Though the doors of the Trehab Community Resource Center of Wyoming County are closed, many of the services offered at the facility are still available. Volunteer and project coordinator Ryan Taylor (above) provided an update to the Center’s Trehab Vision Team members in lieu of their regularly scheduled meeting.
“We have been very busy and working on a lot of stuff to try to better assist everyone during these times,” Taylor reported in an email. “While the Center has been closed, we have been doing as much as we can to continue to support our clients and others in the community.” Though it is not currently possible to hold in-person events and gatherings, staff members and a few volunteers continue to answer the phones and share resources with anyone who needs them. Following physical distancing guidelines, most counselors are working from home and communicating with clients via tele-health.
Appointment for clients needing drug and alcohol services are being scheduled as usual, and certified recovery specialists are are available to clients in Tunkhannock and Montrose. Taylor is staffing the Tunkhannock office Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm and making himself available other hours if needed. “We are conducting more CRS groups on Zoom to try to offset the disconnect the clients are feeling,” he related. “We have been reaching out to other organizations to see how they are operating and serving the community so we can stay informed on what is available for people who ask.”
Taylor has participated in weekly video meetings conducted by the Pennsylvania Recovery Organization Alliance (PRO A) with other providers across the state to discuss the barriers experienced by individuals individuals in recovery, as well as possible solutions and resources to help individuals to keep moving forward.
“One issue that we have been noticing in our area has been individuals not being able to afford phone cards or not having enough data to attend online meetings,” Taylor noted.
He has worked with Wyoming County human resources director Mike Donahue to securing 10 phone cards to help with this issue. “I have also shared information regarding free data from many providers by texting a code to a number,” he added.
Tuesday’s SMART Recovery meeting has been held online, in addition to other Zoom activities in which people can participate. This past Saturday, the Center’s yoga instructor started Zoom Yoga sessions. They will continue at noon on Saturdays until the center officially reopens. “I am reaching out to a few other volunteers to see if they are interested in doing similar zoom activities,” said Taylor.
The Montrose Trehab Food Bank has helped to make some food bags available for clients, but transportation has been an issue. Taylor has personally delivered some food items and is reminding volunteers via virtual meetings that there will be much more to do when the Center reopens.
“I have stressed to them that, once the outbreak has passed, there will be a lot of people needing our help,” he remarked. “They will most likely hit the ground running when they come back. And they are all anxious to come back and get back to work.”