Community Integration
Our goal through Community Integration is to decrease substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health conditions, and suicide by developing a welcoming, engaged community that is supportive of those in need. Our Community Integration Team facilitates peer support services, community partnerships, referral networks, training, and much more to build the social support needed for everyone to thrive.
To achieve this ideal supportive environment, we focus on connecting, communicating, championing, and collaborating.
We are dedicated to:
- Increasing employment opportunities for clients
- Increasing participation in volunteer activities, and community, cultural, and recreational opportunities
- Increasing alignment of community-based health care organizations to meet the physical and mental health needs of clients
- Increasing secondary prevention efforts to refer clients to appropriate services in the community
In our eyes, healing doesn’t happen solely in the clinic. We know that clients seeking treatment must continue their healing in the community, and we want to build a community that supports their pathway to recovery and well-being.
Our Programs:
Vets Recover is proud to offer Mental Health First Aid. Through this course, we aim to elevate our community’s response to the mental health crisis in our area and educate our community members on the value of building resiliency. Click here for more information MHFA.
Helping 2 Overcome (H2O) is an adventure-based peer support program designed to help military members, veterans, first responders, and their families engage in recreational activities to promote growth and healing. H2O focuses on retreats, scuba diving, spearfishing, and kayaking as a way to build confidence, fight anxiety, and end isolation. The goal of the H2O program is to promote recovery and healing from mental health illness, substance abuse, and other unseen wounds. For more information click here H2O page.
Peer Support
Peer Support Specialists are Vets Recover team members with lived experience in mental health or substance misuse who are trained to support clients in identifying and achieving goals, progressing in their recovery, and experiencing personal growth in relationships and meaning in life. Vets Recover employs Peer Support Specialists in the clinic and in the community, providing collaborative care that meets the client where he or she is. We are proud to bring these services into the community- in faith-based organizations, local Veterans Courts, through recreational therapy, community-based training, and so much more.
Education and Training
Vets Recover is proud to use our skills, expertise, and lived experience to develop education and training for our community partners. Current training initiatives include Mental Resiliency, Vicarious Trauma, Peer Support Training, Post-Traumatic Growth, and more. To learn more about education and training opportunities available, contact Erin Lunn, Director of Community Education & Training, at elm@vetsrecover.org.
As members of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, we have created a toolkit, “Toolkit for Addressing Barriers to Veteran Well-Being Using An Integrated Care Approach.” The purpose of this toolkit is to illustrate a community-based, trauma-informed approach to Veteran and first responder wellbeing using an integrated care model.
Community Connections
VRR Community Connections brings people together to share knowledge and resources available for our priority population of Service Members, Veterans, First Responders, and their Families. This group supports one another, learns more about resources available at VRR and through other organizations, builds and strengthens relationships, and becomes advocates for our community in our daily lives. All are welcome to join, especially those with lived experience of mental illness and substance use as well as those who are Service Members, Veterans, First Responders, and their families. To learn more about VRR Community Connections, contact Melissa McKnight, Director of Community Integration, at msm@vetsrecover.org. Visit our calendar to view upcoming community events.
Community Voices and Human Rights Committee
The Community Voices and Human Rights Committee is charged with reviewing VRR policies and procedures to ensure client and community voice is reflected throughout and human rights are addressed. Further, the Board also makes recommendations to VRR leadership and staff on methods to ensure VRR provides an inclusive, bias-free, patient-centered treatment for all clients served. All are welcome to join, especially those with lived experience of mental illness and substance use as well as those who are Service Members, Veterans, First Responders, and their families. To learn more about Community Voices and Human Rights Council, contact Melissa McKnight, Director of Community Integration, at msm@vetsrecover.org.
