COLE - The First Three Months

First Three Months COLE.pdf

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The Council of Lived Experience (COLE), launched in September 2025 by the Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery (SCOSAR), brings the voices of individuals with firsthand experience in addiction, behavioral health challenges, and justice involvement directly into county planning. Over its first three months, COLE has met monthly to identify real-world barriers that people in recovery face—including stigma, limited transportation, housing instability, mental health needs, and challenges navigating employment or reentry. Formed through countywide recruitment and rooted in volunteer participation, the council serves as an advisory body that helps SCOSAR ensure its programs and priorities remain grounded in the realities of the people they are designed to support.

Already, COLE’s insights are influencing major initiatives such as the Surry Strategic Framework 2030, anti-stigma campaigns, naloxone distribution strategies, Recovery-to-Work programming, and improvements to justice-involved services. Members have emphasized the power of lived experience in shaping more effective recovery responses, noting that peers offer empathy and credibility that traditional systems often lack. Though still early in its inaugural year, COLE has quickly become a critical partner in strengthening local recovery services and guiding discussions around opioid settlement funding, demonstrating how shared leadership can lead to more responsive and meaningful community solutions.

Download the short COLE - The First Three Months on this Blog Page via the link above.