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Recovery Center to Open in Berks this Summer

Story written by Jennifer Kirlin

Apr 10, 2019

Reading, PA: Tuesday, at their regularly scheduled meeting, the Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA) Board of Directors approved the establishment of a Community Recovery Resource Center. The center will be located at the Big Mill Center at 8th and Oley streets in Reading and will provide supportive services and activities to the recovery community in Berks.

“As an organization, we are happy to announce the approval of a Community Recovery Resource Center for Berks County. We’ve been working on this project for over a year and we are excited for this to finally become a reality,” states Stanley Papademetriou, COCA Executive Director. The center will promote sustained recovery and help individuals avoid relapse back into active addiction. The Community Recovery Resource Center is not a drug and alcohol or mental health treatment facility, nor will anyone reside at the location. Rather, the space will offer opportunities for mutual aid support and provide educational events focused on recovery. The purpose is to create an environment for positive and mutually beneficial socializing and fellowship for those in recovery.

The establishment of the Community Recovery Resource Center is made possible through monies made available specifically for this center. This includes drug forfeiture funds received from District Attorney John Adams, state grant funding received through strong support from Senator Judy Schwank, and monies received from the MH/DD HealthChoices Program and Community Care Behavioral Health Organization.

Slated to open this summer, the Community Recovery Resource Center will include the opportunity for recovery-specific trainings, meetings and social activities. Details on the center’s events and programs will be determined by a steering committee comprised of Berks County community residents who are committed to promoting and advancing addiction recovery.

According to Jeffrey G. Auman, COCA Executive Board Member, the center will subscribe to the many pathways to recovery philosophy and will support activities and events that can reach the broadest number of individuals and families in recovery from addiction. “For example, on any given day, there may be a 12-step meeting, a Celebrate Recovery group, a painting class, and a personal skills development workshop,” Auman notes. “The possibilities are endless. All are welcome.”

The Center will be open on designated days and times with at least one Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) on-site at all posted hours of operation. A Certified Recovery Specialist is specifically trained in supporting individuals in recovery from addiction.

Additional information regarding when the Center will open, its hours of operation, availability of specific programs and services, and other pertinent information will be made public in the coming weeks.

About Council on the Chemical Abuse (COCA)

Established in 1972 by a group of community members, COCA was formed as a private non-profit organization to address rising concerns of drug and alcohol use in Berks County. The Berks County Commissioners contract with COCA as the Single County Authority for Berks County, PA. As the coordinating agency for publicly supported drug and alcohol programming in the county, COCA and its partners provide an array of prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery services

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