CODAC Joins in Festivities for the Opening of Newport Hope Recovery Center

CODAC Joins in Festivities for the Opening of Newport Hope Recovery Center

NEWPORT, R.I. (April 30, 2018) — With a commitment to curb Rhode Island’s ongoing opioid crisis, CODAC Behavioral Healthcare is pleased to work with the Parent Support Network of Rhode Island (PSN) to celebrate the opening of the Newport Hope Recovery Center. Located in the heart of downtown Newport, the Center will serve as an anchor for the recovery community. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 9, at 3:30 p.m. near the entrance of 50 Washington Square, located just steps away from the Jane Pickens Theater—where a performance of “Four Legs to Stand On” will be shown at 5 p.m. as part of CODAC’s 40th anniversary celebration in Newport County.

“We are proud to collaborate with the Parent Support Network in building a comprehensive support system for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and their families. This collaboration will reinforce the crucial relationship between treatment and recovery communities,” said Linda Hurley, CEO & President of CODAC.

Occupying a newly renovated space that is safe and welcoming for those in recovery, the Hope Recovery Center will offer a variety of recovery services, resources, and tools that include access to peer recovery specialists and will serve as a hub for patients struggling with OUD. The center is located in the McKinney Cooperative Shelter, which is the only shelter in Newport County to provide emergency and transitional housing solutions for single adults.

Members of CODAC’s Tribe program will refer patients and provide candidates for Peer Recovery Specialist certification through PSN. Tribe is a peer recovery support program that connects patients with individuals who have “lived experience” in recovery and who understand the challenges, and triumphs, that are part of the recovery process.

Hope Recovery Center participants will also receive assistance in accessing “no wrong door”—a cooperative initiative of CODAC, Lifespan’s Expanded Day Treatment Program, and the Clinical Services of Rhode Island’s outpatient programs. The initiative helps individuals and their families identify a broad array of recovery support services available in their community.

A meet-and-greet at the new Hope Recovery Center starts at 2:30 p.m. leading up to the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Following the ceremony, the community is invited to the 5 p.m. performance of “Four Legs to Stand On,” across the street at the Jane Pickens Theater, 49 Touro St., Newport.  Both events are free and open to the public.

Lisa Conlan Lewis, executive director of the Parent Support Network and Linda Hurley, along with peer recovery specialists from the Hope Recovery Center, and the coordinator of the Newport Prevention Coalition will deliver brief remarks. A prominent Rhode Island public figure will deliver a message before the start of the performance.

Inspired by community narratives, research on addiction, and drama theory, “Four Legs to Stand On” provides a brief, but powerful look at a family’s painful attempt to come to terms with a child’s addiction, and highlights the inability of both the child and family members to acknowledge addiction in the same way they do another, more widely-recognized disease that has been chipping away at the family’s foundation.  The play presents the struggle with addiction from the perspective of each family member.

“The performance really brings home the themes of stigma, denial and discrimination that surround this chronic disease. And, more importantly, it brings to light the problem in viewing addiction as a character failing, which can eventually obscure opportunities for healing,” said Hurley. “We hope members of the community, whether they are directly impacted by the disease of addiction or not, will join us for a unique theatrical experience.”

The play will be followed by a talk-back with cast members, playwright Ana Bess Moyer Bell, and special guests. Audience members are encouraged to take part in the challenging conversations surrounding addiction and recovery.

Co-sponsors for this event include the Newport Prevention Coalition, the Newport County Regional Prevention Coalition, the Hope Recovery Center, and other community members.

Additional performances and other planned events throughout the year will highlight CODAC’s history in Newport County.

About CODAC Behavioral Healthcare

Founded in 1971, CODAC Behavioral Healthcare is Rhode Island’s oldest and largest provider of outpatient services for opioid use disorder, other substance use disorders, and concurrent behavioral health challenges. With eight locations across Rhode Island, CODAC is uniquely positioned to provide services when and where they are needed. For more information about CODAC, visit: www.codacinc.org

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