About Us

Community recovery describes the ability for a community to support individuals on the path toward improved well-being and diminished risk for substance use relapse. Community recovery is also about the culture of recovery and the various recovery support systems within the community.

One set of community resources that are important for recovery are the clinical providers of services such as substance use detox or treatment, medication-assisted treatment services, and physical care from a hospital or clinic. Another set of community resources that are also important for recovery are the local social and cultural organizations that help people in recovery stay connected to friends, peers in recovery, the labor market, a meaningful life, and even to nature. These include a vibrant peer support community (AA or SMART), workforce development offices, college and universities, and religious organizations, parks and recreational services.

We built some snap shop community profiles that identify many of these kinds of recovery-friendly community resources for a few places in Iowa. We found several “recovery ready” communities that have many of  the right kinds of resources to support individuals in recovery.