HRI WORKGROUPS
Uniting efforts to drive meaningful community change.
HOW WE DRIVE OUR MISSION
What Makes a Workgroup?
Our workgroups are central to our mission, uniting community efforts to drive meaningful change. Each group focuses on key areas like recovery support, behavioral health, and community integration. By fostering leadership, building partnerships, and creating vital resources, our workgroups ensure that recovery and support are accessible to everyone. Join us in these collaborative efforts to strengthen our community and make a lasting impact.
There are a number of workgroups focused on furthering specific areas of our vision. See below to find out more about each workgroup’s mission and activities.
Goals
✓ Planning for the Future: Long-term recovery for adolescents, especially inner-city, youth-supporting housing
✓ Outreach: Creating a system that goes beyond our group and into the community
✓ Growing Recovery: Inviting new people to the table
✓ Providing Updates: Communicating AROSC happenings to agency staff/new employees
✓ Leveraging Our Partners: Establishing new partnerships and building relationships (e.g., churches)
✓ Building Value: Expand our AROSC resource directory
Past Activities
✓ Established teen leadership trainings at agencies throughout the community
✓ Created a community-wide teen leadership session for recovering adolescents from meeting and getting to know one another
✓ Developed a handbook for teen leadership trainings
✓ Established an alumni network for recovering adolescents
Goals
→ Continuous Development: Creating collaborative opportunities between primary care, dental, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment providers
→ Development and Distribution: Disseminating a directory listing recovery-friendly healthcare/dental providers as well as up-to-date treatment providers to benefit primary care physicians
→ Cross-Disciplinary Training: Facilitating educational opportunities to enhance collaboration and cultural competencies among healthcare, dental, and recovery professionals
Past Activities
✓ Created a series of ceus sponsored by different hospitals and organizations to increase cross-training across disciplines
✓ Held ethical trainings to increase cultural competencies for multiple disciplines
✓ Developed a handbook for teen leadership trainings
✓ Held Houston Resource Guide featured event
Goals
→ Continuous Development: Creating collaborative opportunities between primary care, dental, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment providers
→ Development and Distribution: Disseminating a directory listing recovery-friendly healthcare/dental providers as well as up-to-date treatment providers to benefit primary care physicians
→ Cross-Disciplinary Training: Facilitating educational opportunities to enhance collaboration and cultural competencies among healthcare, dental, and recovery professionals
Past Activities
✓ Created a series of ceus sponsored by different hospitals and organizations to increase cross-training across disciplines
✓ Held ethical trainings to increase cultural competencies for multiple disciplines
✓ Developed a handbook for teen leadership trainings
✓ Held Houston Resource Guide featured event
Mission
→ Support Justice-Involved Individuals: Focus on helping people who have been caught up in the criminal justice system
→ Prevent Recidivism: Develop strategies and resources to assist individuals in avoiding reoffending
→ Diversion from Incarceration: Promote alternatives to incarceration by providing needed support systems
→ Navigate Post-Incarceration Challenges: Guide individuals through the complexities of life after incarceration and probation, ensuring they have the tools and support needed for success
Past Activities
✓ Updated the criminal justice resource guide for substance abuse, including veteran’s resources
✓ Strengthened collaboration with numerous groups including people connected with recovery community centers, Santa Maria Hostel and The VJO
✓ Promoted the use of recovery coaches and trainers with justice-involved persons
Mission
✓ Engage Faith Communities: Actively involve faith-based organizations in the mission to support recovery and mental health.
✓ Educate on Prevention: Provide educational resources and programs to faith communities focused on preventing substance use disorder and promoting mental health.
✓ Educate on Prevention: Provide educational resources and programs to faith communities focused on preventing substance use disorder and promoting mental health.
✓ Promote Recovery: Advocate for recovery within faith communities, helping them support individuals struggling with substance use disorder and mental health challenges.
Goals
→ Connect faith-based communities to youth recovery treatment and prevention resources.
