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Addiction Recovery Coach training slated in Wheeling

WHEELING — A free, week-long training will take place at Youth Services System in Wheeling from Aug. 7-11 for people interested in becoming recovery coaches.

Recovery coaches are part of the peer-recovery movement. A recovery coach helps people in recovery from addiction by being a sounding board and a knowledgeable resource as one who has been there.

The training takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 7-11 at Youth Services System, 87 15th St., Wheeling. Lunch is provided. The deadline to register is Monday. Space is limited. Continuing education credits are pending for social work and addiction.

For information, call Staskey, 304-218-2843, ext. 118, or email vstaskey @ysswv.com.

“A recovery coach assists in identifying and overcoming barriers to recovery. The coach acts as a personal guide or mentor,” said Valery Staskey of Partnerships for Success, a grant-funded program at YSS through the federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, which falls under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“You don’t have to be in recovery to be trained as a recovery coach, but it is most helpful since people relate best to those who have been there themselves,” Staskey said. Recovery coaches help “connect the dots” and assist people in recognizing their strengths while also acknowledging there are “many pathways to recovery,” she added.

The five-day training is given by the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy, a program developed by the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery and used throughout the country to train coaches.

“Provided in a retreat like environment, the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy prepares participants by helping them to actively listen, ask really good questions, and discover and manage their own stuff,” according to the website.

“Stuff” refers to a person’s history and how it can affect their role as a coach.

In addition to learning the basics about recovery stages and the coaching role, participants will delve into such topics as relationship skills, ethics, boundaries and cultural competence.

SAMHSA defines recovery as “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.” It lists the four major dimensions that assist in recovery as health, home, purpose and community, all of which are areas in which the recovery coaches can assist.

This training will provide local coaches to assist those seeking recovery in a variety of ways, Staskey said.

“A coach can assist greatly with aftercare and management of one’s disease, relapse prevention and more. Some ways a recovery coach can be utilized in a professional setting is in an emergency room to help connect those who have overdosed with treatment programs, helping those in recovery treatment connect with follow-up treatment. They can also act as personal coaches for individuals who request such services,” Staskey said.

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