Pennsylvania introduces ‘Recovery in Nature’ program for September
To celebrate National Recovery Month, two Pennsylvania state agencies — the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources and the Departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs — have teamed up to create the “Recovery in Nature” program this month, which promotes the healing power of nature for those recovering from a substance use disorder.
Both agencies are promoting the state parks, and the trail and waterway systems within them, as gateways to recovery from substance use disorder.
“There have been multiple studies done showing a benefit between nature and spending time outdoors, and the positive impact this tends to have on the human brain,” said Dr. C. Thomas Brophy, medical director of the Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center in Butler. “It is generally accepted that anything benefiting our mental health, whether directly or indirectly, will also have a positive impact on addiction and recovery.”
The location of the nine participating parks coincides with the locations of the nine regional recovery hubs created last year, when the Departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs allocated $4 million in grant funding for their creation.
Butler County is part of Region 6 of the Regional Recovery Hub program, which also encompasses Beaver, Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria, Washington, Westmoreland, Greene, Fayette and Somerset counties. The Region 6 park selected for the program is Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset County, which features the Copper Kettle Trail.
While no state parks in Butler County are included in this program as of yet, Stephany Dugan, a spokeswoman for Departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs, left open the possibility the program could be expanded to other parks in the future.
“We are excited about this inaugural event and open to see future collaborations and initiatives, whether during Recovery Month or another time of year,” Dugan said.
