Frequently Asked Questions |
What does Lived Experience mean?
A person with “lived experience” has gone through
mental and/or emotional extremes, which may include but are
not limited to trauma, stress and mental illnesses. |
What is Recovery?
The process of coping with and/or overcoming life obstacles
like trauma, stress, depression, anxiety and other extreme
emotional and mental states. This process is unique to every
individual; the important thing is to figure out what works
for you. |
What is a Recovery Learning Community?
Several peers with lived experience working together towards
mutual recovery and wellness. |
What is a Peer Support meeting?
A gathering of people with lived experience, led by a Peer
Facilitator, working towards a common goal. This goal may
be as simple as Peer Support, or may include a theme, like
Coffee and Conversation or our Drum Circle. |
What is the Comfort Agreement?
Every Peer Support meeting at the RLC abides by a simple
set of rules to make sure we maintain a safe space for every
Peer. We call these guidelines our Comfort
Agreement. |
Who are Peer Facilitators?
“Peers” are people with lived experience, and
the word “Facilitate” literally means “to
make easy.” Our Peer Facilitators are just people in
the community who have a talent to share--like helping a conversation
along, or teaching others to knit. |
How can I get there?
Our Resource Connection Center is located right across
from Webster Square in Worcester, MA. If you drive, that’s
a good place to park. If you take the bus, Route 27 will get
you here. We cannot at this time offer bus passes to all of
our peers. |
What is available at the RLC Resource Connection
Center?
Our RCC hosts a number of Peer Support Meetings every weekday.
Check our Meetings page or Calendar
for specific times. We also have computers available for peer
use whenever there isn’t a Meeting in our Conference
Room, as long as it is for a productive reason--so doing research
for an essay or applying for a job is perfectly acceptable. |
Is the RLC a day program?
No. The RLC hosts specific Meetings. Peers are also quite
welcome to volunteer for us, or to use our computers for a
period of time to accomplish a specific task. |
Is the RLC a Clubhouse?
No. The RLC is focused on recovery through Peer-facilitated
support meetings. Clubhouses are based on a different model. |
Where does the RLC stand on Medication?
The RLC is comprised of individuals, each with his or her
own opinion. In general, we understand that what is ‘right’
for one person may not be ‘right’ for everyone. |
If you have more questions, send them along to info@centralmassrlc.org. |
