Why is COEG Promising?
/Beyond these promising preliminary findings, the Co-Occurring Education Group has other design attributes that can benefit clients and systems of care:
For Clients:
COEG is an open curriculum, where participants can join or leave whenever they choose.
It is respectful. There is no one right or wrong way to make changes in life.
Participants are given tools and resources to use and take steps on their own.
Session structure creates a respectful and empowering environment for change.
The sessions start a conversation, which often continues after a group ends.
For Systems of Care:
The educational program is replicable and scalable. The COEG Start-Up Toolkit and training can be implemented without astronomical costs.
A variety of line staff can lead the groups. The COEG program includes online and in-person training for facilitators and leaders and the Facilitator Guide provides a word-for-word script to run each session. This means facilitators do not need to be licensed in either behavioral health or substance use.
People who have previously been in early stages of readiness for change can empower themselves to move toward more active readiness.
Curriculum integrates SAMHSA videos and materials on addiction and recovery.
The topics and materials appeal to the people we serve.
The program is a recovery-centered approach which is client-centered and driven by an individual's hopes and dreams (integrating Telecare’s Recovery Centered Clinical System).
"What we're doing at Telecare is establishing relationships. I think that’s the key to our success." said Scott Madover, Regional Director of Operations. “Something that Telecare does well is engage people about their hopes and dreams. We find a vision that clients can look at and say, 'That's what I want.' They might not reach that hope and dream, but there are a lot of steps that they do reach which will help people feel satisfied and better about themselves. Everyone has to have not just a goal, but a hope of what could be different in their life."