iPad Donation Allows Recovery to Continue Despite Physical Distancing

OWENSBORO, Ky., April 14, 2020 (Newswire.com) - ​​Physical distancing can be especially hard on those recovering from drug addiction. Now, thanks to a donation of 28 iPads arranged by the Fletcher Group, residents of 14 Recovery Kentucky facilities can communicate online with family members, healthcare providers and online educators.

“It’s more than we could have hoped for,” says Anita Prater, Director of the Brighton Recovery Center in Florence. “Residents can now continue their 12-Step work and enjoy valuable face-time with their families.”

Fletcher Group Criminal Justice Specialist John Rees turned to familiar faces to fund the donation. Aramark Correctional Services and OmniProphis have long served the Kentucky Department of Corrections, Aramark by providing food services and OmniProphis by providing online training and cell phone security.

Rees worked closely with Aramark and OmniProphis as Kentucky’s Commissioner of Corrections under then-governor Ernie Fletcher when he and Fletcher worked together to launch the Recovery Kentucky program. Years later, in 2017, the nonprofit Fletcher Group was established to extend the Recovery Kentucky model nationwide.

"Most tasks involved in recovery are traditionally done in person,” says Sarah Atkins, who serves as both Director of the Owensboro Regional Recovery Center and Program Specialist for the Fletcher Group. “The 12-Step program, in particular, relies on working very closely with others. That kind of thing would normally stop at a time like this”

“With visitations on hold, you worry about the emotions that come with isolation—irritability, discontent, restlessness,” says Melissa Estep, Program Director at Sky Hope Recovery Center in Somerset. “But the iPads help reduce that anxiety. And seeing someone face-to-face creates a stronger sense of togetherness, that we’re in this together.”

Estep’s observation is confirmed by an Owensboro resident who’s already using the iPads: “My recovery through the 12-Step program would be on hold right now because I wouldn’t be able to talk face-to-face with my sponsor. But now I can.”

“People can work towards their GEDs, get skills training, and search for jobs and other resources they’ll need as they approach the end of their program," says Estep. "We might even use them to report to probation and parole officers, conduct Child Protective Services meetings, and appear in court.”

Atkins is appreciative of Aramark Correctional Services, OmniProphis, and the Fletcher Group. “We’re grateful for this chance to continue meeting our clients' needs during this very challenging time.”

“We couldn’t be more grateful,” says Estep. “Besides all the other great things the iPads do, they send the message that our clients matter and that people they’ve never even met are pulling for them!”

Source: The Fletcher Group