Introducing the New England Recovery Center Alumni Community Page

At the New England Recovery Center (NERC), we believe in providing our clients with a comprehensive continuum of care that extends weeks, months and even years after they leave one of our inpatient programs. Recovery is a lifelong journey, and it is not easy to maintain alone. We want to help both current and former clients grow their support networks, so they have people to turn to who understand their struggles.

We’re thrilled to now offer a place for those connections to grow online, with the New England Recovery Center Alumni Community Facebook Page!

Online Community

We have long wanted to create a space for our alumni to congregate with each other as they find their footing after discharge. Going from the structured inpatient setting back to normal life can be disorienting and lonely. Whatever you are feeling post-discharge, know that you are not alone.  Others are likely feeling similar.

We would love to be able to all gather in person (and hopefully one day soon we will be able to), but in the meantime, our new Facebook page is an easy and accessible way for recent or long-time alums to gather and share their stories and experiences with one another. In addition to the conversations that we hope you will be having amongst yourselves, some of the group features include:

• Zoom events with speakers in recovery – and members can even get involved and share their own stories on a Zoom event
• Helpful resources, such as interesting articles about addiction recovery
• Easy access to fellow alumni, anytime, anyplace

The most important feature of the online community, of course, is the long-term support that alumni will find as they continue their recovery journeys. We encourage all former alumni to join the group and enjoy the opportunity to forge lasting bonds with others in recovery, in a safe, welcoming and private space.

How Can I Join?

We want to make joining the Facebook community as easy as possible, while still ensuring the safety and privacy of our members. All you need to join is a Facebook account (which you can make for free at www.facebook.com), then follow these steps:

1. Go to facebook.com/groups/nercalumni and click ‘Join Group.’
2. Answer the membership questions. These are required, but they are completely confidential and will not be shared anywhere.
   • You can make a new Facebook account (see above) if you do not wish to join with your personal page, but you must still answer the security questions truthfully so we can verify your identity.
3. Note our community guidelines – failure to adhere to them may result in your removal from the group:
   • Respect everyone’s privacy. Being part of this group requires mutual trust. You will not share any information from this group with anyone, including profiles, names, or other personal information posted by other members.
   • No hate speech or bullying. Bullying of any kind is not allowed. Disrespect of others, offensive language/comments/photos, spam, and negative commentary will not be tolerated.
   • Posting rules. We encourage members to post in the group! However, all posts will have to be approved by an admin before they are published in order to ensure that group guidelines are being followed.
   • Be kind and courteous. We’re all in this together to create a welcoming environment. Please treat everyone with respect. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required.
4. Our page admin will review your request to see that you’ve followed the directions properly. You will receive a notification from Facebook once approved, and then you are all set to participate and post in the group!

This is a completely private group – only members will be able to see that you’re a member, and only they will see what you post. How and when you participate is entirely up to you, but we hope to see you and your fellow alumni making the most of this resource!

If you have any further questions about the Facebook group, please contact Catherine Collins at (617) 448-1531.

If you or a loved one is struggling with binge drinking or an alcohol use disorder, call the New England Recovery Center today at 1-877-MyRehab and speak to our professionals about your recovery.