By Gari Voss
The City of Allegan made it official at their September 23, 2024, City Council meeting. Mayor Roger Bird proclaimed September 27, 2024, as Allegan’s Day of Recovery. This puts an exclamation mark on the national Month of Recovery to acknowledge the importance of supporting those in recovery and the network that continues to assist with and celebrate successes.
Recovering from any illness takes persistence and patience, but when that illness is invisible, recovery is even more difficult. There are many layers of assistance to address physical illnesses from initial examinations to follow-ups to physical therapy, and so on, but the layers of assistance for mental, emotional, or addiction recovery are often difficult to find.
Allegan County has several agencies to which a recovering alcoholic or drug addict can turn. Some of the most basic organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) have support groups across the county, but fewer since the COVID pandemic. Other assistance can be obtained from nonprofits or tax supported organizations.
Counselors are difficult to find, however there is some assistance through OnPoint, Arbor Circle and other places. Therapists and case managers do what they can, but the caseloads are high, as is the turnover rate, which means that clients might change counselors midway through their recovery process. This is where strong peer coaches and mentors come into play.
Those wishing to recover are adamant about moving forward in the process. At some point, these individuals make the decision to accept the challenges of recovery. The impetus might be external or internal, but the process begins.
Angie Messinger, a certified recovery coach and one who made it through the recovery process, shared, “My recovery must come first so that everything I love in my life doesn’t have to come last.”
Messenger is one of the peer recovery coaches who created the Friday, September 27, 2024, Art of Recovery event on the Allegan Riverfront from noon to 4pm. The team pulled together 40+ agencies that include agencies beyond Allegan County.
“The idea for Art for Recovery came from this year’s theme through SAMSHSA [Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration]. Art can have a healing effect on one’s recovery, at least this is why I do art,” explained Messenger. “I’ve been in recovery for many years. I’ve been substance free for over 25 years, and with my mental health, I’ve been in recovery since 2009, when I got certified as a Certified Peer Support Specialist.”
Kara Trainor, her peer recovery colleague, echoes her sentiments; “Due to the nature of substance use disorder and the danger that current illicit drug market poses, we have lost many in my generation to overdose and untimely deaths. I feel grateful, every day of my life, to be alive and in recovery for so many years. Truly, it is an honor to be a part of creating an event that brings awareness, education, resources and sense of hope to the community. Our mission is to break through some of the stigma still surrounding substance use disorder and show that recovery is possible for everyone.”
Lauren Todaro, program manager for the Community-based Recovery Services at OnPoint, shared, “Three of our peer coaches approached me about having a recovery event in the county.”
Executive Director Mark Witte of OnPoint added, “There were people in the community who wanted to have an event such as this, but there needed to be a ‘lived experience’ from people.”
Messinger explained, “This [her success to move into being a peer coach] isn’t to say I haven’t had backslides, but I’ve been able to pick myself up and move forward. I will not be sharing my story Friday as we are utilizing individuals who we work with to share their story, empowering them in their recovery.”
“The work that we do [at OnPoint] has been increasingly infused by people who have experience themselves of the services we offer,” shared Witte. “Whether it be people with mental illness, people who have dealt with intellectual disabilities, or people who have grown up but as youngsters were in the system and received youth supports. They have become recovery coaches. All of them have come together to be a force in our community agencies to really extend the reach, reality, hope and encouragement to persevere. The people organizing Art of Recovery are people who are in the addiction arena.”
“This has really been a team,” inserted Todaro. “They brought the idea of Art of Recovery to support SAMSHSA’s theme of ‘art’. What they did was design a way to make it a creative celebration that people in recovery could attend.”
Recovery has been promoted at the Federal level for years. The State of Michigan picked up the recognition, and now the Allegan County folks have built upon the ideas shared in the tool kit. The tool kit captures the recovery movement that has strengthened over time.
“Often, people with a mental health diagnosis are basically invisible. If someone lives in an adult foster care home, we know they are dealing with a problem,” explained Witte. “But a person with a disability who is living in a regular home is not recognized because their lives seem normal and stable.”
For a long time, people who have a mental illness have kept their illness hidden because of the stigma that goes with the condition. Now, more people are gaining strength and believe that their stories make a difference.
At 12pm on Friday, September 27th, there will be six community members who have committed to take the stage on the Allegan Riverfront and tell their stories. Each story is different. Some relate to mental health, others to substance abuse, or being involved with family members. There will be time for people to communicate with the speakers and with others participating in the event.
“Connection is the opposite of addiction,” emphasized Todaro.
“When they get better,” continued Witte. “We experience a better life, so we need to celebrate their recovery because it is for all of us. The connection works both ways.”
Witte acknowledged, “These illnesses can be considered a tragedy. We want to celebrate what comes from tragedy.”
That celebration can help others who get caught up because of loved ones and/or friends who struggle with addiction and/or mental health – employment, car accidents, family disruptions, health care consequences, and so on.
Allegan County does not have a recovery community organization (RCO), but the organizers of Art of Recovery hope that this will be the beginning for creating one. An RCO is an independent, non-profit organization led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery.
Hopefully, this event will heighten awareness that recovery is possible, and with a coordinated effort to provide support, people can make it through. With a grassroots movement in place led by community members, an RCO can become a reality to benefit those recovering and the people who support that recovery.
Witte and Todaro hope that this will demonstrate how people with addictions and mental health can seek assistance. Too often, people seeking help are ashamed and do not ask or feel they must ask very quietly for help. In addition, Medicaid and other insurance sources have dropped financial assistance for addiction.
While OnPoint is not sponsoring this event, they know advocacy is a key to the success of the Art of Recovery. The peer coaches are pushing people forward to share their struggles and successes. Witte feels that it is important to find someone who will “way find” with a person who is recovering. This builds the feeling of hope that even though there will be tough times, recovery is possible.
Educating the community on the needs and the responses can be a beginning for those working toward recovery. Messinger and her colleagues, Kara Trainor and Nicole Aldrich, will continue their efforts to establish an RCO to the Allegan area. For now, they hope that people will attend Art of Recovery and learn.
