Joe Wallin spoke to the club after he was introduced by Jess Garrison.  He visited the club on this subject a couple of years ago with his entity “70 times 7.”  Joe’s group became independent on January 1, 1977 and on January 1, 2018 has merged his former group with Fresh Coast Alliance which is based in the Muskegon area.  Joe’s focus is drug and alcohol addiction and Fresh Coast extends their efforts to the complication of criminal records which result.

 

                This program is not alcohol and drug rehabilitation per se, although they have recently expanded into the therapeutic area.  Their focus is on support.  Too often, a patient comes out of rehab without the necessary support structure to help maintain sobriety.  Sobriety is an awesome challenge and the weaknesses which caused it and feed the addiction will reoccur without additional support to the patient.

 

                What kind of support?  For starters, going back home is not the best placement.  Factors in the home often contributed to the problem and do more to undermine sobriety than to encourage it.

 

                The answer is a residential setting in certified sober living homes.  Fresh Coast operates two such homes in the Muskegon area; one for men and one for women.  These homes are safe and affordable and are certified by the Michigan Association of Recovery Residences.  By living with others in recovery, peer support environments have proven much more successful.

 

                The residences are a dry rehab aftercare model.  This means that any violation results in expulsion.  While the program is faith based, participants are not required to adopt the faith teachings to succeed or continue.  The faith aspect tends more towards the resolve of the leaders to continue in moments of discouragement.

 

                Besides housing, Fresh Coast provides re-entry and recovery counseling as well as employment training, placement, and retention support.  Finding a job can be tricky although the current market is very favorable.  Fresh Coast has developed relationships with select area employers and staffing agencies that are “felony friendly.”

 

                The next goal is to add more beds as well as therapeutic counseling all in one larger facility.  As you might expect, this is an expensive dream.  The estimated cost is over 1 million dollars for the desired additions.  Fresh Coast is grant eligible but many private contributors will be necessary.

 

                Mental health and substance abuse likely will affect us or someone we know.  Many will die, and these deaths are preventable.  Family history is highly relevant and can be viewed as a cycle which must be broken.  Fresh Coast’s future is still in the support side and your help by way of funds or mentoring will be crucial to its continued success into the future.  Results have been very good in getting patients for the six month structure and good at achieving the one year milestone of success.  Joe is looking for all help he can get to continue their success.  

 

Raffle Winner:  Chris Burns