VOLUME 7, ISSUE 11 HOPE - CHOICE - EMPOWERMENT - RECOVERY CULTURE - SPIRITUALITY NOVEMBER 2015

November 2015

Recovery Innovations extends heartfelt THANKS and APPRECIATION to the

organizations that provide class locations, presentations, services and referrals.

Our connections with others, provide opportunities and environments that empower people to recover, to succeed in accomplishing their goals, and to

reconnect with themselves, others and meaning and purpose in life.

Community Connections

Quotes of

Inspiration

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, or worn. It is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace & gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

“At the crossroad, where do you turn to? Listen to your inner-self, it will point the right road for you to follow.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita,

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree. – Emily Bronte

How well do you handle stress in

your life?

1. I have people I confide in when I’m

feeling under pressure who make me

feel better.

2. I feel comfortable expressing how I

feel when something is bothering me.

3. In general, I feel in control of my life

and confident in my ability to handle

what comes my way.

4. I find reasons to laugh and feel

grateful, even when going through

difficulties.

5. No matter how busy I am, I make it a

priority to sleep, exercise, and eat

right.

6. I’m able to calm myself down when I

start to feel overwhelmed.

Each “yes” answer represents an

important stress coping skill. Each

“no” represents an area to work on to

become more resilient.

Learn how to manage stress

You may feel like the stress in your life is

out of your control, but you can always

control the way you respond. Meditation

can teach you healthier ways to cope with

stress, help you reduce its harmful

effects, and prevent stress from spiraling

out of control again in the future.

Engage socially. The simple act of

talking face to face with another human

being can release hormones that reduce

stress even if you’re still unable to alter

the stressful situation. Opening up to

someone is not a sign of weakness and it

won’t make you a burden to others.

Get moving. Physical activity plays a key role in managing stress. Activities that require moving both your arms and your legs are particularly effective. Walking, running, swimming, dancing, and aerobic classes are good choices, especially if you

exercise mindfully (focusing your attention on the physical sensations you experience as you move). Focused movement helps to get your nervous system back into balance.

Set aside relaxation time. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and

deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the fight or flight stress response.

Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress.

Get plenty of sleep. Feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think irrationally. Keep your cool in stressful situations by getting a good night’s sleep.

For details on Wellness classes, Peer

Support and possible Resource

Connections, call Recovery Innovations at

1-866-481-5361

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Wellness City Greenville:

Recovery and the

Holidays —by Pamela Spence, CPSS

I’ve been in long term Recovery now for 4 ½ years and coming

here to Wellness City Greenville 3 years ago has helped me learn

wellness tools to use to help me get though the rough times.

With the support of my daughters Ashley and Tabitha, as well as

Leeroy, the staff and the citizens, I’m able to enjoy family time

and remain healthy during the holidays.

I found out that I’m not alone in this thing we call addiction and

mental health issues. There are people put here just like me who

are going though the same thing I am, and that gives me

strength since I know that I’m supported in this thing we call life.

Working here as a Peer Support Specialist helps me in my recovery process as well. (One person in recovery

helping another person in recovery work though life challenges that they find hard to deal with.)

Recovery has become my life’s passion and spreading the work of Recovery to others in the community brings me

wellness, joy, and hopefully plant a seed of recovery in others.

Addicts helping addicts, people with mental illness helping other with mental illness, is how we get though the

holidays. Together we can unit through the power of Peer Support. It doesn’t even require the cost of a candle to

light the spirit of recovery and hope in another person. Now I am attending Pitt Community college in the Human

Services Substance abuse program and that will help me in the future help others. Stay Strong!!

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Fall Fun at Durham Wellness City

Fall is a busy time at Durham Wellness City. We celebrated National

Recovery Month in September and participated in Durham’s annual

Recovery Celebration. This was the sixth year Wellness City was part

of this event and over 400 people attended this year. Many of our

citizens and staff participated in the poster contest and two of our

Peer Support Specialists won prizes. We all enjoyed the food,

dancing, speakers and festivities. It was wonderful to see everyone

enjoying themselves and being living proof that Recovery Is Real!

