Over the past year, BCARA has been part of several events that brought people together to talk about addiction recovery in British Columbia.
These events gave us a chance to connect with service providers, community organizations, people with lived experience, and others who care deeply about recovery. They also helped us learn what is happening in communities across the province.
BCARA recently attended the 3rd Annual Community Connections in Substance Use Conference, hosted by Options Community Services Society. This event brought together people from the community as well as people working in substance use services to learn from each other, share ideas, and build stronger connections.
We were grateful to be part of the conversation and to speak about the importance of community-based recovery. Recovery does not happen in one place or through one service. It often takes many kinds of support, including housing, treatment, peer support, family support, recovery meetings, recovery community centres, and long-term connections.
BCARA also hosted its first Knowledge Exchange and Networking Event in partnership with Community Action Initiative. This gathering was created to connect people in the recovery sector, share knowledge, and discuss challenges and opportunities to improve how we can work better together.
Events like these are important because they remind us that not one organization can do this work alone. When people come together, we can learn from each other, understand what communities need, and build better support for people and families affected by substance use.
BCARA is grateful to everyone who helped plan, host, attend, and support these events. Each conversation helps strengthen the recovery community in B.C.
We look forward to more opportunities to bring people together, share knowledge, and support recovery across the province.