Our last month of celebrating our 20th year Anniversary!

Message From our President & CEO, Eric Levine

Dear Melissa,

2023 Is coming to a close, and with it our 20th Anniversary Year. It has been a year of celebrations and appreciations. Most notably a big 'thank you' to our founders, our biggest cheerleaders and supporters Don Cooper and Lisbeth Riis Cooper.

It was their vision and tireless work effort (it still is their work effort behind the scenes) that inspired and created CooperRiis.

Thank you to the amazing staff who are here with us now and came before our current generation of staff. The programs we have today are built upon the shoulders of the staff who have come before us all. We celebrated, shared memories, enjoyed an amazing 20th-anniversary party with over 200 guests, and spent time reflecting on the experience of serving over 2,200 people in our communities these past 20 years.

Happy holidays, Happy New Year, and here's to a great 2024. We here at CooperRiis look forward to at least another 20 years serving people in our healing communities.

With gratitude,

Eric A. Levine, Ed.D

Partial Hospitalization Program

NOW IN NETWORK WITH AETNA

Our Partial Hospitalization Program, or PHP, opened in early September. We are pleased to be serving Western North Carolina's mental health outpatient needs through our holistic and person-centered approach. We are officially in network with AETNA and United Healthcare now. This program accepts out-of-network benefits and we offer a cash pay rate as well. Please call 828-899-4673 to learn more about our PHP or email Admissions@CooperRiis.org .

NEW PROGRAMMING

Extended Care on the Farm

Marketing & Outreach Director, Kim Nelson

We recognize that not everyone can follow a path to a completely independent lifestyle, and we also appreciate the need for a community that can provide varying degrees of support and structure.

CooperRiis is proud to offer the Farm Extended Care program, or "FEC". This program is designed for the resident who has made significant gains in their recovery but may struggle to maintain those gains when living independently.

After successfully being assessed into this level of care, the extended care resident will have the opportunity to engage in our Community Work and Service programming, "CWS" (farm work with animals, greenhouse, gardens, woodshop, or the arts) for structured time, or they can craft their own independent projects on or off campus with the guidance and support of their recovery team. Residents will have full access to our Healing Community with all its benefits, such as groups, wellness activities, community-building activities, and outings.

The FEC community member will have wrap-around supports should they need a higher level of care at any time. Additionally, if they feel they are ready for more independence they could move into our transitional living program with the support of their clinical team. They will be a full member of our community on-going, and we will support their needs and offer opportunities for growth and engagement daily.

Download a flyer on the program here

New Feature-Video Blogging Series

Jonah Kagen is very special to me, I was excited to catch up with him this week to feature him in this series. He is the son of a long-time friend of mine, I've had the pleasure of watching him grow up and see his talent grow with him. This young man is a superstar and a great ambassador of healing through his music, check out his website here.

Jonah was reluctant to launch himself into the music industry, but his sister pushed him and said, "You might think that you're not good enough to do it but just try. Also, don't try to be famous, don't try to do this as a job, just go be vulnerable with people and share your experience." Jonah did just that.

You can view the entire interview here.

Mental Health Coping Skill

Mariah Schweiger, MSW, LCSWA, Integrative Therapist

"Color Breathing"

I enjoy engaging in grounding skills with residents. I really enjoy color breathing, where I invite the group or individual to imagine a color. Together, we invite the color to move in and up through the body with each breath we take in. We then invite the color to move back through the body with the out-breath.

Sometimes, we will utilize this exercise to imagine the color outlining the body while focusing on the breath. I engage in the grounding while leading it because I think it models that professional's benefit from these exercises too!

Here is some more information on Color Breathing as a mental health coping skill.

Employee Highlight

Pat Dockendorf,

MA, MMH

Education Coordinator/Recovery Coordinator Liaison

Pat is 96 years young!

Every year on Pat's birthday we celebrate by having her favorite lunch for the entire Farm community. Pat loves our "Deli-day" lunch, cold cuts with breads and cheeses and chips on the side.

Pat shares her secret of longevity, she says, "never stop moving!" And she doesn't.

We reached out to Pat for this segment and interrupted her bocce ball game with friends! Pat plays pickleball, swims, teaches others to swim, square dances, and she is a percussionist in two local community symphonies.

You can read more on Pat here.

Years of service: 19 years

Current role: Recovery Coordinator Liaison and Education Coordinator. For residents who have not completed high school, I get them enrolled and assist in helping them to graduate. I preform career assessments for all residents, coordinating with our vocational counselor, Shannon Perry. I lead the transition readiness group for residents who are moving into our transitional living program. I complete entrance and exit surveys for all residents for research purposes. I also make alumni calls at specific intervals for outcomes research. I am part of the recovery coordinator team, and I have been since that role was created back in CooperRiis' early days.

Special memory: I have two things to share! First, I loved the circles before COVID. We would have circles when someone would leave our community and I loved hearing the positive feedback for the resident from their peers and fellow staff members. There were lots of hugs. Circles post-COVID are still great, but not like they used to be.

Second, years ago I started reading the book 'Not Even A. Mouse' as a tradition at Christmas time. I would read the book during the morning meeting on the Farm to all of our residents and staff while sitting in front of a warm fire and sipping hot chocolate together.

Something you particularly enjoy about working at CooperRiis: The staff are 100% invested in the recovery of each resident. And the quality of commitment and cooperation of the staff is extremely high. I've never seen any workplace have that high level of cooperation in all my time in the workforce. And I've been working a long time; since 1942!

I also love coming out of Overlook (a building on the Farm) and seeing pigs, horses, and chickens right next to me on the other side of the fence.

Stories of Recovery from our Alumni Community

Stephanie Wilensky, Development Director

Stephanie has regular contact with our alumni community and enjoys getting updates from them. Often she hears wonderful stories of success in their recovery journeys and, with permission, is able to share some of these with us.

"I started at the Farm. While a new experience, I quickly found my rhythm and cadence. I was welcomed not just by staff but by fellow residents. The environment was conducive to my healing. I could go on and on about my experiences but I'll leave you with this, work the program. It is your choice."

Cody, Huntsville, TX

We are so grateful to all of our supporters and donors! Many of you have offered donations already and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It is hard to put into words the impact you make across our programs! Several recent projects and projects underway are all thanks to our donors, including repairs to our tennis courts, and addition of pickleball courts at the farm, and the soon-to-be-built Greenhouse at our Asheville campus.

There is still time to make a year-end gift. Donate now and be a light for our community members on their healing journey.

With gratitude,

Stephanie Wilensky

Favorite Recipes:

Ingredients

2 qts Oatmilk

1 c Turbinado Sugar

1 c Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Instructions

Combined all ingredients in a sauce pan. Whisk on medium heat until all cocoa is incorporated and sugar has dissolved. You can heat for additional time to reach desired drinking temperature. Feel free to add your favorite whipped topping or marshmallows for an even more elevated experience!

(Serves 6)

Super Simple Vegan Hot Cocoa

Staff Reflection

Since 2015, I have done my fair share of holding space, raising awareness, checkin'-in, opening arms, reaching out, calling in, wiping tears, elbow-deep cleaning, guffawing, being mindful, holding hope, forking greens around the plate, sitting in meetings, and "peopling". This community heals people with people!!!

I have been supported by this community myself. Proud to be a part of it!