Recovery Support
Recovery Happens in Community.
Our Recovery Support program provides peer-led support to adults 18 and older experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, including those involved in the legal system and those seeking voluntary recovery support in the community. Grounded in lived experience, the program offers free, non-clinical support that promotes hope, stability, self-determination, and long-term recovery.
Our peer advocates work alongside participants involved with Tompkins County Treatment Court, Family Treatment Court, Ithaca Wellness and Recovery Court (IWRC), probation, and the jail. We also support community members who are not justice-involved but are seeking support in their recovery journey. Services are voluntary, relationship-based, and focused on meeting people where they are.
There is no cost and no referral required.
Because everyone deserves support, and no one should have to struggle alone.
Interested in Recovery Support?
Please reach out to our Recovery Services Coordinator, Katie Donovan, CRPA at kdonovan@mhatompkins.org, or call 607 277-PEER for more information.
How Can a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate Help?
Certified Recovery Peer Advocates (CRPAs) draw from personal experience with substance use, and professional training to provide non-clinical support services. CRPA’s are certified by the New York Certification Board. CRPA’s can:
Provide emotional support through active listening and empathy, rooted in shared experience.
Encourage hope and motivation by modeling successful recovery and showing that change is possible.
Assist with goal setting and help individuals create personalized recovery plans.
Connect people to services such as treatment programs, housing, employment, or educational resources.
Support engagement in treatment by helping individuals navigate systems and stay connected to care.
Promote self-advocacy by empowering individuals to speak up for their needs and make informed decisions.
Share recovery tools and strategies that have worked for them or others with similar experiences.
Reduce isolation by fostering connection to peer support groups or recovery communities.
Support harm reduction strategies to improve health and safety at any stage of recovery.
Assist in building life skills such as budgeting, time management, and healthy communication.
Help prevent relapse by identifying triggers and building coping strategies.
What is a Smart Recovery?
SMART Recovery stands for Self-Management & Recovery Training. It is a free, secular, and science-based peer support program for people recovering from addictive and problematic behaviors like substance use, gambling, or overeating. The approach uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) tools to help individuals gain self-empowerment and personal control.
MHA offers weekly Smart Recovery meetings at our office. View our calendar for days/times
Key Features:
Secular approach: Free of religious or spiritual requirements.
Self-reliance: Focuses on personal choice and self-empowerment.
Inclusive support: Offers free online and in-person peer meetings globally.
Universal application: Helps with many types of addictive habits, not just substances.