Lost Dreams Awakening: Supporting recovery from substance misuse through research

Lost Dreams Awakening (LDA) is a community recovery organization in New Kensington, Pennsylvania that is changing the lives of individuals and their families. Penn State University (PSU) professor Bo Cleveland has dedicated his career to understanding how people build and maintain recovery from substance use disorders.

Cleveland's research aims to show the importance of investing in recovery community organizations by illustrating how and why they are effective.

An estimated 21.3 million adults in the United States (USA) self-identify as being in recovery or recovered from problematic substance use. An estimated 5 million of the US adults in recovery depend on nonprofessional continuing recovery support services (sober housing and recovery community centers) to maintain their recoveries.

Recovery community centers are a relatively new part of the recovery support landscape. They support the needs of individuals in recovery and help them connect with peers with similar experiences. Recovery community centers are staffed by employees and volunteers with drop-in centers while facilitating services including mutual help groups, employment assistance, and recovery coaching.