Recovery is Stronger with Someone in Your Corner

Recovery doesn’t happen separately from the rest of life. 

There are still kids to get to school, appointments to keep, bills to pay, relationships to work on, and everyday responsibilities to manage. Recovery becomes one more part of an already full life. 

Strength to Succeed is the Family Resource Center’s peer recovery program for families navigating substance use, recovery, and DCYF involvement. Our team helps families work through practical challenges, connect with resources, and keep moving toward the goals that matter to them. 

Recovery Happens One Day at a Time 

September is National Recovery Month, a time to recognize people in recovery and the families, peers, professionals, and communities supporting them along the way. 

Recovery takes time. There may be appointments kept, goals reached, relationships strengthened, hard days worked through, and times when someone needs to regroup and try again. 

Parent Partner Kristi Simpson shared a reminder that stays with us: 

“This is just a chapter in their lives, not the whole book.” 

For parents and caregivers, recovery is one part of a much bigger story. Our team is there to support the next chapter, one step at a time. 

Recovery Doesn’t Follow One Path 

One family our Strength to Succeed team recently worked alongside reminds us just how individual recovery can be. 

Both parents were working toward reunification with their children, and each had their own Parent Partner. As our team got to know the family, it became clear that each parent needed something different. Their Parent Partners adjusted their approach, worked closely with DCYF and other providers, and helped each parent connect with recovery support that fit their individual needs and goals. 

There were setbacks along the way. Plans changed. Progress took time. 

Through it all, the Parent Partners stayed connected to the family. They continued showing up, having hard conversations, coordinating with the other people involved, and supporting both parents as they worked toward their goals. 

In July, mom reunified with all of her children. 

Dad continues working toward his goals and spending time with his children through supervised visits. 

Their family’s story is still unfolding, and there’s a lot worth celebrating in how far they’ve come. 

As our Strength to Succeed team reminds us: 

“Trust takes time. One minute, one hour, one day at a time.” 

Support for the Practical Stuff, Too 

Knowing where you want to go is one thing. Getting everything lined up to take that next step can be hard work. 

Strength to Succeed can help families work through some of the practical challenges that come up along the way. Support may include: 

• connecting with recovery and community resources 
• working through forms and paperwork 
• getting to appointments 
• building supportive social connections 
• finding educational opportunities 
• setting short- and long-term goals 
• navigating services and systems 

When you’re already carrying a lot, having someone help sort through the next few steps can make things feel more manageable. 

What is Peer Recovery Support? 

Strength to Succeed staff are Certified Recovery Support Workers (CRSWs) who bring professional training and lived experience to their work. 

Our team puts it simply: 

“Firsthand knowledge is key in supporting people in recovery.” 

That firsthand understanding can help build connection and trust. Our CRSWs listen, help families think through their next steps, share resources, and offer encouragement along the way. 

They also understand that recovery can be complicated. There may be progress, setbacks, questions, and days when the next step isn’t clear. 

That’s where peer recovery support can be especially meaningful. You have someone in your corner who understands and is ready to meet you where you are. 

Recovery and Family Connection 

Substance use can affect the whole family. Recovery can also create opportunities to rebuild connection, strengthen relationships, and find new ways forward together. 

For families involved with DCYF, Strength to Succeed can provide support as parents work toward goals related to family safety, stability, and reunification. 

And that support doesn’t disappear when things get hard. 

Our Parent Partners talk often about the importance of consistency. They keep showing up through setbacks, difficult conversations, changing plans, and days when things don’t go as hoped. 

Sometimes supporting someone also means being direct. Our team can have honest conversations about concerns or barriers while approaching those conversations with kindness and respect. And when something isn’t working, we don’t want to simply point it out. We help families think about what could come next, talk through options, and connect with resources that may help. 

That consistency helps build trust over time. 

Sometimes support means tackling paperwork or getting to an appointment. Sometimes it’s finding the right recovery resource. And sometimes it’s knowing there’s someone who will answer the phone, listen without judgment, and still be there after a hard day. 

The needs may change. Our commitment to showing up doesn’t. 

Recovery is Happening in Our Community 

National Recovery Month gives us a chance to recognize the people in our communities who are working toward recovery and the people supporting them along the way. 

At Strength to Succeed, we get to see those everyday moments of progress throughout the year. A phone call. An appointment kept. A goal reached. A relationship getting stronger. A decision to try again. 

Each one matters. 

If substance use or recovery is part of your family’s story, you don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Our Strength to Succeed team is here to listen, help you find resources, and support you in taking the next step that feels right for you. 

Learn more about Strength to Succeed and peer recovery at the Family Resource Center.