Local Recovery Walk shines a light on substance abuse treatment and the Recovery High School

The Recovery High School
334 Franklin St., Springfield, MA 

The Mason Square Health Task Force and the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction and Recovery will recognize September as National Alcohol and Substance Abuse Recovery Month with a Recovery Walk on Sept. 24, kicking off at 11 a.m. from the steps of City Hall to Recovery High School at 334 Franklin St. A ceremony at the school will be held from noon to 3 p.m. A bus is available for individuals unable to walk.

The MSHTF team and Board of Directors ask that each of you show your support by taking this walk with us. Many people are unaware that Springfield has a high school whose mission is to educate and to reduce the high rates of relapse associated with teens in recovery by providing a safe, sober and supportive school environment where students and their recovery efforts are understood, valued and fostered.

Recovery High School Administrator Michael Ellis said they are devoted to helping young people by providing them with a high quality education experience in a safe, therapeutically supportive school setting. Studies indicate that without intense support, an extremely high percentage of teens in recovery relapse. 


"We offer a lot of compassion, integrity and respect to help them become acceptable, responsible adults who are an asset to society," Ellis said. "We're smaller and we focus on the kids and their needs. We're proactive in our efforts."

Substance abuse counseling
helps teens achieve success

I consider the city's Recovery High School to be one of our best kept secrets. The school is within the alternative school structure in Springfield, collectively known as Springfield Academy for Excellence (SAFE). SAFE currently includes seven programs located at six different campuses in Springfield and one at Holyoke Community College. Springfield's Recovery School, launched five years ago, is a small highly structured program for 30 to 50 students in recovery from alcohol or other drug abuse dependence.

In an attempt to shine a light on National Alcohol and Substance Abuse Recovery Month activities, our Recovery Walk will conclude with a ceremony at the school. A parent of a teen who is attending Recovery High School will share her story; Springfield Director of Health and Human Services Helen Caulton-Harris will read her powerful poem "Everybody is Recovering from Something," Ellis will talk about the work of the school and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno will issue a proclamation recognizing September as Recovery Month in the city.

For more information on the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction and Recovery visit their website here. 

For more information on National Substance Abuse and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month activities visit www.recoverymonth.org.

We hope that you will come see that recovery is possible, that Springfield offers options for our teens and that we can collectively make a difference to improve the lives of all people no matter the circumstance.

Access to resources makes a world of difference

One name, two fates.

“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan

This quote reminds me of the story of Wes Moore, a Rhodes scholar, a White House fellow and a business leader who overcame the odds to succeed.

Moore wrote a biography, "The Other Wes Moore," released in April, about his experiences growing up in inner city Baltimore, raised by a single mom who worked tirelessly to use the resources around her to give him greater access to education and opportunity.

That's one side to the story. The book is also about the other Wes Moore, a man who grew up in the same neighborhood, around the same time, with the name name, who ultimately was convicted of murdering a police officer during a robbery attempt. He is in prison for life without parole. This Wes Moore had a strong mother too, but while she was working to support the family, her sons - ages 11 and 12 at the time - began dealing drugs. This mother has publicly said she didn't know where to go for help, didn't know what resources were available to her sons, and she wished she had done things differently.

This story is not entirely unique.  Here in Springfield, we have youth who grow up in the same community, under similar circumstances, yet make extremely different choices. Often, the reason behind their divergent paths is one person having access to community programs, resources, opportunities and support programs, while the other one does not.

The Mason Square Health Task Force is an agency working alongside so many others to improve the quality of life for our youth and adults here. We want our youth to lead productive lives like the first Wes Moore, whose book became an instant New York Times best-seller. 

In our efforts to continue to inform you about the array of services provided to residents in our community, we are putting together the Mason Square Resource Initiative, a comprehensive directory for substance abuse, prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery support for youth, families and adults.

We are seeking submissions about your programs with your name, contact information, location, and other relevant material for placement in the guide. The guide will be posted on the Mason Square Health Task Force website and updated routinely. Please send information to Govan@mlkjrfamilyservices.org.

To learn more or to purchase a copy of the book visit the author's website at http://theotherwesmoore.com.)