Thomas Cothren New York

About Thomas Cothren of New York

Thomas Cothren is a New York-based substance abuse and mental health recovery professional passionate about helping individuals on their respective journeys. Thomas is a father who is in long term recovery himself and who has lost over 100 pounds by committing himself to physical fitness and a lifestyle. Mr. Cothren enjoys being able to draw from his experiences to help motivate individuals in recovery as they create goals, explore options for treatment, work to stay the course.

Thomas has built a reputation within his field for his interest in helping touch as many lives as possible and uplifting those who struggle to get better. Over the course of Thomas Cothren, previously of Fresh Start’s time in the industry, he has become well known for his patience, passionate approach to recovery care, and ability to remain on the cutting-edge of the recovery community.

Getting More Involved in the Recovery Community Can Be Easy!

As an individual who has experience both in long term recovery himself and carving a career within the space, Thomas Cothren of New York speaks to how getting involved can be a valuable way to connect with the recovery community as a whole. When it comes down to it, there are dozens of ways to step into the space either as a paid professional or volunteer.

Thinking about getting more involved in the addiction recovery community yourself? Check out these tips inspired by Mr. Cothren’s insights.

Educating Yourself on the State of Addiction Recovery in Your Area

The importance of education when it comes to addiction recovery cannot be overstated, and there are many ways that one can learn more. For example, many people who are interested in getting more involved in the addiction recovery community can benefit by finding out what accreditations and certifications are required to serve a professional in their area. Figuring out these requirements can contextualize your efforts, especially if your goal is to build a career within the industry.

It can also be helpful to check out resources that point to the pitfalls of addiction recovery in your respective state, city, county, etc. By figuring out the gaps in services, challenges, and general sentiments regarding recovery care, you can hyper focus on the aspects of recovery that you want to help in the most and which institutions/organizations can use your assistance.

Volunteering for Your Favorite Organizations

Volunteering is one of the most common ways to get involved in addiction recovery, and for a good reason. Not only is volunteering pretty accessible to most who are interested, it can also be an excellent way to build connections within the community and really make use of your skills. In today’s world, figuring out how you can volunteer with your favorite local organizations is as easy as ever. By checking out their website and social media channels, you can get alerted of when events are happening, the type of assistance they may need, and the scope of the work that they perform for the community. Many orgs will include a volunteer application or methods to reach out to teams on their pages. Recovery orgs may need help with anything ranging from answering phones to assisting with resources.

Becoming a Sponsor

If you have undergone recovery yourself, becoming a sponsor may just be one of the most directly impactful methods to make a positive difference in the lives of those who are just beginning their journey. Sponsors help individuals in recovery stay on the right path by offering guidance, support, and friendship. This is not a role that should be taken lightly — it requires a lot of patience, openness, kindness, empathy, and time to be a great sponsor to someone in a program. People in long term recovery who have completed their own programs and are interested in helping others can explore sponsorship opportunities by reaching out to their centers or others in their areas.

Attending Events Near You

Events organized by recovery organizations are held frequently and attending them can be valuable for getting a clearer understanding of the space. Volunteers and staff manning tables can be excellent resources for information on how you can get more involved yourself. Connecting with community members at local events is often a first step for future volunteers because it puts the work that organizations do into perspective. That being said, attending recovery events can open doors to helping plan, organize, and facilitate events alongside your favorite organizations in the future. Orgs are in constant need of passionate, interested volunteers.

Becoming an Advocate for Change

Thomas Cothren, previously of Fresh Start, acknowledges that there are many things that need to be changed regarding addiction and mental health recovery in this country. Taking an active role in advocacy can help shed light on ongoing challenges in the field and important considerations as laws/policies are created and revised with vulnerable members of our communities in mind. One of the great parts of becoming an advocate is that it can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.

Voting for politicians at a state and local level who share your opinion on recovery response can be a good place to start, but there are a variety of other methods as well. Making your voice heard when important conversations are happening at a state or local level regarding recovery, supporting orgs fighting for more widespread availability of support services, taking a preventative approach by helping address risk factors to substance use or mental health issues in your area, and finding ways to assist struggling members of your own community are just a few ways that you can get more involved in being an advocate for change.

For More Insights from Thomas Cothren, Previously of Fresh Start

The world of addiction and mental health recovery is constantly growing and evolving as professionals, volunteers, and the organizations that they serve find more innovative ways to help individuals on their path.

Thomas Cothren of New York finds that being open and contributing to conversations can help move his field forward. Through content exploring mental health and addiction recovery and a variety of topics associated with the landscape, this website aims to help readers better understand the industry’s processes, recent trends, access professional development resources, and more.

If you would like to learn more about addiction recovery from an experienced professional in the space such as Thomas Cothren, previously of Fresh Start, check out the blog for more information.