A new kind of cafe and a new fellowship offer rural help at the intersection of courts and recovery

A group discussion (Shutterstock photo)

Gatherings at cafes aren't new, or are they? Meet the Recovery Cafe and its intersecting partner, The Reaching Rural Initiative. Recovery Cafes offer "no-cost get-togethers in which people can have a meal with a small group of individuals who are in recovery from something, said Mike Rentfro, a fellow at The Reaching Rural Initiative, which is working at the intersection of substance use and those engaged with the justice system," reports Kristi Eaton of The Daily Yonder. The new approach has been catching on in rural areas that often have fewer gathering spaces and a cultural stigma that discourages asking for help.

The Recovery Cafe offers a circle of recovery. Rentfro told Eaton: "They come in, they connect, they have to do what we call an hour of give back time. So they actually volunteer at the cafe to maybe wash dishes after the meal or even help prepare the meal. And they have to participate in one recovery circle a week. So all that recovery circle is a support group for whatever you've identified as what's keeping you from being your truest self."

Jessica Perusse from Camden, New York, is planning a Recovery Cafe. Eaton reports, "Perusse learned about Recovery Cafes and thought it would be a less adversarial role. . . . She said that over recent years, Camden has been known for its high levels of child protective cases and has been a 'hot spot' in Oneida County for opioid overdoses, which has led to grandparents parenting young children."

The town's resources are limited, and seeking help is discouraged. Perusse told Eaton: "There is a huge amount of stigma about receiving any type of support services including mental health/addiction treatment, medical care as well as food resources and financial supports . . . The Camden Life Center provides outreach to the five town courts within the coverage area. . . . Being present in court is one of the few opportunities where people gather and may be in a place [to] consider treatment." The Camden Life Center could house a Recovery Cafe and fill a dramatic gap for residents who receive court recovery orders or are self-referred.

"Both Rentfro and Perusse are among the nearly 70 fellows at The Reaching Rural Initiative, which started in December 2022," Eaton reports. "The Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Justice Institute co-sponsor the year-long fellowship. Tara Kunkel, whose organization, Rulo Strategies, helps lead the fellows, told Eaton: "It's a true marriage of public health and public safety. So all the projects are working at the intersection of substance use, and people who are engaged in some way in the justice system. . . . [For the fellows] Sometimes, what they just need is someone to cheerlead them and encourage them to get through doing the actual work on their project."

The Reaching Rural Initiative plans on another cohort. Kunkel told The Rural Blog, "We have not officially released the application, but anyone interested can sign up to receive a copy of the application once it is released by clicking this link."