Recovery Coaching

Recovery Coach Services at BestLife.

MHA's BestLife Emotional Health & Wellness Center is proud to provide outpatient Recovery Coach (RC) services to those individuals in need throughout our community. Recovery Coaches (RCs) are individuals currently in recovery who have lived experience with addiction, substance use disorders, and/or co-occurring mental health disorders and have been trained to help their peers who have a similar experience to gain hope, explore recovery, and achieve life goals.

RCs are actively engaged in their own personal recovery and share real-world knowledge and experience with others who are on their own recovery path. RCs share their recovery story and personal experiences in an effort to establish an equitable relationship and support individuals in obtaining and maintaining recovery. The primary responsibility of RCs is to support the voices and choices of the individuals they support, minimizing the power differentials as much as possible.

The focus of the RC role is to create a relationship between equals that is non-clinical and focused on removing obstacles to recovery; linking individuals to the recovery community and serving as a personal guide and mentor. The RC will work with the individual to develop a Wellness Plan that orients the activities of the RC service. Individuals can access RC services based on medical necessity and a referral by a medical or behavioral health provider, community partner (CP), or other care manager who has contact with the individual and is able to identify the need for RC services.

All of the following criteria are necessary for admission to this level of care:

• The individual demonstrates symptomatology consistent with a DSM-5-TR diagnosis for a substance use disorder.
  
  

AND at least one (1) of the following:

• Is attempting to achieve and/or maintain recovery from addiction, substance use, and/or co-occurring disorders.
  
  
• Could benefit from support in increasing motivation and readiness to change.
  
  
• The individual is referred by a primary care provider for assistance with necessary medical follow-up.
  
  
• Could benefit from peer support in establishing connections with the recovery community.
  
  
• Could benefit from the structure of a Wellness Plan.

Or

• Is pregnant or up to 12-months postpartum, with or without custody.
  
  

Any of the following criteria may be sufficient for exclusion from this level of care:

• The individual is at acute risk to harm self or others, or sufficient impairment exists to require a more intensive level of service beyond community-based intervention.
  
  
• The individual has severe medical conditions or impairments that would prevent beneficial utilization of services.
  
  
• The individual is receiving similar supportive services and does not require this level of care.
  
  
• The individual, and their parent/guardian/caregiver when applicable, does not consent to RC services.
  

Any of the following criteria is sufficient for discharge from this level of care:

• The individual no longer meets admission criteria.
  
  
• RC Wellness Plan goals and objectives have been met.
  
  
• The individual or individual and parent and/or legal guardian is/are not utilizing or engaged in the RC service as demonstrated by fewer than one contact every 21 days.
  
  
• Consent for RC services is withdrawn.
  
  
• Support systems that allow the individual to be maintained in the community have been established.