How this Innovative Recovery Housing Model is Addressing Substance Use in Rural Areas

Article link: https://givingcompass.org/article/recovery-housing-model

With drug overdose deaths jumping by more than 20,000 to 93,000 last year, the need for safe, effective recovery housing has never been greater. That’s because the internal and external resources needed to initiate, stabilize, and sustain long-term recovery are virtually impossible to develop without it. The challenge is even greater in rural areas where few resources are available to counter the higher rates of substance use disorders, morbidity, overdose, and mortality found there.

But there is an answer: An innovative model of recovery housing (RH) that’s proven not only effective but also financially self-sustaining.

The model comes from Kentucky where former Governor Ernie Fletcher and Corrections Commissioner John Rees leveraged many federal, state, and local resources Fletcher had become familiar with while a three-term congressman and Chairman of the Policy Subcommittee on Healthcare. The Recovery Kentucky program they put together now boasts 18 facilities (nine for men and nine for women) that have helped thousands of rural Kentuckians rebuild their lives while saving millions in taxpayer dollars.

That model is now being promoted nationwide by the Fletcher Group, a nonprofit founded by Fletcher in 2018. The Fletcher Group Rural Center of Excellence (RCOE) is one of only three RCOEs in the nation that is federally funded to help prevent and treat substance use disorders in rural communities. (The other two are the Center on Rural Addiction at the University of Vermont in Burlington and the University of Rochester Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence in Rochester, New York.) The Fletcher Group RCOE’s Outreach and Engagement Specialists target those rural counties with the highest rates of overdose mortality in 10 states: Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

How the Model Works

The uniquely holistic, person-centered social recovery model achieves noteworthy economy and effectiveness through peer-led mentorship and peer-guided support meetings emphasizing personal accountability, all in keeping with the “Recovery Dynamics” principles that have evolved from AA and Narcotics Anonymous 12-step programs.

Throughout a residency of up to two years, clients benefit from a complete continuum of evidence-based and trauma-informed care, including medications and other treatments administered by staff professionals. In coordination with community resources (workforce training, social enterprise, meaningful employment, housing, transportation, and education, etc.), a nurturing culture of care provides the ideal platform for connecting mind with body so that individuals can develop the life skills needed for lasting sobriety, stability, and self-sufficiency.

It’s also a model that pays for itself. So-called “braided funding” — the leveraging of funds and resources (including tax credits) that already exist within federal, state, and local agencies, faith-based entities, and the private sector — can enable new facilities, housing 100 or more residents to be built without debt. Day-to-day operating costs, including those needed for building repair and upkeep, are met through per diems contracted with departments of corrections as well as Community Development Block Grants, Section 8 Housing, SNAP benefits, and other partnerships.

The Financial Role of the Criminal Justice System

Jail overcrowding, the high cost of prisoner care, the cost of prosecuting drug offenses, and the growing number of individuals affected by mental illness in the prison system pose huge challenges to local governments. The Fletcher Group provides an alternative, non-punitive approach to the expensive ad hoc manner in which the criminal justice system traditionally deals with those experiencing homelessness and addiction. And because the model’s per diem operating costs are so much lower, criminal justice systems are financially motivated to divert drug-involved individuals to homes where they can receive the treatment and support they need to recover.

Looking Ahead

To further improve the capacity and quality of rural recovery housing, the Fletcher Group will also soon debut what’s called “The Portal” — a one-stop shopping hub for all things related to rural recovery housing. It will break new ground by providing a Housing Locator to help individuals find housing, especially in rural areas where resources are often lacking; a Resident Management System to help RH staff quickly input, tabulate and archive daily records; and an online Best Practice Training Center to enhance the knowledge of RH operators, staff, and others.

By combining evidence-based treatments and best practices with a sustainable housing model, the “Recovery Ecosystem” model promoted by the Fletcher Group may well be rural America’s best shot at breaking the cycle of dependency, thereby enabling lives to be rebuilt, families to reunite, and communities to achieve the health and well-being they need to prosper.

How Social Investors Can Help

  • Support the Fletcher Group’s efforts to provide the evidence-based technical assistance needed within your community, region, or state.
  • Help connect your community to the resources provided by the Fletcher Group.
  • Reach out to substance use treatment providers, healthcare organizations, churches, government agencies, and other anchor institutions to discuss the Fletcher Group’s “Recovery Ecosystem” model of recovery housing.
  • Financially support the “Recovery Ecosystem” model of recovery housing in your community through capital-development campaigns to cover promotional and start-up costs.
  • Support the recovery housing standards established by the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR).
  • Support recovery housing research, specifically the response of residents to different models of recovery housing.
  • Support the development of technology that can document and evaluate recovery housing services in order to better define “best practices.”
  • Support public policies that incorporate funding for recovery housing and recovery housing services.

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FAQs

How can I learn more about the resources and services that are specifically available in my local area?

We encourage all visitors to the Rural SUD Info website to also explore additional resources and services available through the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA),  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or Rural Health Information Hub (RHIHub).

How often are the Rural SUD Info Center materials updated?

Materials are updated on a quarterly basis.

How can I contact the Rural SUD Info Center?

Visit the request assistance page. https://ruralsudinfo.org/request-assistance/

Is there an Urban SUD Resource Center?

There is not an equivalent Urban SUD Resource Center. However, all of the information and tools on this website are available to the public, regardless of location or grant status. 

What are the Rural Centers of Excellence?

The RCOEs were established in 2019 by the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), an initiative of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that aims to reduce morbidity and mortality related to SUD in rural areas.

Myself, or someone I know, is in a crisis. What should I do?

Please call or text 988, or visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-support/in-crisis

What is the Rural SUD Info Center?

The Rural SUD Info Center is a collection of best practices, tools, and research for rural communities building and strengthening a comprehensive approach to substance use disorder (SUD). These resources offer support to rural providers/partners, recovery specialists, rural community members, and more.

What resources are available for providers and patients?

Resources available for providers and patients include the Clearinghouse Resource Page. We also encourage visitors to fill out a technical assistance (TA) request for implementation support.

Where can I find rural providers in my area?

We encourage our visitors to use resources found throughout the Rural SUD Info
Center, along with Health
Resources & Services Administration
, Rural
Health Information Hub
, and the three RCOEs
to locate rural providers in your area.

Where can I find previous versions of toolkits?

All old versions of toolkits and resources are archived and can be retrieved through a request via the request assistance form.

Who operates the Rural SUD Info Center?

The Rural SUD Info Center is operated by the three RCORP-Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders, which are funded by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.

In Crisis? Call or Text 988