SAMPLE Standard Operating Procedure for Recovery Community Centers 1
Our mission is to provide a comprehensive array of crisis, behavioral health, trauma and recovery services that contribute to the well-being of the Southern Maryland community. Our promise: service excellence that you deserve. Recovery Support Team Credo: We believe that each of us is a resource to one another. We believe that our first duty is to listen. We believe that our second duty is to understand how we can help recoverees and guests develop and/or achieve recovery-related goals. Our third duty is to model an openminded exploration of multiple paths to recovery and an honest commitment to wellness. Our fourth duty is to encourage recoverees and guests to access professional (i.e. treatment, psychiatric and counseling) help when appropriate. Confidentiality and Recovery Support: all recovery support files are treated as private and confidential. All recovery support files are kept in a locked file when in storage, Supervision of Recovery Support: At the recovery support team staff members are supervised by the Resource Engagement Coordinator. Individual consultation meetings and/or team meetings with the supervisor occur weekly. How do Recovery Support Team members support recoverees? We facilitate activities and provide operational support to recovery community centers. This involves welcoming and orienting guests and assisting guests to access activities and services. Recovery coaches often assist individuals who identify as in recovery to clarify, articulate and pursue recovery-related goals through the co-creation of a recovery plan. Coaches work with recoverees to maintain and update plans. Recovery support team members all model recovery and wellness strategies and appropriately share these strategies with recoverees. Procedure for Record Keeping in Recoveree Files Paper copies of files follow the file order and include the following 1. Releases of information 2. New Recoveree Orientation Checklist 3. (optional) Recovery Plan and Updated Recovery Plans 4. (optional) Recoveree Safety Plans 5. Weekly Check In Forms 6. Coach Contact Logs 7. File Order form 2
Procedure for Designation and Follow Up- Inactive Recoverees 1. Recoverees who no longer remain in contact with coaches or who request an end to coaching services are placed on inactive status. 2. The coach will attempt to meet with the recoveree for an exit interview to review and update the recovery plan. 3. The coach updates the recoveree s electronic and paper record with a note: recoveree placed on inactive status with recovery coaching due to a) inability to reach or b) recoveree request. 4. Recoverees on inactive status are contacted once a quarter by phone or mail by the coach as a check in and reminder that coaching and recovery community center services remain available. Procedure for Obtaining a Release from Recoverees 1. Coaches may suggest that recoverees complete releases authorizing coaches speak with individuals about the recoveree s coaching activities. 2. Obtaining a release is necessary before the coach can share information with recoveree s family members, friends, or providers. 3. Releases are limited to recovery support activities. How Does the Recovery Community Center Post Information. Recovery Support Community Contact Points Outreach: sites to visit weekly or biweekly to post (with permission) recovery support and organizational information, replenish copies of brochures about services, and present a personal face Recovery Community Center. Possible contact points assigned include faith community locations, service providers, locations with community bulletin boards, etc. Recovery Support Social Media Outreach: Staff and volunteers suggest posts on center social media. Social media accounts unique to each center for Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram are managed by the Center Coordinator. Posts are focused on center activities, inspirational messages, and approved wellness and recovery-related content. 3
Recovery Support Public Speaking Outreach: Coaches, staff, volunteers who have been approved may be scheduled to provide information about recovery, multiple pathways to recovery and recovery community centers. Recovery Center Events Outreach: Coaches, staff, volunteers provide outreach support regarding recovery community center events through formal and informal networking efforts within the recovery community. Recovery Centers as Host Sites for Wellness and Recovery Community Events and Activities: the Supervisor approves requests from community groups seeking a meeting or event site to utilize a recovery community center space during non-operating hours. Such usage may be ongoing (i.e. weekly and open-ended) or short-term (i.e. one time only or finite sessions.) A staff member is assigned to open and close the center as well as assist facilitators with hospitality set up. A staff member remains in the building while the group is on site. Typically, community groups set up a Memorandum of Agreement with for this purpose. How do Recovery Specialists, Coaches, Wellness Associates & Volunteers Support Recovery Community Centers? Role of Recovery Center Specialist : provides day-to-day and special event operational management and management of social media; participates in supervision consultation with Resource Engagement Coordinator of other members of the Recovery Support Team. Role of Recovery Coaches: facilitate activities at RCCs (as assigned), welcome and interact with guests, offer outreach as assigned, and provide 1-1 recoveree coaching. A recovery coach is a non-clinical, peer support professional who supports individuals who say they are in recovery, models a wellness and/or recovery-supportive lifestyle, and participates in system and community advocacy. A recovery coach is NOT a sponsor, a counselor, a case worker, or a member of clergy. Role of Wellness Associates: provides peer-based, non-clinical assistance to guests to access recovery and wellness related tools and opportunities, facilitates wellness circle presentations and activities as assigned, and assists with center opening and closing duties, welcoming guests, and circulating on the floor to interact with guests. Role of Volunteers: volunteers registered with the organizations volunteer program serve as activities volunteers. All volunteers must be 18 or older, complete required 4
