---
title: What is a Recovery Community Organization?
description: John D. shares his thoughts on The 12 Traditions of A.A.
---

[Blog](https://blog.theretreat.org)

# [What is a Recovery Community Organization?](https://blog.theretreat.org/what-is-a-recovery-community-organization)

 Written by [Maj Donovan](https://blog.theretreat.org/author/maj-donovan) | Oct 23, 2019 2:00:00 PM

### “A Recovery Community Organization (RCO) is devoted to providing services to and tearing down barriers for those suffering from a substance use disorder. It is a grassroots community-based organization staffed by people in recovery." 

A Recovery Community Organization (RCO) is devoted to providing services to and  
tearing down barriers for those suffering from a substance use disorder. It is a  
grassroots community-based organization staffed by people in recovery. It provides  
services free-of-charge to those seeking recovery and those who are affected by  
someone with a substance use disorder.

## Why is this important?

In 1958 Bill Wilson, co-founder of the [A.A. program](https://www.theretreat.org/alumni-friends/calendar) wrote the following, “From cradle to  
grave, the drunk and the potential alcoholic will have to be completely surrounded by  
true and deep understanding and by a continuous barrage of information: the facts  
about his illness, its symptoms, its grim seriousness. Why should an alcoholic have to  
wait until he is 55 and be horribly mangled to find out that he is a very sick man, when  
enough education of the right kind might have convinced him at 30 or 35?”

This was a radical statement back in 1958 and yet sixty years later we are still dealing  
with much of the ignorance and lack of awareness that Bill was addressing in the above  
quote. The stigma associated with a substance use disorder is still so pervasive that it  
prevents and inhibits thousands of people each year from seeking help.  
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 19.7 million

American adults (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder in 2017. That  
same year, 1 out of every 8 adults struggled with both alcohol and drug use disorders  
simultaneously. Moreover, in 2017, 8.5 million American adults suffered from both a  
mental health disorder and a substance use disorder, also known as co-occurring  
disorders.

The emotional toll on our society cannot be overstated or adequately measured.  
However, according to the NSDUH drug abuse and addiction cost American society  
more than $740 billion annually in lost workplace productivity, healthcare expenses, and  
crime-related costs.

## How can RCOs help?

A Recovery Community Organization raises awareness about recovery from a  
substance use disorder and provides assistance to those in recovery and those seeking  
recovery services. RCO staff work with mental health providers, faith-based  
organizations, treatment providers, recovery-oriented agencies and 12-Step programs  
to broaden the safety net of recovery services. According to Robert D. Ashford, a  
recovery researcher, an estimated 22 million Americans are currently in recovery from  
opioid and other addictions. This is a good news story that is seldom talked about on  
the news or social media.

Recently in Central Minnesota a Recovery Community Organization was opened called  
the Recovery Community Network (RCN).

The RCN raises awareness about recovery and provides opportunities and resources  
for those seeking recovery services. The RCN accomplishes this by bringing friends,  
allies and members of the recovery community together to network and share  
information with one another on recovery activities in Central MN. The RCN helps  
facilitate recovery events, provides education and advocacy for the greater recovery  
community, provides peer recovery services and conducts outreach to under-served  
populations. The RCN is open to anyone in the recovery community and organizations  
that work with people suffering from a substance use disorder. The RCN is open to and  
embraces multiple pathways to recovery.

We still have a long way to go in reducing the stigma associated with a substance use  
disorder and providing full and timely access to treatment services that are so sorely  
needed for our communities. However, with organizations like the RCN, we are making  
inroads to what Bill Wilson envisioned over sixty years ago.

 

[View full post](https://blog.theretreat.org/what-is-a-recovery-community-organization)

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