Celebrating Recovery at RTT

 

“It’s all about celebrating the work and sacrifices that participants made to get to this point in their lives.” That’s how Trueman Macdonald, Senior Manager at the GSS Recovery Treatment Team (RTT), explains the special Recovery Month celebration held for RTT clients in September. “With recovery,” he adds, “removing all the negative influences in their lives can mean giving up friends, family, and a community—they make big sacrifices.”

Established last summer, the RTT team is committed to building a Recovery Community for individuals who traded their social and emotional supports to work for a chance to build a future of health and wellbeing. Ideally, planning for that new future starts with people entering our Detox program. That support continues through and beyond treatment. If resources aren’t in place, the team found, the more vulnerable individuals may go back to old survival skills so it’s important to take a proactive approach.

Sixty people are in the program now and almost half came to celebrate the Recovery Month with RTT.  A land acknowledgment and smudge ceremony set a respectful and reflective tone then, after our CEO, Dawn-Marie Diab, greeted everyone, guest speakers shared powerful stories.

  • David Kerr, a former GSS employee now working for the provincial government, spoke about his personal recovery journey and where he is today, inspiring others to pursue their dreams. He emphasized that RTT is the only program of its kind in the province.

  • A member of the RTT staff shared her own recovery experience, reminding attendees that they are not alone.

  • Finally, one of the participants spoke candidly about her past and her transformation. Now in recovery and employed as a recovery coach, she encouraged the audience to make the most of the opportunities RTT provides for personal growth.

At the event, participant-made crafts proudly showcased creativity and healing through art. After drumming and dancing by the Abraham Lake Drummers, a Round Dance brought everyone together to close the Recovery celebration in community. The successful RTT ‘event planners’ look forward to drawing on this community spirit to help courageous participants build their ideal recovery futures.