Advocates for Recovery (AFR) is a grassroots recovery community organization

made up of people throughout Colorado who are part of the new recovery movement.
In the year 2001, AFR began its mission with a handful of dedicated people who
recognized the necessity for support and advocacy for the needs of those in recovery.
AFR believes that the most difficult part of the road to recovery begins after an individual
has stopped using drugs/alcohol. AFR is the only Recovery Community Organization in
Colorado whose primary goal is to support those in recovery from addiction to alcohol
and/or other drugs.
What is a Recovery Community Organization? “A recovery community organization
(RCO) is an independent, non-profit organization led and governed by representatives of
local communities of recovery. These organizations organize recovery-focused policy
advocacy activities, carry out recovery-focused community education and outreach
programs, and/or provide peer-based recovery support services”, as defined by Faces &
Voices of Recovery.

AFR is proud to announce new services to the community

Peer Based Recovery Support Services

What is Peer Based Recovery Support?

- The process of giving and receiving non-professional, non-clinical assistance
to achieve long-term recovery from alcohol and or drug related problems.
- Support provided by people who are experientially credentialed
to assist others in initiating recovery, maintaining recovery, and enhancing
the quality of personal and family life in long-term recovery.
- Substantially different from models of professionally directed addiction
treatment.

What are Peer Based Recovery Support Services?

- Services that are a form of Peer Based Recovery Support delivered through
more formal organizations and through more specialized roles.
- Service that span the Stages of Recovery
- Are distinguished by their recovery focus; mobilization of personal, family and
community recovery capital to support long-term recovery
- Respect to diverse pathways and styles of recovery
- Focus on immediate recovery-linked needs
- Use of self as a helping instrument
- Emphasis n continuity of recovery support over time
- Are non-stigmatizing, inclusive, and strengths based
What is a Recovery Coach?

• motivator and cheerleader (exhibits bold faith in individual/family capacity for

change; encourages and celebrates achievement),
• ally and confidant (genuinely cares, listens, and can be trusted with confidences)
• truth-teller (provides a consistent source of honest feedback regarding self
destructive patterns of thinking, feeling and acting),
• role model and mentor (offers his/her life as living proof of the transformative
power of recovery; provides stage-appropriate recovery education and advice),
• problem solver (identifies and helps resolve personal and environmental
obstacles to recovery),
• resource broker (links individuals/families to formal and indigenous sources of
sober housing, recovery-conducive employment, health and social services, and
recovery support),
• advocate (helps individuals and families navigate the service system assuring
service access, service responsiveness and protection of rights),
• community organizer (helps develop and expand available recovery support
resources),
• lifestyle consultant (assists individuals/families to develop sobriety-based rituals
of daily living), and
• a friend (provides companionship).

-- White, W. (2006). Sponsor, Recovery Coach, Addiction Counselor: The Importance of Role
Clarity and Role Integrity

How are Recovery Support Services different from addiction treatment?

- Focus on long-term recovery rather than brief bio-psycho-social stabilization
- Focus on full recovery rather than remission
- Work across multiple (religious, spiritual, secular, cultural) frameworks of
recovery rather than within a particular framework
- Emphasize a person’s self-determination and service philosophy
with emphasis on personal choice

Recovery Support
Addiction Treatment Experiential Knowledge
Scientific Knowledge Helper/Helpee roles are reciprocal
Separation of Helper/Helpee Minimum power differential between
Significant power differential between helper/helpee
helper/helpee Support focus is often on
Clinical orientation emphasizes “getting out of oneself”
“getting into oneself” Helping as a commitment
Helping as a commodity