Cecil County Peer Recovery Advocate Program Wins MACo’s Healthy Counties Best Practices Award

Cecil County’s Peer Recovery Advocate Program is one of two recipients for this year’s MACo’s Healthy Counties Best Practices Award. The award recognizes county programs that contribute to the overall health and quality of life of a Maryland county. As reported in The Cecil Whig:

“The real award is seeing lives changed and families saved,” said Ken Collins, director of the Cecil County’s Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center and special assistant to the county executive for drug policy. “Recovery is alive, accessible and expanding in our county. Our peer advocates play an integral role in that expansion.”

The Cecil County Peer Recovery Advocate Program provides early intervention to people with substance abuse by creating a relationship between an advocate and a patient identified as “at-risk” in Union Hospital.

Collins said the idea is to offer support, information and encouragement for recovery by someone who has gone through the same experience and has succeeded.

“The advocates actually accompany patients from the hospital to the health department to enroll in treatment,” he said.

MACo’s Healthy Counties Best Practices Award was started by Prince George’s County Council Member and MACo Past President Ingrid Turner. While many great programs were nominated, only two could win. As previously announced on Conduit Street, Queen Anne’s County’s Mobile Integrated Community Health (MICH) Pilot Program shares this year’s award honor with the Cecil County Peer Recover Program.  More information is available about all of our award nominees. Awards will be presented at MACo’s Winter Conference Inaugural Ceremony and Awards Banquet on Thursday, January 8, 2015 at the Hyatt in Cambridge, MD.

For more information read the full article in The Cecil Whig and previous coverage on Conduit Street.

Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference:

Questions? Contact Meetings & Events Director Virginia White.