MINNESOTA ALLIANCE OF RECOVERY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

IN FY25, MARCO DELIVERED ON ITS MISSION TO EDUCATE, ADVOCATE, AND MOBILIZE RESOURCES TO GROW THE COMMUNITY-BASED RECOVERY MOVEMENT ACROSS MINNESOTA WITH KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN ITS CORE FUNCTIONS:MENTORSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: MARCO WORKED WITH OVER 40 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS MINNESOTA THAT ARE PROVIDING RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. MARCO PROVIDED COACHING AND SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND FIDELITY TO THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION (RCO) MODEL OF NONCLINICAL, PEER-RUN, COMMUNITY SUPPORT. 31 ORGANIZATIONS SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS TO BECOME MARCO-CERTIFIED, OF WHICH 23 WERE CERTIFIED THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE MARCO PEER REVIEW PROCESS.PUBLIC EDUCATION: MARCO HOSTED ITS FIRST ANNUAL COMMUNITY RECOVERY SUMMIT WITH OVER 150 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. THE SUMMIT FOSTERED COLLABORATION AND PROMOTED SHARED LEARNING AMONG MINNESOTA'S RCOS, PEER RECOVERY SPECIALISTS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS DEDICATED TO BUILDING AN ECOSYSTEM FOR LONG-TERM RECOVERY FROM SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. MARCO ALSO HOSTED SEMI-MONTHLY VIRTUAL EDUCATION SESSIONS, SERVING OVER 100 PEOPLE PER MONTH, TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE OF RCOS, PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES, AND NONPROFIT OPERATIONS FOR GRASSROOTS RECOVERY ORGANIZATIONS.ADVOCACY: MARCO HOSTED 2 COMMUNITY VOICES TOWN HALLS. IN SEPTEMBER, A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL WITH 70 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE RAISED AWARENESS ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE PEER RECOVERY WORKFORCE, AND IN JANUARY OVER 100 PEOPLE ATTENDED A TOWN HALL HOSTED IN THE FROGTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE RECOVERY NEEDS OF THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN COMMUNITY. MARCO ALSO HOSTED ITS ANNUAL RECOVERY ADVOCACY WORKSHOP AND RECOVERY DAY ON THE HILL TO HELP PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND RECOVERY WORK ACROSS THEIR COMMUNITIES TO PROMOTE RECOVERY-ORIENTED POLICIES.