The Power of Recovery
“Whole health recovery is about assisting those we serve to become healthy — mentally, physically and spiritually,” says Aspire Vice President of Recovery Capital Darrell Mitchell. “There are many pathways one can travel for sustainable long-term recovery, but at the core is this — one person connecting with another and being of service.”
National Recovery Month (Recovery Month), according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is a national observance that started in 1989 and is held every September to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery in all its forms possible.
“Five years ago, Aspire wasn’t offering addiction treatment and recovery support services in a residential setting, and now we have the most extensive residential recovery continuum in Indiana,” Mitchell says.
As the Vice President of Recovery Capital, Mitchell is in charge of looking at the way Aspire delivers recovery care and ensuring Aspire as a whole has an understanding of recovery principles.
According to SAMHSA, the four major dimensions of recovery are:
1. Health: Overcoming or managing one’s disease(s) or symptoms.
2. Home: Having a stable and safe place to live.
3. Purpose: Conducting meaningful daily activities and the independence, income and resources to participate in society.
4. Community: Having relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love and hope.
Aspire’s Whole Health Recovery Continuum (WHRC)
When Aspire Indiana Health and Progress House merged in November 2019, it was the first step in launching Aspire’s Whole Health Recovery Continuum (WHRC) to address substance use disorder (SUD), a complex problem with multiple causes.
Instead of scattering the pieces to the recovery puzzle and expecting you to find them, the WHRC brings everything needed for a highly-effective recovery program to you — including a stable, safe place to live.
Mockingbird Hill is Aspire’s substance use treatment facility offering onsite primary medical and behavioral healthcare, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), withdrawal management, individual case management, peer support groups and 24/7 care and supervision. Progress House is a safe, residential recovery program where individuals can begin to recover physically, mentally and spiritually; and Next Step is a sober living apartment community available to those who have successfully completed the program at Progress House.
“As a result of offering these comprehensive services in a continuum of care, our residents are healthier in mind, body and spirit,” Mitchell says.
Some individuals may start their journey at Mockingbird Hill, where clinical services are offered and recovery principles are introduced. After the average 28-day stay at Mockingbird Hill, programming can continue at Progress House for the next five to seven months, where individuals still receive treatment services but are now in a recovery environment with a recovery culture. Others start their journey at Progress House, where there are fewer group and individual therapy hours but more one-on-one recovery coach time and daily 12-step meetings. Some graduates then go on to Next Step, where they can stay for up to two years.
“A high percentage of clients at Mockingbird Hill go to Progress House, and after successful completion, can either go back into the community and continue outpatient services or go to our Next Step apartments, a recovery community that offers more independence but with structure and accountability,” Mitchell says. “Nowhere else in the state can someone enter treatment, move on to recovery housing and then transitional housing in a sober environment in a seamless continuum.”
Once an individual fills out an online application for Mockingbird Hill or Progress House, Aspire clinicians and operations staff assess that person to decide what level of care is needed, given the nature of the person’s SUD as well as emotional and physical status. A personalized treatment plan includes a recommendation for the proper venue for services — whether outpatient or residential — along with the extent and types of services needed to maximize the opportunity for long-term recovery.
Many times, individuals continue in and out of treatment facilities because they haven't had the appropriate next step of recovery support needed. The goal of the WHRC is the same for everyone — to reach a stage of long-term recovery where the disease of SUD is no longer controlling your life.
In 2022, there were 3,000 applicants in the SAMHSA Recovery Innovation Challenge, which sought to identify innovative practices in behavioral health that advance recovery on the ground and in the community. And Progress House — having merged with Aspire Indiana Health — was one of just 10 winners across the U.S.
“Our integrated Whole Health Recovery Model is unique. We are the only organization in the country that offers a six-month residential recovery program with medical, behavioral health and recovery support services — all on the foundation of a spiritual recovery program — under one roof ,” Mitchell says. “We can say we have the most innovative recovery model in the country. The reason this is so important is we have seen our success outcomes improve from 35% to 70%. These are remarkable outcomes and so encouraging, as it equates to lives being saved and changed.”
The Path to Long-Term Recovery
“If people come to Aspire with only what they have on their back, we can say to them that what you don’t have in resources you can make up for with willingness, and we can give them quality healthcare, quality mental healthcare, quality housing and quality recovery support in a model that is nowhere else,” Mitchell says.
There is a lot of work that goes into recovery for an individual to learn to accept and understand how to remove the obstacles of resentment and trauma that may have led to SUD.
“There are three indispensable qualities we describe with people who we’re working with in recovery,” Mitchell says. “And those are honesty, willingness and open-mindedness. So, in other words, a person in recovery has to be teachable. You’ve got to be honest with others — and yourself — and then you have to be willing to follow the suggestions outlined throughout the recovery process.”
The recovery journey isn’t an easy one — especially at the beginning.
“Think about the amount of energy and work that’s required for someone to begin to get honest about all areas of their life as a result of their alcoholism or drug addiction and start to clean things up,” Mitchell says. “It’s not just about sober living; it’s about reaching out to the people you’ve harmed so you — and they — can have some peace. That’s why treatment doesn’t work by itself. Treatment is the precursor to a lifelong recovery journey.”
In addition to one’s own willingness to begin recovery, there is a tremendous amount of strength that comes from being in community with others who have traveled that same path before you and know what you are going through.
“The reason why peers are so powerful is because they’re talking from a place of experience instead of opinion,” Mitchell says. “Our staff with lived recovery experience is invaluable because they share what they have been through and how they overcame those same challenges and struggles with addiction.”
Mitchell continues, “Aspire offers support for our clients’ recovery journey. And in every part of that journey, whether in our residential facilities or outpatient clinics, our staff plays an important role in providing the care and tools for long-term recovery and independent, meaningful living in the community.
“Several patients who started their journey at Mockingbird Hill have returned there to work in some capacity. The same is true for Progress House, as all operations staff are former residents. It is critical in both facilities to have people with lived experience on staff. It's even more powerful when they share with our clients that they were former residents themselves.”
There is a popular saying in the rooms of recovery, “You have to give it away to keep it.” It means you can only truly keep the important things in life by sharing them with those around you.
“Next Step residents and other Progress House alums return to the House because their lives have been changed at Progress House, and they want to share their experiences with the men just beginning their recovery journey — showing them there is help… and hope.”
Mitchell says Aspire has found a way to treat people in an integrated fashion, making that treatment accessible and affordable to clients and available in a coherent experience for them.
“One objective we have is to earn our client’s trust through our commitment to their long-term recovery,” Mitchell says. “It’s a privilege to do this work. I’ve seen families reunited and lives transformed. There is such a significant need in our communities for the services we provide. There is still pain; however, there is hope, love and compassion. That is the business we are in, and that’s the power of recovery.”
