Little Recovery Book Available to Educate About Paths to Recovery

New booklet shares different resources available to help reduce substance misuse

A new local resource is now available for people seeking to reduce misusing alcohol, tobacco, or other substances. Local coalition the Eau Claire Health Alliance (ECHA) has created a tool called the Little Recovery Book, which provides information about the resources and services available in the Chippewa Valley – going beyond what's offered in inpatient AODA treatment.

Alcohol and substance misuse have consistently been ranked as top health priorities in Eau Claire County. ECHA hopes this new tool will help people navigate the barriers they face while seeking help or treatment, and foster a healthier, more resilient community.

To create the Little Recovery Book, community organizations, businesses, and people with lived experience worked together. From design to print, these community members shared skills and expertise.

“There isn’t one singular road to recovery- there are a lot of ways to get there, and it looks different for everyone,” says Renee Sommer, co-chair of the ECHA Substance Misuse Action Team. “For some, The Little Recovery Book may be the first window they have to what that path could look like for them outside of what they’ve seen on TV or heard about secondhand.”

The Little Recovery Book includes:

· Information about different kinds of resources, like harm reduction, peer-run respites, and more.

· Easy ways to access help, like phone numbers and websites for people to use if they are in crisis, need help navigating programs, or want to explore options. This includes the Eau Claire County Centralized Access Line, which can help determine services someone may be eligible for, such as paying for treatment options or enrolling in support services.

· Links to more resources for people in our community.

“When you’re just getting started in recovery, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and any barrier can feel catastrophic,” Sommer says. “But with a little book like this, tailored to our community, it makes it all that much easier to navigate and reduces the decision fatigue associated with change.”

The Little Recovery book has been distributed throughout Eau Claire County at community organizations, schools, hospitals, and government agencies thanks to a grant from Mayo Clinic Health System. Organizations interested in purchasing their own copies can contact Alison Harder at alison.harder@eauclairecounty.gov.

A digital version is also available for free on our Resources page. Materials are being translated into Spanish and will be available soon.