FORDO Executive Director Debra Berrios addressing attendees at the Norwich center grand opening on May 23. Over 70 people attended the event, and since then the center has assisted 124 local residents with services geared toward recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — The Friends of Recovery of Delaware and Otsego Counties (FORDO) opened a new community recovery center in Norwich last month, and since the grand opening they have assisted 124 individuals with drug and alcohol addiction recovery services.

The center provided Narcan training to 12 people, established two weekly mutual aid support group meetings, had five residents sign up to volunteer, and welcomed new staff.

The center, located at 24 East Main Street in Norwich, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and offers several free programs and services for community members in recovery or seeking recovery from substance use.

FORDO Executive Director Debra Berrios said she hopes the center only continues to grow, and she anticipates an expansion in services over the coming months.

The new hire will allow the center to provide regularly scheduled Narcan trainings to the public, although they do also offer trainings by appointment, or walk-ins if possible.

"We offered a gentleman in the community a position for 30 hours a week, starting Tuesday, [July 5], and he will be the Narcan distributor for this area," said Berrios. "When we have this new staff member fully on board as of Tuesday, we will have designated days out of the week that will be advertised for Narcan training. But we hope that anyone who walks in can get Narcan trained if they have a request to do so."

"So it’s not necessarily by appointment," she added. "All staff are trained, so if there’s availability and someone’s not doing anything, you walk in the door and you can be Narcan trained."

The Narcan trainings provided by FORDO not only teach participants how to use Narcan, they also teach them about the symptoms of an overdose, the Good Samaritan Law, further action after administering Narcan, and more.

"They learn the signs and symptoms of an overdose, they are responsible from the beginning of the training to initiate further assistance, whether it’s 911 or first responder of some sort, and they also get told about the Good Samaritan Law," said Berrios. "We also give them some scenarios of what they can experience after somebody comes out of an overdose, because it can be very traumatic for the person who is initiating it, as well as the person who’s coming out of an overdose."

"We also tell them if they question that it’s an overdose, Narcan will not hurt or harm someone in any way. So if they do provide Narcan, it’s not going to hurt someone, and that’s something people need to know. We use the nasal spray, we don’t use the injectable method, because it’s easier and staff are a lot more comfortable," she added.

In addition to Narcan trainings, the FORDO Norwich center offers other free programs and services, including mutual aid support groups, peer recovery coaching, and an employment program called Rural Recovery - Development Opportunities and Career Services Projects (RR-DOCS).

"Two days out of the week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, we have two wonderful ladies that are devoted to a project called the RR-DOCS program. It’s a new program that we just picked up and got awarded grant funding as an agency in December, and the goal is to take people who are in recovery and place them in businesses that are looking to hire people in recovery," explained FORDO Director of Finance and Operations Ryan Alscheimer.

Mutual aid support groups are offered every Thursday at noon, and every Friday at 2 p.m. at the center, located at 24 East Main Street in Norwich.

The bulk of what FORDO does is offer recovery coaching from peer specialists. They serve as a touchpoint for those in recovery, help them identify goals, and keep them on track throughout recovery.

"Kind of the bread and butter of what we do at FORDO is recovery coaching, so these are one-on-one appointments with certified recovery coaches," said Alscheimer. "People would come in and we get them plugged in with a recovery coach mostly on a weekly basis, or however frequently they want to meet with their recovery coach to develop a plan for their recovery based on their goals, their visions, what they want to happen in their recovery."

Those interested in getting established in the recovery coaching program can simply stop by the center. Berrios said if a trained peer specialist is in the building that day, they can meet with the individual or set up an appointment.

If no peer specialists are available that day, another staff member will send the individual's information to the Oneonta center's Program Manager Kyle Lafevre, who will arrange a meeting with a specialist for peer services.

"His primary job is to make sure he connects the right match. For instance, if somebody comes in the door and it’s a female and they don’t feel comfortable with a male, that could be their thing, or vice versa, Kyle is the one that sits and engages with that client and decides, 'well, I think you’re best suited for this person, why don’t you try this person out and if this doesn’t work then we have another opportunity,'" said Berrios. "So it’s very important that we have peers who are diverse, so that people can pick and choose who they feel comfortable with, and he manages that."

FORDO has been able to establish the Norwich center thanks to the generosity of the RC Smith Foundation, who provided funding to cover two years worth of rent at their 24 East Main Street location. They also provided the center with a vehicle, which will be used to transport individuals to and from the center or treatment if needed, according to Alscheimer.

"The RC Smith Foundation really stepped up to the plate," said Berrios. "They just wanted to sit and absorb what’s around them, and that’s what sold them. They just stayed in our center in Oneonta for the day and watched it, and said okay, this is what we need."

"Without them, regardless of what state or federal funding come our way in years to come, the only way we’re on the map is bc of the RC Smith Foundation, and that’s the truth," she continued. "There was no way we could stretch any money to get something like this, with the budget we have right now. So it really was them that put us on the map."

Financial support for the center has also been provided by the Follett Foundation, as well as private donations. Additionally, Berrios said she has submitted two grant applications to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The Norwich FORDO center has seen a successful first month, and they are not slowing down. Berrios said she expects to establish additional programs over the next few months, and hopes to expand the hours of operation as well, much like their recovery centers in Oneonta and Delhi.

"We anticipate expanding programming probably in the next couple of months. Right now we have two mutual aid support groups going on, on Thursdays and Fridays, and now we hired someone locally which is great, who’s going to start Tuesday and manning the center, with the anticipation of doing evenings and weekends eventually," she said.

"Right now we're only open to 4 o'clock; That hinders people from coming after hours or when they leave work. But eventually when we have a full staff over here, we'll offer evenings and weekends because we know addiction doesn’t stop at 5 o'clock. So in Oneonta and in Delhi we have two evening hours until 7 o'clock at night, and then we have weekend programming, and we hope to do the same thing here."

More information on FORDO services, upcoming meetings, and programs can be found at friendsofrecoverydo.org or on the Friends of Recovery of Delaware and Otsego Counties, Inc. (FOR-DO) Facebook page.