volunteer application and documentation and successfully complete the volunteer selection process. Volunteers are supervised by the Resource Engagement Coordinator or designee. Staff of centers are supported by volunteers. Role of Recovery Support Committee: Individuals ages 18 and up, primarily individuals with lived experience in recovery, who commit to serving on the committee which meets every other month to provide advice and feedback to the recovery community centers. Role of Resource Engagement Coordinator: provides programmatic and staff consultation (supervision) for recovery community centers and recovery support team staff; oversees program development and marketing/communication; represents recovery support programming to treatment, general community, and funders. Procedure for Welcome and Check In, Recovery Community Centers: 1. Eligible, age-appropriate guests may walk in to participate in the atmosphere and activities of the center at any time during operating hours. 2. Guests are welcomed and asked to sign in upon arrival by the designated staff member/volunteer. The sign in form gathers the name of the participant. The sign in form includes a request of the individual to check off if he/she is a first-time user of the center and is familiar with the Accountabilities of Center Participants. a. First-time guests of the center are offered a tour of available space and an overview of the day s open activities and services. They are also provided with a copy of the current monthly activities schedule for the center and asked to review and sign a copy of the Accountabilities sheet. This tour is facilitated by an available Recovery Center Specialist, Recovery Coach or trained volunteer. 3. Guests who are unfamiliar with the Accountabilities are provided an orientation to these expectations by an available staff member or trained volunteer. A signed copy of the completed Accountabilities sheet is kept on file at the RCC. 4. During operational hours or the center, the opportunity to meet individually with a Recovery Coach or trained Peer Support volunteer is available upon request and via posted walk in coaching hours. i. Guests may also register for Recovery Coach services, offered during selected operational hours of the center and during scheduled coaching office hours. 5. Staff will follow the appropriate procedure/protocol with individuals who arrive at the center in crisis. 6. Staff will follow the Accessing Treatment Services procedure with individuals who arrive at the center seeking treatment support. 5
Procedure for Checking Out RCC Materials: 1. Recovery center staff will ensure that all center resource materials are labeled with the center name and designated as either a reference only or circulating resource. a. The Recovery Center Specialist or the Resource Engagement Coordinator provides guidance regarding the designation of new materials. 2. Reference materials may only be used by guests on site; portions may be photocopied. 3. Guests and staff may check out circulating materials for a maximum period of 1 month. 4. Staff members are encouraged to be very familiar with the content of the resource library so that materials can be recommended to guests and utilized as appropriate in coaching sessions or peer or family support presentations. 5. Materials lost or damaged should be reported to the supervisor for potential replacement. Materials requests by guests should also be reported to the supervisor for potential acquisition. Procedure for Conflict Management: In the case of a conflict between guests that becomes verbally or physically threatening, personnel and/or volunteers should do the following: 1. All staff, volunteers and guests should be encouraged to use the site s safety word if a situation is disintegrating to conflict to alert others that there is a safety concern/issue. 2. Staff or volunteers should separate the guests in conflict to different, quieter parts of the site. 3. A staff member of volunteer should encourage the impacted guests to practice grounding techniques (i.e. regulated breathing, tapping, planting both feet, etc.) 4. Individuals unable to calm down and return to the activity areas of the site should be encouraged to take a break and return to the site when calmer. 5. Staff and volunteers should follow the Emergency and Crisis Management procedure for any guest who feels in crisis due to the incident. 6. An incident report should be completed and sent to the Supervisor by the staff member who primarily witnessed the incident 6
a. the Supervisor and will determine if incident information should be shared with the guest s clinical provider and/or other involved significant other. Procedure for Emergency and Crisis Management: 1. In the case of a fire, natural disaster or other emergency, staff, volunteers and participants should follow procedures identified in the Emergency Handbook. 2. Any threat to physical safety merits a 911 call. any available staff, volunteer or participant (in that order of preference) can place the 911 call. 2a. If a staff member or volunteer is physically attacked, the staff member or volunteer should offer defensive, not offensive, response only and separate from the attacker as soon as possible. Any individual witnessing such an attack should call 911 immediately and assist others to get the attacking individual separated from others as safety permits. This may also include assembling all guests and staff away from the physically aggressive individual behind a closed door until help arrives. 3. When a 911 call is placed from a recovery community center, a staff member should contact the on-call supervisor to notify of the call, reason call was placed, and any other information about the call as soon as possible. 4. Center staff and volunteers may contact a hotline, for assistance regarding a crisis as identified by the participant. Center staff and volunteers accessing the hotline should identify themselves as calling from the Center. Hotline calls may be confidential, and should take place in a private office. Protocol for Addressing Drugs or Alcohol Found on Premises, Recovery Community Centers: 1. Illicit drugs or alcohol found on premises will be confiscated. 2. On call will be notified and an incident report will be completed. 3. Recovery Center staff will attempt to privately discuss the issue with the guest to explain policy and procedure and practice harm reduction/motivational interviewing strategies exploring the choice to bring alcohol or drugs on site. 4. If law enforcement is not called, guest will be given the opportunity to arrange for safe transportation from the Center. 5. A suspension from the Center for an individualized time period, will be imposed by the Supervisor. Staff should contact the Supervisor to discuss. 7
