks amazing. Staff gave
tour after tour after tour of all three floors. Four people
from PRO-ACT attended, mentioned because they drove up from
Philadelphia! The program went off without a hitch. Thanks to
CCAR Board Vice President Bill Leary and CCAR Board Secretary
Roberto Garcia for speaking (see below for Mr.Garcia's speech).
DMHAS Deputy Commissioner Peter Rockholz also attended and spoke.
Longtime CCAR member Manny Quinones, one of our contractors
who worked on the Center spoke and at the end of his talk, he
surprised the crowd and and gave his resume to Bill to be considered
for the Board. Gerry Lafleur, producer of the Capitol Voices
of Recovery and a family member shared his story and expressed
his endorsement. Executive Director Phillip Valentine gave an
Overview and Director of Operations Cheryle Pacapelli thanked
all the supporters of the HRCC.
CCAR
Board Secretary Roberto Garcia's Talk at the Open House of the
Hartford Recovery Community Center 01-25-07:
On
behalf of the board of directors of CCAR I want to say hello
to all of you and congratulate your being here to participate
in this momentous occasion. I also appreciate being given the
opportunity to address you with my thoughts. The goals of my
talk today are twofold:
1)
maximize the advantages of long term recovery, and
2) maximize and enhance early addiction recovery and restoration.
I
open my remarks with a warning, prediction, and a challenge:
Until we stop viewing addicted individuals as maleficent thieves
who steal from the cornucopia of forbidden pleasures, which
by the way, is the way current society with its some what psychological/superstitious
paradigm of addiction suggests it is, we will continue to harvest
mistaken beliefs, myths and biases. Only by forsaking our own
similarly biased beliefs based on misperceived, antiquated,
and generalized empirical judgments about addicts and accepting
the reality of a new paradigm, the paradigm of a neurobiological
and emotionally neutral basis of addiction, will total recovery
from addiction exist.
People
who are concerned with public safety and persons with addictions
and mental health issues would both benefit. As it stands right
now, public safety, instead of being assured by current beliefs
and policies, is being severely diminished for the ever present
luxuries of moralism, revenge and punishment of the addict is
the rule of thumb, a delusion of control by society, politicians
and their policies, authoritarian physicians and licensing administrations.
In fact, until we provide a safe and accepting environment where
most addicted persons can routinely and fearlessly refer themselves
for recovery and monitor their own progress, unnecessary damage
of the person with addictions and mental health issues will
be magnified and perpetuated by the same policies designed to
prevent them. The damage from addiction and mental health issues
are enhanced more by the current policies that are meant to
correct the problems of addiction and mental health, than by
the problem itself.
Early voluntary recovery is the only true method to curb and
prevent the damage caused by the punitive policies that face
addicts today. This can only be accomplished through fear-free
self-referral in a public atmosphere. As a representative of
persons in recovery, CCAR is in a unique position and has the
opportunity to ensure the system changes. I predict that if
CCAR courageously continues to advocate for the changes it knows
are correct, the best results will follow. I challenge people
in recovery, friends, allies and family members of people in
recovery to take action and help by putting a face on recovery
despite the obvious fear of retaliation. The issue of what it
means to be an "addict" needs to be publicly and factually
defined and recovery from addiction and or mental illness needs
to be supported. So again congratulations on this beautiful
Recovery Center and let's continue "putting a face on recovery".
