Last updated on September 29, 2024
The JP Recovery Center opened in January of this year, and is helping people of all backgrounds and addiction recovery.
Wanting to know more about the JP Recovery Center, which is located at 120 South St., Jamaica Plain News spoke with Genevieve DeWalt, outreach & engagement specialist for JP Recovery Center.
What is the JP Recovery Center?
DeWalt: The JP Recovery Center is a peer-led community center run by [Jamaica Plain-based nonprofit] Victory Programs. Our goal is to create a safe, welcoming space for individuals from all backgrounds who are navigating addiction recovery.
What services does the JP Recovery Center offer?
DeWalt: At the JP Recovery Center, we offer a wide range of services designed to support healthy and safe choices for the mind, body, and soul. These include peer support groups such as AA, SMART Recovery, and Refuge Recovery, along with recovery coaching and life-skill activities like resume-building workshops.
We also host wellness activities like yoga classes, provide access to computers, and organize social events and educational workshops to further support individuals on their recovery journey.
How does a JP Recovery Center help someone recover?
DeWalt: The center provides people the opportunity to both offer and receive peer support, explore multiple pathways to recovery, connect with their community, and access resources. This allows for individuals to obtain or grow their support network and improve their quality of life, which helps promote long-term recovery and prevent or manage relapse.
What does a recovery coach do to help someone?
DeWalt: The role of a recovery coach is to provide support, guidance and resources. Recovery coaching can look different in different environments, but peer recovery coaches at the JP Recovery Center are resource “brokers”, offer support, meet with individuals one-on-one and/or informal check-ins, create recovery plans, assist with setting and achieving goals, and help with finding treatment options
How is it different from AA or NA?
DeWalt: While we do offer 12-step meetings including AA and Al-Anon, the JP Recovery Center is reflective of many pathways of recovery and understands that each individual has their own recovery journey. In addition to AA, we host Refuge Recovery and SMART Recovery meetings and provide other avenues that people can explore such as yoga, artistic expressions, educational workshops, and social events. We are also just a safe space where people can come to hang out, play board games, use our art supplies, or use a computer.
Do you have to pay for JP Recovery Center help?
DeWalt: Everything that we do at the JP Recovery Center is free of charge.
What are people recovering from?
DeWalt: We are welcoming to individuals from all backgrounds navigating addiction recovery. This includes a range of substances including alcohol, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, etc. It can include other forms of addiction like gambling or eating disorders as well. We also welcome family members and loved ones who are affected by addiction and have meetings like Al-Anon and Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA).
How can someone receive help from the JP Recovery Center? What is the first step?
DeWalt: Anyone is welcome to walk into the recovery center during our open hours. We are open Monday through Friday from 10 am-8 pm and Saturdays from 9 am-5 pm. People can come pick up a calendar with our meeting and event times, find the calendar online at jprecoverycenter.org or call us at 617-865-8487. We also post regularly on our Facebook and Instagram pages about upcoming meetings and events.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about the JP Recovery Center?
DeWalt: We encourage people to reach out if they have any suggestions or ideas on how we can best support the community. We have a Community Meeting every month where people can bring in their ideas and discuss issues related to the center.