On Friday, October 2, Durham Wellness City participated in

Durham’s Project Homeless Connect event. Project Homeless

Connect is a one-day, one-stop event to provide people

experiencing - or at risk of experiencing - homelessness with a

broad range of services including housing, employment, health and

dental care, mental health care, veterans' and social service

benefits, legal services, and more. This was Durham Wellness City’s

fifth year participating in this event and we enjoyed meeting all the

people who stopped by the Wellness City table to learn about all the

wonderful classes and events we have to offer. For many of the

participants at this event, just having a place to go that is safe, warm, and welcoming is a novelty and is

especially important as the winter holidays and cold winter weather are soon upon us. What a joy it was

to share this wonderful resource with so many new people!

Creating art is a great way to come together as a community and prepare ourselves and our physical

space for the upcoming holidays. As the weather becomes cooler

and wetter, it is wonderful to sit inside, warm and dry, and spend

time creating together. Some of the beautiful crafts that are

created will be taken home to decorate our own living spaces and

some will be left at Wellness City to create a warm, welcoming space

that celebrates the upcoming holidays. On Saturday, 10/17, the

citizens carved these amazing pumpkins to decorate the

community space at Durham Wellness City. Happy Halloween!!

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Community Building Team

Citizen Spotlight!

My name is Carlos and I was adopted at the age of 8. I went to live with my adoptive parents, where I began to act out a lot. I did not do well in school because I was always acting out. Once I set myself on fire. By the time I was 18, I was sent to live in a group home which I did not like because they were always telling me what to do. I was put on all kinds of medicine for Bipolar 2 disorder. Finally I went back to live with my adopted parents in 2014. I love my Mom and Dad but they always have negative things to say to me. I got involved with this program with Trillium and Recovery Innovations. I started doing a lot better and was one of the lucky ones to be able to transition into independent living with the support of my Peer Recovery Coach, Medication Management and Trillium. I moved about 6 weeks ago and things are going well. I am currently working on my WRAP and setting goals for success. My Peer recovery coach comes and spends time with me twice a week to support me in all I do. I love living on my own. I am doing well with my medications and meeting people in the community. I am also learning how to cook. I go to church every Sunday and in 2016 I will be going back to school to get my G.E.D. I want to thank my coach Kristye for always supporting me.

A note from Kristye Holt CPSS, Peer Recovery Coach

Carlos transitioned a little over a month ago and has been doing very well. Carlos wants to go back to school to get his G.E.D. He is working on getting acclimated into the community and has made some new friends. Carlos is also working on WRAP with his PRC. Carlos has come a long way and is continuing to grow and has a willingness to go the extra mile for himself and others. It has been a pleasure working with Carlos and seeing that light of hope within him. I love working with Carlos because of his courage and strength to keep moving forward. Carlos is very kind in nature. My name is Kristye and I am Carlos’s CPSS, PRC. What I love about working with Carlos is how rewarding it is to give back what was so freely given to me. It helps my own recovery every day to be a part of giving back. I love working for R.I. because of who they are and what we do. It brings me joy to support people with similar challenges and it also has a way of keeping my own recovery in order. I am a firm believer that I must continue doing the things that keep me well so that I can empower others. The one thing I have learned through the many years of being in recovery is that recovery is a process not an event. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of this team. #AsTheJournyContinues.

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NOVEMBER 2015

This year our very own Wellness City of New Bern

partook in the 35th annual Mumfest in downtown

New Bern. And though we had to fight the wind

and the rain, we were able to help generate

information about Recovery Innovations and all of

the services that we offer for free to the general

public. Many of the individuals that came to our

booth stated that they have heard of Wellness City

before, yet did not know the exact location of our

program. Others said that they have never heard

of Wellness City and were glad to know there was

a place in town that helped people during their

time of need. Some were just interested in

partaking in our free classes that range from Drum Circle, to Understanding

Schizophrenia, to Art for Recovery. The staff

handed out information sheets, class schedules

and cards for them to come to the facility and

share a cup of free coffee with us. While there, we

gave them a tour of the facility and explained in

more detail what we do here at Wellness City;

maybe, just maybe we can help them get the tools

they need to get back on the road to recovery.

