Two former Nebraska addicts are leading the way towards recovery for others.
Harry Solomon, 54, has been clean and sober for 13 years and is the founder of a recovery group called New Playgrounds that provides recovering addicts help and support, the Sioux City Journal reports.
Established in the basement of a church two years ago, the recovery group meets every second Sunday of the month to help each other maintain structure in their lives, complete Drug Court and stay drug-free after completion.
Drug Court is a “diversionary program … in which community volunteers help guide adult and juvenile drug and alcohol offenders through recovery and probation by setting up a series of requirements that keeps sobriety as the focus.
The goal is to rehabilitate substance abusers and reduce recidivism by giving them individualized attention,” the Journal reported in March.
Once a graduate finishes Drug Court, he or she loses the structure that it provides, therefore increasing a former addict’s propensity for relapse. New Playground is hoping to support addicts’ transition after Drug Court.
As someone who had his share of experience of being on drug binges and incarceration. Dustin Suppi, 28, a former addict and graduate of Drug Court, joined Solomon to help others on the path towards recovery. “I’ve seen a lot of people throw their lives away and they don’t have someone to intervene. I want to be the person who can intervene,” Suppi said.
Solomon and Suppi wanted Drug Court alumni, as well as those currently in the program, to be able to come and seek advice on maintaining the good behavior they’ve learned from Drug Court.
“There’s not many places for people to go talk,” said Suppi.
“I think people actually want help, but they don’t know where to go find it,” Solomon said.
Although Solomon and Suppi aspire to help many more people in recovery, few know about their program, and only six people attended their last meeting.
Undaunted, Suppi continues to post fliers about the program all around Sioux City, hoping to attract some attention.
