The Phoenix - Sober Active Community - The Phoenix will serve people by helping them overcome substance use disorder in Wichita, Kansas, providing recovery support services designed and implemented by peers in recovery; programs include fitness, wellness, and social events where staff and trained volunteer peer mentors will cultivate an environment designed to be fun, emotionally and physically safe, inclusive, and accessible. The only requirement for entry is 48 hours of continuous sobriety.
All events are free to participants and open to individuals from all pathways of recovery. Some participants join The Phoenix’s programs after completing formal substance use disorder treatment, but others have never attended formal treatment programs. Some have participated in recovery groups such as 12-step programs and Recovery Dharma meetings. This project will primarily serve the Wichita metropolitan area, though some participants come from rural areas surrounding Wichita. Program activities include yoga, meditation, CrossFit, group fitness, arts, social events, and more. These events bring people together, but the core of Phoenix programs is the explicit focus on cultivating a psychologically safe environment where peers can gather in recovery to heal. This model was developed based on academic research around recovery capital. Phoenix programs encourage growth in five key areas of recovery capital that help individuals build the inner resources to stay sober and thrive in recovery. These five areas are connectedness, hope, identity, meaningful life, and empowerment.
This first goal of the program — to increase the size and connectedness of the recovery community in Wichita through the provision of community-based activities to improve long-term recovery support — will be achieved by serving 1,300 individuals in year one; 1,950 in year two; 2,925 in year three; and a total of 6,175 participants in total during lifetime of the project. The second goal — to reduce the levels of stigma experienced by people with substance use disorder and those in recovery, as well as reducing stigma within the broader community, with the role of meaningful activity and social connection acting as a catalyst for positive change — will be achieved by hosting two or more large-scale events for families and supporters of people in recovery during each year of the grant award, for a total of at least six such events. Another objective in alignment with this goal is the formation of at least five new community partnerships with value-aligned organizations during the lifetime of the project. The third goal — to increase the number of volunteer peer mentors who will lead meaningful activities, improve connection amongst the people and places within the locale, and fuel the recovery movement in Wichita — will be achieved by recruiting, training, and activating 25 volunteer peer mentors in year one, 40 in year two, and 60 in year three, for a total of 125 new volunteer peer mentors during the lifetime of the project.
This project will serve primarily serve adults in recovery from substance use disorder. The Phoenix provides an inclusive environment that welcomes people of all races, genders, and sexual orientations. Community standards prohibit any discriminatory language or behavior; all participants are informed of these standards at the beginning of every program event, and both staff and volunteer peer mentors help ensure adherence to the standards throughout. Phoenix events are free to anyone with 48 hours of sobriety, which helps reach people of all socioeconomic groups, ensuring that those living in poverty have access to high-quality recovery support programs. A secondary demographic that will be targeted is supporters and allies of people in recovery. This focus helps reduce stigma around recovery in the broader community.
