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Mentorship Is Vital For Recovery

Recovery

Recovery Mentors are a relatively new concept in substance use recovery. A mentor is someone the person in recovery can turn to during challenging times throughout their recovery journey. 

Recovery Mentors help those in recovery to set goals, connect to a sober community, and be a stable source of support when cravings or thoughts of relapse come. Having someone to walk alongside you during your recovery journey can mean the difference between long-term recovery success and relapse.

Studies show that including trained peers with shared experiences in a person’s substance use recovery program results in a higher success rate.

What Are Recovery Mentors?

At Fellowship Missions, we believe Recovery Mentors are a vital part of helping those in recovery from addiction or substance use disorder. To volunteer as a Recovery Mentor with us, an individual needs to be in long-term recovery for a minimum of 2 years or exhibit an understanding and passion for serving as a personal guide for people seeking recovery.

What do Recovery Mentors do?

While mentors work with people on all paths to recovery, they do not diagnose or treat addiction and mental health issues. 

Recovery Mentors focus on the future to help those in recovery make decisions and plan toward recovery that will improve their lives, one step at a time. 

Our Recovery Mentors also help those in recovery consider solutions to problems caused by substance use, help develop plans to solve them, and provide support in following through to meet those goals.  

By helping those in recovery identify their strengths, Recovery Mentors guide people to self-directed choices about their personal recovery. Recovery Mentors empower the people they work with to remove barriers and obstacles associated with their recovery process. Mentors can also assist with relapse plans and how to navigate those situations, should they arise.

Flexibility In Recovery

An important part of being a Recovery Mentor is to recognize that there are a variety of pathways to recovery. Recovery Mentors are educated on many recovery pathways so they can help those in recovery connect with the recovery pathway that makes the most sense for them. 

Mentors are trained to understand a variety of recovery support systems, such as:

  • Harm reduction
  • 12-step programs
  • Faith-based recovery programs
  • Evidenced-based recovery
  • Familial and community support

Whatever pathways a person in recovery takes on their journey, they should be integrated with their physical health, mental health, spiritual health, community, and family relationships.

Become A Recovery Mentor At Fellowship Missions

Do you think being a Recovery Mentor could be the right fit for you? We offer Recovery Mentor training based on the Genesis Process model. All Recovery Mentors are asked to make a six-month commitment to the program once trained and matched with the person they will be mentoring.

Fellowship Missions Addiction Recovery Hub requires all potential Recovery Mentors to go through the following steps: 

  1. Application
  2. Interview
  3. Training 
  4. Follow-up Interview 
  5. Mentee Assignment

About Recovery Mentor Training

The is a 2-hour training Fellowship Missions requires that teaches the comprehensive purpose, scope, roles, and techniques of recovery mentoring.

You will learn about addiction, how to assist in promoting recovery from alcohol and other substance use disorders, and how to help the person you’re matched with remove obstacles to long-term recovery. As a Recovery Mentor, you will also participate in ongoing training sessions 2-3 times throughout the year. 

Recovery Mentors are asked to make a 6-month commitment once their training is complete and they have been matched with a mentee.

We also welcome those who have been through the ICAADA Recovery Coach training to step into a Recovery Mentor role at Fellowship Missions. We do still require the same application and training process for all of our mentors.

Attend Recovery Mentor Training

We will be scheduling our next Recovery Mentor training event soon! Please call Fellowship Missions for more information: (574) 253-0037.

Get involved with Fellowship Missions as a Recovery Mentor

Not ready to be a Recovery Mentor? That’s ok! Discover other ways you can help our community through Fellowship Missions.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:14-17, NLT