The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air in Zepf Center’s Recovery Support Center (RSC) as staff eagerly awaited attendees for their nightly meetings. Now celebrating its second year in operation, the RSC was created to be a welcoming place for Zepf Center clients, family members, loved ones, and those living with substance use disorder to practice and maintain recovery.
Among the crowd of welcoming staff each evening, one can expect to find Family Peer Supporter Karen Freiberger. After coming to terms with her daughter’s substance use issues, Freiberger dedicated her life to supporting the families of those living with substance use issues.
Freiberger began her journey at Zepf Center in 2017 after contributing to a local news segment. Attempting to provide hope amid Ohio’s opioid epidemic, Freiberger was interviewed about her experience with her daughter who began experimenting with substance use as a teenager and was then in the process of re-entering treatment for the 17th time.
Following the interview, Freiberger was approached by Zepf Center leadership and offered a family support role which she still fulfills to this day. As a Certified Family Peer Support, she uses her lived experience to help the family members and loved ones of those living with substance use disorder cope.
“This role helps me because it feels like I’m giving back,” Freiberger said. “So many people helped my daughter along the way and being able to help others recover is incredibly important to me.”
According to Freiberger, after someone begins their recovery journey, issues with family, friends, and caregivers often go unresolved while their loved one prioritizes treatment. At the RSC, Freiberger designates a portion of her time to work directly with family members and loved ones of those in recovery or actively living with substance use issues. Her meeting, called “Wits End”, gives these family members the space to process their emotions and find resources to help them deal with the impact of substance use disorder in their lives.
“The perception is that family members don’t think they should have to attend meetings because they aren’t the ones living with substance use disorder,” Freiberger said. “People don’t realize that it is a family disease and that everyone involved needs support.”
When she was initially dealing with her daughter’s substance use disorder, Freiberger found hope and support through Al-Anon and Nar-Anon Family Groups, as well as Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT).
“It was early in my daughter’s addiction when someone told me to attend an Al-Anon meeting,” Karen said. “I got involved very quickly and that was what saved me.”
Because of her attendance at meetings and involvement in the recovery community, Freiberger was able to build a support network with other family members and receive the encouragement and skills she needed to support her daughter’s recovery.
Mirroring Freiberger’s experience, RSC family meetings teach family members and loved ones how to process anger and resentment while adapting to new relationship dynamics. Attendees are provided with community resources and are encouraged to seek out the support that best fits their needs.
Additionally, Freiberger’s unique perspective as a Certified Family Peer allows her to connect with other family members and support them on a level that could not be achieved by clinicians alone.
“It’s really a difficult thing to deal with,” she said. “My daughter started using when she was 14, and I didn’t have a clue about substance use disorder; when she first overdosed in our house, my husband and I had no idea it was happening.”
Alongside these family meetings, the RSC hosts meetings four nights a week for those struggling with substance or alcohol use. These meetings are not only open to Zepf Center clients but to anyone in the surrounding area. Because of this, attendance is usually high, and many attendees return, creating a welcoming, safe, and sober community environment.
“I already have the coffee brewing,” Freiberger remarked. “People are welcome to come as early as 5 p.m. each night, have a coffee, and enjoy some socialization before the meeting starts.”
No matter where someone is receiving treatment, all individuals in attendance at the RSC have the opportunity to lead meetings and become involved at the RSC as much or as little as they prefer.
In addition to creating a welcoming environment for attendees, RSC staff check in on attendees to make sure they are receiving proper care and being compliant with their treatment. In many cases, they are even able to connect attendees to Zepf Center services when needed.
By building rapport with attendees, RSC staff have an opportunity to hold attendees accountable in a more informal and impactful way than traditional treatment methods.
“Because I’m a family peer, the clients often see me as a mother figure,” Karen said. “Other staff always joke that I’m the mom of the RSC, but being in that position allows me to connect with them on a deeper level and help them stay committed to their recovery.”
Due to the immense success of the RSC programming, plans to expand are in the works. Thanks to increased funding from the Expansion of Peer Run Services program, the RSC staff will be able to provide new opportunities for peer supporters, increase the number of meetings held, and explore options for additional social and community events in a supportive and sober environment.
“Our RSC team is building a haven for recovery like no other in the area,” Zepf Center CEO Deb Flores said. “By offering support for those in recovery and their loved ones, we can reduce the stigma around substance use disorders, improve treatment adherence for our clients, and create a welcoming community for those we serve.”
The RSC is open Tuesday through Friday from 5-7:30 p.m. No appointment is needed—individuals are welcome to stop in during open hours or plan to attend a meeting. For more information about Family Support or the Recovery Support Center, visit https://www.zepfcenter.org/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=family-support.