Protocol for Addressing Situations of Expressed or Suspected Suicidal Thinking: 1. The guest should not be left alone and should remain in the company of staff. Staff should directly ask the guest if he/she is thinking about ending his/her life and response should be noted non-judgmentally. 2. 911 should be called. 3. Staff will attempt to gather information from the guest that is helpful to care, such as whether the guest has a plan, gathered means, has opportunity, has a history of attempts, is under the influence, etc. This information will be passed on as gathered to first responders, as applicable. 4. An incident report should be completed. 5. Informal peer support should be given to other guests at the center who may be aware of the situation and wish to talk about it. If the situation has placed anyone else in crisis, the Crisis Management procedure should be followed. Protocol for Addressing Situations of Active Self Harm: Includes: Immediate steps to appropriately respond to an incident of self harm on site. Self harming behaviors may include, but are not limited to, coming to the site under the influence, cutting, purging, burning of skin. 1. All staff, volunteers and guests should be encouraged to use the site s safety word if a) a situation is provoking a desire to self harm or b) self harm behaviors are witnessed or expressed. 2. Staff or designated trained supportive peers should attempt to speak with the guest, using a harm reduction-based dialogue. The Recovery Center Specialist and/or Supervisor, if on site, should be involved in this discussion. The On Call Supervisor should be notified and may also choose to speak with the guest. a. Specific instructions of On Call Supervisor, Specialist or Supervisor should be followed. 3. Staff or designated trained volunteers should nonjudgmentally support guests who would like to talk about the situation and help guests explore alternatives to self harm and safety options. a. If approved by Supervisor, a member of staff may work with the guest to complete a Recoveree Safety Plan. 8
4. Individuals who feel unable to return to the activity areas of the site should be encouraged to take a break and staff should stay with the guest. Guests whose state of mind may negatively impact other guests should also be paired with a staff member in an area of the center away from other guests. If the guest needs to go home, staff assists with arranging appropriate, safe transportation. 5. An incident report should be completed and sent to the supervisor by the staff member who primarily responded to the incident. 6. Informal peer support should be given to other guests at the center who may be aware of the situation and wish to talk about it. If the situation has placed anyone else in crisis, the Crisis Management procedure should be followed. Procedure for Individual Requesting Treatment or Therapy: 1. Center personnel provide center participants with access throughout center operational hours to one-to-one interaction opportunities to discuss the guest s interest in in obtaining assessment and/or treatment/therapy services at licensed treatment program. a. Should have listing of all programs in county. 2. Center personnel seek to engage each participant and understand a guest s readiness for recovery-related changes. Guests interested in information about accessing treatment/therapy, are provided a 1-1 consultation to provide referral. 3. Information kiosks regarding mental health, substance abuse, trauma, wellness and recovery support information in general (i.e. NIDA and SAMHSA materials), and local partners will be maintained at the centers. Procedure for Peer Support Groups (Wellness Circles, etc.) at RCCs: 1. Each center will schedule a menu of peer support groups weekly. 2. Content may be created by any member of staff. New presentation outlines or powerpoints must be approved by Supervisor prior to delivery. New material should be based on the template for organizing peer support groups provided by the Resource Engagement Coordinator. 3. Peer support group content should focus on any of the following themes: pathways to recovery, alternative self help, educational information re the science of addiction and 9
recovery or mental health issues, wellness tools, communication skills, life or coping skills, wisdom circles and focus groups. 4. Group topics rotate on a weekly basis. All staff members have the opportunity to present. 5. Peer support groups are about 30-60 minutes in length 6. Peer support groups may not be cancelled due to lack of guest interest. Staff members support presentations by attending and participating. Public Events at Recovery Community Centers: Each center will hold, at minimum, quarterly public events to promote the center and recovery/wellness in the community. Examples of public events include but are not limited to: Recovery Block Party/Healing Walk. may choose to hold public events on site or at other venues (i.e. concerts, seminars, parties, film screenings Procedure for Supply Requests at Recovery Community Centers: the Supervisor must approve all supply requests so that consumption and budget may be monitored. Requests for supplies go to the Recovery Center Specialist first, who forwards them to the Supervisor. Peer support staff working in the community should request supplies from their supervisor. 10