Tomorrow, Saturday, May 18, Southern Ute Behavioral Health will host the Second Annual Recovery Retreat at the Sky Ute Casino Events Center from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. This free event includes interactive workshops, activities, trainings, informational presentations, and inspiring speakers, all addressing ways to support yourself and your loved ones going through recovery. And with free breakfast and lunch as well as supportive swag, you don’t need to bring anything, just yourself. No registration is necessary. Family and friends of those in recovery are most welcome as well.
Why do a Recovery Retreat?
We all know that going through challenges is easier when we have support. That support can look like a lot of different things: from more tools and resources to ideas about how a person in recovery can nurture themselves when struggling, how to deal with cravings, how to find faith and encouragement in those moments when you’re feeling really low or just when you need a little extra help.
Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. All marathon runners have support teams, those to hand them snacks and water bottles, those to cheer them on from the sidelines, those who turn up to hug them at the end, regardless of how they placed. When you think of a marathon, you can imagine all those people on the sidelines cheering. They’re not scolding or judging or yelling critical things at the runners. Instead, they’re showing how much they believe in their loved one. Those running are able to reach the finish line thanks to all that love and support. It also helps if some supporters have run a marathon before: they have a certain lived experience that helps them be effective supporters. They know what kind of support helps the most.
This retreat is for all those marathon runners and their families and friends on the sidelines. It is about showering those on this journey with love, support, understanding, resources, and hope. We know that there will always be moments of despair when it seems like the path is too long or too steep.
As part of strengthening critical familial support, one of our presentations will be from our Lead Substance Use Therapist, Rebecca Gale, who will speak on the importance of decreasing stigma about those struggling with substance use.
Because lived experience of recovery is absolutely critical to deeply understanding the recovery journey, the afternoon programming features personal stories from SU community members who have gone through recovery. Hearing about another person’s journey can help us remember that we are not alone and that others understand what we are going through. Seeing another person meet difficult challenges in life with courage, seeing all they have been through and witnessing how they are now thriving can be just that inspiration that we need to stick with our own healing journey.
Some of the additional programming during the day includes the relationship between culture and recovery, music and dance in healing across cultures, Medication Assisted Treatment, trauma and its link to substance use, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives and the connection to mental health, recovery coach training, LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit journeys as they relate to mental health and flourishing, Narcan / Fentanyl Test strip trainings and Harm Reduction, and last but certainly not least, our fabulous guest, entertainer, Tatanka Means!
Come join us for a wonderful day of laughing, learning, growing, community togetherness, and the cultivation of hope. Recovery is possible!
Here’s to your good health!
It’s okay not to feel okay
If you or someone you know has been struggling with their emotions, behaviors, or substance use please reach out to us. We can help you find appropriate tools and services that could help you overcome obstacles in your life. We are here for you. Please contact the Southern Ute Behavioral Health Division at 970-563-5700 for more information or to set up an appointment to see a counselor or therapist.
Reminder: If you need to talk to someone, please reach out.
And for those interested in opioid use education, harm reduction, and support, please contact us for quick Naloxone (Narcan) training and fentanyl test strips. We can schedule individual, family, or friends training times at our Southern Ute Behavioral Health Building, or we can come to you, and the training is around 30 minutes. Please call us at 970-563-5700 to set up a training appointment.