How Lived Experience is Transforming Services
Effective addiction and recovery services thrive on personal stories and firsthand insights. Community Voice is our flagship project, placing those with lived experience at the forefront of decision-making, and it’s making a real impact.
What does lived experience mean in the context of addiction and recovery? It’s the personal, first-hand understanding of the obstacles faced, the systems navigated, and the resilience needed on the journey to recovery. For someone in recovery, this experience can be the difference between feeling understood or overlooked. For a loved one, it offers a sense of connection and shared purpose. For people who work in recovery services, it deepens their empathy and informs practices that truly support the people they work with. When people who have experienced addiction and recovery contribute their insights, strategies become more practical.
We want to highlight the nuances that might be missed in typical policy discussions, the emotional and social challenges often underestimated by those outside the recovery journey.
Essex Recovery Foundation’s Community Voice forum is a prime example of this collaborative approach. Through quarterly gatherings, individuals in recovery, their loved ones, and professionals come together to discuss pressing needs, review research findings, and make informed decisions about funding and strategy. This isn't a generic consultation; it's a collaborative process that empowers people to drive change.
Community Researchers play a pivotal role in this process, gathering insights directly from the recovery community. Their findings inform discussions, ensuring that decisions are grounded in reality.
Join Us on Friday 29th November for Community Voice
We invite you to be part of this change on Friday, 29th November. This event will feature an interactive quiz led by Community Researchers, engaging activities, and food. It’s an opportunity to celebrate recovery and contribute to discussions that inform the evolution of addiction support in Essex.
Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone, or working in the field, your input is vital. By participating, you help create services that are empathetic, effective, and rooted in real experiences.
Join us and help shape a future where lived experience drives meaningful change.