Recovery Friendly Community

logo

Recovery Friendly Community

The Town of Newtown is proud to be a Recovery-Friendly Community. We are supporting those residents who are in recovery from a substance use disorder by 1) raising awareness of the nature of such conditions, 2) promoting health and recovery by reducing stigma and discrimination, and 3) building or improving the environmental factors necessary for "recoveries" to flourish. Expected benefits of a Recovery-Friendly community may be reduced substance use; reduced overdoses; reduced crime; an improved community sense of compassion, humanity and citizenship; and positive statewide visibility.

Newtown's Recovery Champions

The Recovery Champions are non for profit organizations who lead Newtown's town wide efforts towards becoming a recovery friendly community. The Recovery Champions are Newtown Prevention Partnership and Parent Connection who are jointly committed to supporting recovery from substance use disorders by developing and monitoring community enhancements that support long-term recovery. The Champions works closely with department heads, faith leaders, youth and persons in recovery, and social service organizations to meet Recovery-Friendly designation criteria.

Newtown Prevention Partnership

Mission: The Newtown Prevention Partnership (NPP) is a community-driven organization working to create a safer and healthier Newtown for all. NPP is dedicated to reducing substance use among youth in Newtown, Connecticut. We collaborate with various groups like the police department and schools to achieve this goal. Our efforts include educational programs, outreach initiatives, and promoting positive youth development. The NPP has a history of success, achieving a decrease in youth alcohol use and parental disapproval of underage drinking. We work to create a safe and healthy environment for Newtown’s youth.
The role of the Newtown Prevention Partnership is to support the Recovery Champion’s initiatives through advocacy and other forms of outreach.

Newtown Parent Connection
Mission: Our mission is to embrace families in crisis and to educate and empower the community in the prevention of substance use.

Town of Newtown Departments
Our Town departments and services are committed to recovery-friendly initiatives, examples of which are below.

Parks and Recreation
The Town’s Parks, and Recreation Department is active in hosting recovery-friendly activities and events.

Police
Police personnel encourage treatment and other recovery approaches and are knowledgeable about local resources through the Project Clear Initiative. Responders to mental health calls are urged to reach out directly to follow-up on cases whenever possible. Personnel are cognizant that substance misuse and possession should be understood as an issue of public health rather than enforcement.

Human Services and Health
The Human Services and Health Department ensures that food, clothing and other basic supports are readily available for those dealing with substance misuse and for those in recovery. Residents can access services through the department’s main page, Click here

Workplace Education
The Town’s Human Resources department provides Employee Assistance Plan services.

Substance Use Education and Support Services in Newtown Schools
The Newtown School District provides comprehensive substance use education and support through a variety of programs and services designed to support students and families in need.

Substance Use Education
Substance use education begins in middle school, integrated into the Health curriculum. Topics are addressed from multiple perspectives, ensuring students are well-informed about the risks and consequences of substance use. The program aims to promote healthy choices and prevent substance misuse.

Peer Groups and Family Support
Students can participate in peer-led groups focused on substance use education, while families facing substance use challenges can access support services. Through the Newtown Center for Support and Wellness, individuals and families are connected to essential wellness resources. This center acts as a centralized hub for community services, offering a strong referral system and dedicated staff to guide families, students, and community members toward the support they need.

Newtown Youth and Family Services
We are a licensed non-profit mental health clinic and youth service bureau committed to continuously providing high quality human health services for the
well-being of the community.

TeenTalk
TeenTalk is a program of Kids In Crisis, a non-profit Social Service agency located in Greenwich, CT with outreach programs throughout Fairfield County. Kids In Crisis provides temporary housing and comprehensive medical, educational and therapeutic support services for children of all ages in Fairfield County. It is the only Connecticut agency that can house children from newborn to age 18, of any gender, including a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ adolescents. In addition, Kids In Crisis runs a 24-Hour Crisis Helpline, 203-661-1911 to assist children and families avert escalating crises by providing free, 24-hour telephone and face-to-face intervention, counseling, and referrals.

TeenTalk, a Kids In Crisis exclusively designed program, places our Master’s-level mental health counselors in Fairfield County schools and after school programs. The specially trained, compassionate counselors identify and help students navigate difficult personal, family, and school-related issues. TeenTalk Counselors augment school staff by providing confidential individual, group, and family counseling as well as preventive education on issues of importance to the health and well-being of young people. TeenTalk Counselors are specifically trained to identify at-risk students and students flying under the radar and to reach out to students experiencing depression, anxiety, substance use struggles, trauma, and conflict-related stresses. A TeenTalk Counselor is placed at Newtown High School and is available during the school year: Alissa Lyn, [email protected] and 203-426-7646. After school hours, weekends, and school vacations, students and families can use the 24-hour Helpline, 203-661-1911 to seek help.

