Richard and Jamie Dalton also volunteer a lot of their time simultaneously since 2018 to help create and establish another recovery-focused nonprofit, RecoveryWorks, an affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital. RecoveryWorks compliments the services we provide at The Think Of Michael Foundation.
Richard and Jamie have both been big parts from the very beginning of creating this initiative together with a very impressive, dedicated team of Founding Board Members. Richard also serves on the RecoveryWorks Executive Committee.
RecoveryWorks is a recovery-focused career services and workforce re-entry initiative created by a dedicated Founding Board Of Directors comprised of several doctors/clinicians/staff from Massachusetts General Hospital and part of their substance use disorder (SUD) dual diagnosis West End Clinic, community leaders, an established Boston staffing agency and learning institute, as well as other valuable Board Members to help carry out our mission.
The Think Of Michael Foundation was instrumental in assisting Recovery Works in being awarded a $200,000 grant to assist us in the important work we're doing to achieve the results we have seen this far and envision being the model for states across the country. Through this initiative, we provide:
clinical support, resume assistance, support groups virtually every Monday, workshops on Zoom every few weeks on different topics, interview preparation, a mentor program, legal assistance if needed and job placement with Program Partner Employers or other local employers we can help facilitate. While we are still in the startup phase, we are excited about the enormous added value, difference and impact that is already being made in improving the lives of the people we serve.
Multiple members of our initial 13 have secured employment, including a "dream job" that one of our member had labeled as his dream job years ago before addiction For more about RecoveryWorks, visit the website at:
A Healthy Lynnfield
Think Of Michael President, Carmela Dalton, also serves on the Board Of Directors of A Healthy Lynnfield, the town's prevention coalition and health and wellness advocate. Together our two organizations created and co-hosted "A Night Of Hope", during National Recovery Month in September, to raise awareness, come together as a supportive and united community, with over 600 people, where we walked together down Main St., had speakers on the Common, including Dick Dalton sharing his story about his son Michael, as well as Alex Costa, who grew up in Lynnfield, shared his story of long term recovery. Local organizations also set up recovery resource tables for people to ask questions and take home information, and we ended the night with a candlelight vigil and blessing to remember those who have lost their battle with this disease and to recognize those in recovery and show we support them as a community. It was a memorable and special night in our town.