FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Young People in Recovery & Embark PCA Recovery Services Launch Life Skills Curriculum to Support Youth and Young Adults in Recovery from Substance Use Disorder
JULY 1, 2021
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. Young People in Recovery (YPR) and Embark PCA Recovery Services are proud to announce the launch of “My Recovery is EPIC,” an innovative and peer-tested program that improves access to housing, education, employment and other life skills for individuals of all ages in recovery from substance use disorder.
EPIC stands for Engaged, Peer-Driven, Integrated and Community-centered. The curriculum is a traditional, classroom-style program developed by YPR and already in use in over a dozen treatment centers and social services agencies across the country. After completing the EPIC curriculum, participants reported that they were better able to set goals for themselves such as going back to school or getting a job; were more dedicated to their recovery than before they started the program; and had improved their leadership skills, their understanding of personal finances, and their ability to locate recovery resources in their own communities.
The EPIC program focuses on the four dimensions that the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has identified as being critical to a successful life in recovery: health, home, purpose and community. Core components of the 10-module curriculum include recovery messaging, education, housing, employment (2 parts), personal finances, leadership & empowerment, healthy relationships, holistic health, and the neuroscience of substance use disorder. YPR and our partners have found that individuals who are more actively engaged in their life-planning are also more successful in their treatment and recovery process, becoming more informed decision-makers overall. By providing individuals with the tools they need to take action, the EPIC program creates more positive outcomes and upward mobility for successful long-term recovery from substance use disorder.
About YPR
YPR is a national, peer-led organization that provides recovery support services focusing on youth and young adults in recovery from substance use disorder. YPR aims to improve access to resources that sustain long-term recovery. By creating a national network of individuals in recovery, YPR empowers people to get involved in their communities by providing them with the tools and support to take charge of their futures. YPR has 60 chapters in 15 states. In Colorado, YPR has chapters in Adams County, Arapahoe County, Cañon City, Cortez, Denver, Durango, Ft. Collins, and Pueblo.
YPR programs focus on chapters that conduct pro-social activities, all-recovery meetings, and free workshops focusing on how to access resources such as education, housing and employment; life-skills curriculum programs for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder and criminal justice-involved individuals who struggle with substance use; and advocacy to promote policies and programs that benefit individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, particularly youth and young adults.
About Embark
Embark PCA Recovery Services cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing peer emotional support and development services to the El Paso County Recovery Community and its allies. We are active members of the Association of Recovery Community Organizations (ARCO).
For additional information on Young People in Recovery, please visit www.youngpeopleinrecovery.org or contact ann.herbst@youngpeopleinrecovery.org
For additional information on Embark PCA Recovery Services, please visit www.embarkpca.com or contact admin@embarkpca.net.