Recovery Assistance and Counseling
Both Newtown High School and Newtown Middle School offer specialized counseling services through licensed professionals. The Newtown Center for Support and Wellness provides a single point of entry for recovery support, helping students navigate their path to wellness.

School-Based Health Clinician: The Newtown Middle School has a dedicated School-Based Health Clinician, who works directly with students to address a variety of health and wellness concerns.

Melissa Webb, LPC: Newtown Middle School and Newtown High School offers services through a Student Assistance Counselor, Melissa Webb, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and employee of Newtown Youth and Family Services. Melissa offers informal drop-in sessions for students and plays a crucial role in substance use prevention. She also serves as a resource for staff, helping implement prevention programs and support services. The partnership between Newtown Board of Education and Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS) has been in existence since 2007.

Additional Resources
Melissa Webb is an active member of the Newtown Prevention Partnership, a community-wide initiative dedicated to preventing substance use among youth. For more information about the School-Based Health Center and its staff, visit Newtown Middle School SBHC.

Community Attitudes
The Newtown Prevention Partnership l will work alongside local businesses and the Economic Development agency to ensure the following:

Businesses are open to hiring people in recovery, and advertise as such.
Community organizations are open to providing volunteer opportunities for people in recovery.
Community supports formerly incarcerated individuals.

Other Resources
Emergency Department Recovery Coaches

The Connecticut Community for Addiction and Recovery operates the Emergency Department Recovery Coach program in more than twenty Connecticut hospital emergency rooms. These skilled professionals help patients and family members start and stabilize recovery. The closest hospitals to Newtown that have ED Recovery Coaches are Danbury Hospital and Waterbury Hospital. For more information please visit the State of CT’s page: https://portal.ct.gov/DMHAS/Initiatives/DMHAS-Initiatives/Emergency-Depa....

Telephone and Transportation Support
The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) has established the 24/7 Access Line to facilitate access to treatment for substance use disorders. Individuals from anywhere in Connecticut may call for help connecting with residential detox.

The Access Line is able to prioritize transportation services for detox. The Access Line may also be able to arrange transportation to DMHAS addiction residential treatment (although transportation services are prioritized for detox).

https://portal.ct.gov/DMHAS/Programs-and-Services/Finding-Services/Trans...

State of CT Access Line: (800) 563-4086

Peer Support and Mutual Aid Groups
Peer support and mutual aid groups are an integral part of the recovery process. Below are resources for support groups that assist addiction recovery and groups focused on grief recovery.

Recovery Housing within 34-57 miles of Newtown
Right Path - Madison, Lisa Ferguson, 203-339-1191
Austin Gold CEO Hope House, New Milford 860-795-6738
MCCA - Sobering Center, Danbury, 203-730-9947
A New Beginning - Recovery House, New Haven(4 houses, men only), 860-977-5250
A&S Addiction Services, Waterbury, Sue Ellen, 203-788-9494
Lantana Recovery, New Milford, 860-507-9258
New Horizons Living Center, Bristol & Torrington, 860-584-2105
Connecticut Sober Living, Danbury & New Milford, 203-599-7527
The Lighthouse Sober Living, New Canaan, 917-647-4540
Oxford House of CT, New Haven, 877-693-6734
Ellis Sober House, 27 Ellis St., Milford, 203-449-0753

Grief Recovery Support Groups
Newtown Parent connection: https://newtownparentconnection.org
Tri Circle, Inc. https://tricircleinc.com/service/support-groups/
CT 211 Grief Support Group List https://www.211ct.org/search?terms=General%20Bereavement%20Support%20Gro...

Workplace Resources
If your workplace is interested in learning what they can do to support Recovery efforts, the Recovery Works CT page is a perfect place to start. https://www.recoveryworksct.org/

Physicians
This locator allows you to easily find physicians that can prescribe medication for substance use disorders.

https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/practitioner-progra...

Pharmacies
Below is a list of pharmacies in Newtown that have Narcan available:

CVS Pharmacy, 6 Queen Street, Newtown, CT 06470
Stop & Shop 228 South Main Street Newtown, CT 06470
Walgreens Pharmacy 49 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
Newtown Health Pharmacy 225 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
All of these pharmacies will train a customer on the proper use of Narcan.

pc logo