Fighting Drug Addiction in Appalachia One Class at a Time

Second graduating class of Addiction Recovery Care Peer Support Specialist Academy

Fahe congratulates our partner Addiction Recovery Care (ARC) on the graduation of its second class of students. The graduation ceremony on Wednesday, November 15, celebrated fifteen students who have completed a series of classes to support those in recovery from addiction. The program includes a practicum and internship, all designed to enable participants to be employable at program completion.

“My life started again when I entered the treatment program,” said graduate Gary Hager, one of the speakers at the ceremony. “The people there loved me until I could learn to care about myself again.”

Students who have successfully completed the Peer Support Specialist Academy with all certifications, and have one year of sobriety, are eligible for employment as a Kentucky Peer Support Specialist with ARC or any behavioral health services organization that bills Medicaid for addiction treatment.

“The opportunity took me from being a part of the problem to part of the solution,” Hager noted in his remarks.

Tim Robinson, founder and CEO of Addiction Recovery Care

Fahe’s partnership with Addiction Recovery Care is part of an effort to forge multi-sector collaboration to combat the drug epidemic in Central Appalachia. With the support of an Appalachian Regional Commission POWER grant, Fahe is working with our partners to expand recovery opportunities and programs in Eastern Kentucky and neighboring Appalachian states.

Our region’s drug epidemic reaches into every corner and across economic and party lines. It requires collaboration among representatives of state and local government, healthcare, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Fahe is grateful for the opportunity to be among these partners, and we commend the students and staff of Addiction Recovery Care on reaching this important milestone.