—Joseph Villarreal RSA New Bern

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Outreach

Left to Right: Georgia J. (Front); Rebecca H. Yvonne B. Stephanie S. Brad L., Jenn F. and Cheryl S.

Held at PORT Human Services in Elizabeth City, the SAIOP group (pictured above proudly displaying their Certificates of

Completion) came to the WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) class every day of the 9-week class and all 7 attendees graduated!

To celebrate, everyone brought a dish to pass and had a big Pot Luck!

Here are some things the students had to say about their WRAP experience:

“Gives me so much Hope and I know I can do this! This group and you, Ron (WRAP Facilitator) makes me feel I am not alone.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel! I’m finding peace in my life. Thank you so much for being in my life.” ~Georgia J.

“Today I was reassured that I have all the support and tools I need to make larger steps forward in my Recovery!” ~Stephanie S.

“I graduated WRAP! Yay! I’m going to stay clean!” ~ NW

As you can see by the above quotes, people are attending our classes and growing in their Recovery! If you want what they have,

are 18 Years or older and would like to find a class nearest you, please call Susan Hall, Outreach Team Lead at 252-876-3645.

Remember~ You are never alone on your road to Recovery!

All of our classes are offered FREE of charge!

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SPECIAL EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

OUTREACH

FREE WORKSHOPS ALL OVER EASTERN NC! Right now, we are offering WELL (Wellness & Empowerment in Life & Living in Ahoskie. Each week we cover a different topic such as Recovery, Stress Management, Sub-stance Use and Trauma.

Join us at Roanoke Chowan Community Health, Ahoskie On Wednesdays from 2:00PM—3:30PM! Call Susan @ 252-876-3645 for more details on this and our other work-shops.

Wellness City New Bern

Is having a Thanksgiving gathering on

Wednesday, November 25th, at 12:00PM. Come and join us!

Wellness City Greenville

Is having a Thanksgiving supper on

Wednesday, November 25th, at 11:00AM

until 1:00PM Save the date!

Our Mission

To create opportunities and environments

that empower people to recover, to succeed

in accomplishing their goals, and to reconnect

with themselves, others and meaning and

purpose in life.

Recovery Innovations

Is a nonprofit organization offering recovery-based services in Arizona, California, Delaware, North Carolina, Texas, Washington

state and New Zealand.

www.RecoveryInnovations.org

Recovery Response Center

300 Parkview Drive West

Henderson, NC 27536

Phone: 252-438-4145 Joy Brunson-Nsubuga, Clinical Director: 252-339-2486

Durham Wellness City

401 E. Lakewood Avenue, Suite E1-A

Durham, NC 27707

Phone: 919-687-4041

Kim Chansen, Recovery Services Administrator: 919-702-3314

Wellness City Greenville

2407 S. Memorial Drive

Greenville, NC 27834

Phone: 252-321-0179

Ashley Viverette, Recovery Services Administrator: 252-214-8555

Wellness City of New Bern

1311 Health Drive

New Bern, NC 28560

Phone: 252-672-8781

Joe Villarreal, Recovery Services Administrator: 252-670-3614

Community Building Team

Kimberly Talbot, RSA: 252-723-6616

Outreach Wellness City

Susan Hall, Team Lead: 252-876-3645 Contact for details on Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Hertford, Northampton,

Pasquotank, & Perquimans Counties

Dave Edmonds, Outreach Coordinator: 252-886-1104

Contact for details on Camden, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell & Washington Counties

Jeff Payne Outreach Coordinator: 252-375-1911

Contact for details on Beaufort, Craven, Jones, Pamlico & Pitt Counties

Recovery Innovations has earned the

Joint Commission’s

Gold Seal of Approval™

AND

Find our Wellness City Voice Newsletters, as well as our monthly class Calendars online at

www.RecoveryInnovations.org/rinc

NOVEMBER 2015

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