ORANGE PARK — It was a morning of brainstorming and collaboration on Saturday, Aug. 1, as dozens of residents, community leaders and specialists came together to discuss what it would mean to bring a new recovery community to Clay County.

The Building Hope Together Recovery Community Organization Symposium was a first of its kind in Clay, focused on the importance of establishing and strengthening a peer-run, peer-led recovery organization to serve those struggling the most.

"Every county should have an RCO, because RCO's don't replace treatment prevention or what's already embedded in the community. An RCO just adds some support," said Zero Hour Life Center CEO Robert Cooper.

The Ocala-based nonprofit hosted the four-hour event, inviting participants to hear presentations, panel discussions and roundtable activities and weigh up ways to improve long-term substance use recovery outcomes in the county.

Zero Hour Life Center is one of 40 RCO's in the state. These organizations are often led by individuals with lived experience in recovery and are designed to provide peer support, recovery coaching, resource navigation, advocacy, education and connections to community-based recovery services. 

Different from a treatment center or clinic, RCO's aim to be a community space built by people who've been through tough times themselves. After coming out of his own adversity, Cooper said he noticed a large gap in services provided to those in recovery. He started Zero Hour Life Center at a time when RCO's were merely unheard of in Florida.

Although initial efforts to create a similar nonprofit in Clay County stalled, Cooper said it was important to bring the discussion around again. Saturday's event was the start of that.

During the morning's first panel, District 5 County Commissioner Kristen Burke, Department of Health CORe Specialist Glenn East, Florida DOH's Heather Huffman and Clay County Sheriff's Office Director Wayne McKinney spoke about the role substance use disorders play in public policy.

In recent years the county has continued to see a decrease in substance use mortality rates — below the state average — due to Narcan distribution and medication assisted therapy. But panelist emphasized that, beyond the numbers, there still lies a false sense of security.

“Although the deaths are down, we can’t let our guard down. The problem is still there, and it’s still very prominent,” McKinney said. 

They said this makes developing an RCO, or similar concepts, vital to close the gaps associated with recovery and adequate treatment.

For CCSO specifically, McKinney noted that getting individuals to appropriate resources quickly, and efficiently, can help with mitigating the county's already limited resources.

“It’s a holistic approach. That need for us to be able to refer them to someone who could address it holistically would help us way better and we might be able to get them in there before there’s a crime.” 

“Anytime the community can give support, it takes the load off of the county,” Burke said.

Another recurring theme of the symposium centered around the need for continued support. Oftentimes, those in recovery don't know where to turn after treatment centers. Both the faith and recovery panelists urged that creating long-term relationships is key.