African American Leadership Roles in
Peer Support and Promoting Peer
Operated Services.
APAA - Association of Persons Affected by Addiction
Joe Powell, LCDC, CAS,
Executive Director
SAMHSA Peer to Peer Recovery Community Support
Services grant awarded (3 yr) 1998 and 2003 (4 yr)
Target population: Peers in or seeking recovery from
Substance Use/Addiction, family members – 3 Guiding
Prinicples - Recovery First, Inclusion & Authenticity
Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 9am to 8pm, Sat 10am-2pm
Participants
Monthly Average services per Peer group 2,181
Monthly Peer Recovery Coaching sessions- 527
Average Daily Visitors 2010 = 41
Peer Support Groups each Week = 25-30
Staff
14 Peers in Recovery , 1 Family Member
Full Time = 10, Volunteers = 17
APAA: Mission
• To encourage and support personal
recovery by offering peer to peer
services that help support recovery
management, reduce relapse, and
promote wellness in individuals,
their families, and the community.
APAA Recovery Community Center
Participation
• 85% indigent (managed care funder requires 200%
below poverty level to receive services)
• 44 % women
• 56 % men
• 37 % White
• 51 % African American
• 12 % Hispanic
Attractive Factors of APAA Recovery
Support Services & management
• New Community supports; to promote, advocate and
support Long Term Recovery.
• Welcome the many roads and rituals of recovery for peers
of African descent.
• Provide a safe place in the African American community
to initiate recovery and resiliency. (Food)
• Provide appropriate referrals for African Americans
• Provide a peer led, peer ran and peer driven recovery
organization.
• Peer participation at all levels of community, state, federal
African American behavorial healthcare reform
Attractive Factors of APAA Recovery
Support Services & Management
• Intervention shift from acute care (AC, crisis) of
individuals to sustained recovery management aimed at
individuals, families and communities
• Food and you can hang out and check your email, watch a
video about recovery, read, play games
• A major focus of RM is to create the physical,
psychological and social space in local communities within
which recovery can flourish
• Strength based model – emphasis on Recovery Capital –
Internal and External resources of peers (education,
family, faith, path of recovery, etc.)
Building
Relationship
s & Linkages
with Others
Connecting
with &
Mobilizing the
Community
All Processes to
access recovery
are driven by
three Guiding
Principles:
Building a
Recovery
Community
Organization
1. Recovery First
2. Inclusion
3. Authenticity – being
real – recovery
culture
4. Participation
process
Supporting
Recovery/
Being of
Service
Social Supports that
increase culture congruent capital
• Information Supports – Recovery literature, cultural congruent
paths, T.R. Hoover-Recovery in the AA Community, MLK Parade
MLK Center-Recovery101, co-occurring groups, CD/MH services &
VO Navigation, Community Court
• Instrumental Supports – Housing assistance & referral, Job
readiness, YMCA – “Hoop After Group”, Health and Wellness Fairs,
State Hospital,
• Companionship Supports – Volunteers, Social Events and activities,
“Jammin in Recovery”, “Hope in the Hood” , Peer Huddles, DRA, 12
Step Programs, Faith Partners, Church, “Recovery at the Movies”
• Emotional Supports – Peer Hurdles, Recovery Support Groups,
Recovery Coaching,
Unique Factors at APAA Recovery
Community Center
• Common issues and solutions
• Addresses Stigma and discrimination of CD/MH
recovery for African Americans (Recovery 101)
• Staff and Peers in Recovery
• Predominantly African American environment
• Volunteer Training, Engaging & a Welcome Climate
• Non traditional model of care – “Hope n’ da Hood”
• Dances, speaker Jams, cultural Recovery Events
Unique Factors at APAA Recovery
Community Center
1) involves peers, families and service professionals from
within the AA community, in a process of shifting existing
interventions from AC (crisis) models to locally designed,
operated and evaluated
2) Enhancing “community recovery capital” with culturally
congruent and competent supports
3) increasing the presence and visibility of indigenous sobriet
based support structures, and
4) Providing recovery education using role models that
illustrate the viability and variety of recovery pathways withi
these communities.“The Power of Story”“The Heroes Journey
Recovery Management
and Community Support Service
Model: Recovery-oriented
SystemInof
Care
the model. clinical care is viewed as one
of many resources needed for successful
recovery & integration into the community
Primary
Focus
Faith
Work or
school

Culturally Congruent
Social Life in Recovery
support
Treatment &
rehab
Peer
support
Housing
Belonging
Family
Organizational Development
• Laid foundation for the Peer to Peer Recovery
Community Support SAMHSA Grant in 1998
• Provided a participatory process with a steering
committee of community stakeholders and peers
initiating recovery support services w/2nd SAMHSA
Peer to Peer recovery support service grant
• Engaged community with Culturally Congruent
partners and services for Katrina Disaster and peers
of African descent (Board President, LMSW from
New Orleans)
Peer Movement and Governance
• SAMHSA-Eliminating Mental Health Disparities
• White House –Office of National Drug Control
Policy
• Faces and Voices of Recovery
• Health & Human Services, OMH-Office of Minority
Health initiative for Healthcare Reform,
• National Leadership Council on African American
Behavioral Health
• Texas Recovery Initiative – Peer inclusion
• Dallas County Behavioral Health Leadership Team
Contact Information
Joe Powell LCDC, CAS
Executive Director
Association of Persons Affected by Addiction
2438 Butler Street, Suite 120
Dallas, Texas 75235
Phone: 214/634-2722
Email: joepowell@apaarecovery.org
Visit us on the web www.apaarecovery.org