→ Build collaborative relationships and bridge the gap between professionals and faith leaders
→ Offer continuing education to develop our knowledge and awareness of recovery and mental health treatment and prevention and of resources and our understanding of the traditions and needs of the Faith Community
Mission
✓ Engage Faith Communities: Actively involve faith-based organizations in the mission to support recovery and mental health.
✓ Educate on Prevention: Provide educational resources and programs to faith communities focused on preventing substance use disorder and promoting mental health.
✓ Educate on Prevention: Provide educational resources and programs to faith communities focused on preventing substance use disorder and promoting mental health.
✓ Promote Recovery: Advocate for recovery within faith communities, helping them support individuals struggling with substance use disorder and mental health challenges.
Goals
→ Connect faith-based communities to youth recovery treatment and prevention resources.
→ Build collaborative relationships and bridge the gap between professionals and faith leaders
→ Offer continuing education to develop our knowledge and awareness of recovery and mental health treatment and prevention and of resources and our understanding of the traditions and needs of the Faith Community
Mission
✓ Increase awareness of recovery resources among housing providers
Goals
→ Identify recovery-friendly housing
→ Identify housing with recovery challenges
→ Provide narrative/checklist to service providers and individuals in recovery seeking housing
Mission
✓ The L-PEW is focused on the epidemiology (distribution, demographics, and determinants) of substance use prevention, active substance use, and substance use recovery through data- and research-informed efforts
Goals
→ Engage in collaborative efforts of leveraging knowledge and expertise regarding best practices for substance use prevention
→ Help the community recognize the need for addressing prevention across the lifespan, as opposed to predominantly (but not solely) primary prevention during youth
Mission
To create a safe space to discuss experiences and share resources to overcome the common obstacles in recovery.
Goals
→ Meet regularly to provide support to peers.
→ Share resources with other peers
→ Provide educational opportunities to peers
Mission
✓ To provide sustainable programming for peer recovery community centers, supporting individuals in or seeking recovery from substance use and mental health challenges. We focus on strengthening recovery support services, enhancing job placement for peer coaches, and mentoring other recovery organizations toward accreditation.
Past Activities
→ Sustained and enlarged support groups for the criminal justice population
→ Produced a Health Day in James Bute Park next to the HRC for outreach
Continued to train recovery support coaches as well as train recovery support coaches specifically for transitional-age youth
→ Participated in the committee for creating recovery specialist supervision
→ Collaborated with organizations within the community (e.g., Change Happens) to create more educational opportunities
→ Expanded peer recovery supports and work with the co-occurring population in treatment facilities
→ Compiled research on demographics reached within the community
Compiled the location of services/events geographically within the community
Mission
✓ Educate employers to reduce the stigmas that block people in recovery from being hired into good-paying jobs with good companies.
Goals
→ Connect with employers through employer membership groups
→ Educate major employers to reduce the stigma that those in recovery face
→ Connect those in recovery to major employers
Mission
✓ To cultivate a recovery-friendly and resource-rich community that empowers individuals on their journey toward long-term recovery. We aim to educate community members through initiatives like “first call” training, equipping them with the knowledge to support those facing substance use challenges. Our commitment includes hosting events and webinars that raise awareness and foster a culture of hope and support.
Past Activities
→ Hosted the all-day event, Family Recovery Resources Expo and Symposium – Houston (FRRESH)
→ Created “first call” training to educate lay members of the community about how they can approach a person who may have substance use disorder and offer hope and support
→ Hosted the SOPHE CEU webinar on the public health impact of addiction recovery through the Society of Public Health Educator
Mission
✓ Our mission is to promote open dialogue about family support and education for those impacted by substance use. We seek to broaden our community by including diverse professionals and cultural perspectives while ensuring that resources are accessible and tailored to the needs of families. By prioritizing listening and understanding, we aim to create meaningful connections that empower individuals and strengthen family bonds.
Goals
→ Foster open dialogue to enhance family education and connection regarding substance use.
→ Expand the Working with Families Work Group by incorporating diverse professionals and cultural perspectives.
→ Increase accessibility to support resources by collaborating with behavioral health facilities and case managers.
→ Emphasize active listening to understand and address the needs of families effectively.