Recovery Is Happening

Recovery is Happening (RIH) is Southeastern Minnesota’s leading non-profit, full-service Recovery Community Organization (RCO) that is now in its fifth year of formal operations.  Our mission is to develop and mobilize resources that enhance long-term recovery through education, public advocacy and peer support.  

RIH provides services for those in, or seeking recovery from, substance use challenges. The number of people whose lives are touched by substance use continues to increase at an alarming rate, and our services are needed more and more every year.   RCO's embrace all pathways to recovery, and RIH offers a large and diverse array of services and models of care that best fit the needs of the individual.  

RIH has spent eight years in Minnesota's southeastern communities developing partnerships and resources to help individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders (SUD).  These programs are provided both within and outside of RIH's physical location.  In 2019, we served over 25,000 people in the Southeastern Minnesota area. 

Scientific evidence reveals that extended access to recovery services increases the quality of outcomes.   In 2019, due to the generosity of our sponsors, we were able to continue to expand our services and exceed the goals set forth in 2018.

Peer Recovery Specialist Activity in 2019

Our Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (PRS) serve as community guides, coaches, and advocates as they work to link their peers who are seeking recovery from SUD with housing, employment, education, healthcare, social and community services.  Following are some highlights from this year:

• 23,712 Telephone Recovery Support (TRS) calls placed; 
• 6,486 Peer Recovery Specialist individual meetings held;
• Seven 46-hour PRS trainings provided; training 85 Peer Recovery Specialist in Minnesota.
• Walk-in services at RIH established from Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program Activity in 2019

RIH offers an Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program (IOP), which is unique in that the duration of the program is 12-18 months long and ensures high accountability with weekly witnessed urine screens.  The program includes an opioid-specific component that targets Opioid Use Disorder and combats the greatest epidemic of our time.  This program, overall, and specific to opioid use disorder, has proven to be much more effective in enabling individuals to remain abstinent from drugs and alcohol than outpatient programs of shorter duration without witnessed urine screens.

In addition to IOP, we offer meeting spaces for individuals to engage in peer-led groups, such as SMART Recovery, Narcotics Anonymous, Relapse Prevention and the newly formed Alumni group.  We have found that by offering these groups in conjunction with IOP and/or following completion of the program, participants remain connected with their peers and the recovery community and experience even greater success in their recovery.

Recovery Home Expansion in 2019 

RIH opened two new recovery homes this year.  As a result, we now have eight recovery homes, four for women and four for men, and can provide a safe and sober place for 30 women and 28 men to live.

Rural Community Expansion work in 2019

Our work in the community is just as critical as the services we offer onsite.  Following are just a few examples of the expansion work made possible by our sponsors:

• Weekly presence at the Olmsted, Dodge, Winona, Wabasha and Steele County Drug Courts;
• Weekly Jail Program in Olmsted and Mower County for men and women staffed by full-time RIH PRS;
• Designated room at the Workforce Centers in Mower and Dodge County for PRS to meet with recoverees;
• PRS services available at the Stage by Stage Treatment Center in Dodge County.
• PRS support services embedded in:
  1. Mayo Clinic Emergency Room Department (on-call)
  2. Child Protection Services, Olmsted, Mower and Dodge County