Join us in revolutionizing the future of recovery housing and making a lasting impact on individuals and communities in need. Your innovation could be the key to transforming lives and promoting sustainable recovery journeys.

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Challenge Overview: The Recovery Housing Innovation Challenge is a dynamic and collaborative initiative aimed at fostering creative solutions and breakthrough innovations in the field of recovery housing. This challenge invites individuals, teams, organizations, and entrepreneurs to contribute their ideas and expertise to address the critical gaps and opportunities in recovery housing.

 

Objective: The primary goal of the Recovery Housing Innovation Challenge is to identify and support innovative solutions that enhance the quality, accessibility, and effectiveness of recovery housing programs. Participants are encouraged to design novel approaches that promote long-term recovery, community integration, and overall well-being for individuals seeking long-term recovery. 

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Key Areas of Focus:

The Recovery Housing Innovation Challenge is seeking recovery housing operators who have implemented an innovative approach to improve recovery housing in one or more of the following ways:

 

Holistic Recovery Support: Develop innovative models of recovery housing that prioritize holistic well-being, including physical, mental, emotional, and social health.

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Technology Integration: Explore the integration of technology, such as mobile apps, virtual support platforms, to enhance communication and engagement among residents and recovery communities. 

 

Community Engagement: Foster strong community connections, reduce stigma, and promote positive neighborhood relationships through partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and institutions.

 

Recovery-Oriented Environment: Create recovery housing environments that facilitate personal growth, skill development, and empowerment for sustained recovery journeys.

 

Data-Driven Insights: Leverage data collection tools and existing resources to analyze data on recovery outcomes, resident experiences, and program effectiveness for continuous improvement.

 

Accessibility and Equity: Design solutions that address barriers to entry, affordability, and inclusivity, ensuring that recovery housing is accessible to individuals from all backgrounds.

 

Fostering Family Involvement: Investigate ways that recovery homes can promote positive family engagement and support. 

 

How to Participate: 

Eligibility: The Recovery Housing Innovation Challenge is free and open to all ORH certified recovery housing operators.  

 

Idea Submission: Participants will be required to submit a comprehensive proposal outlining their innovative recovery housing solution. Submissions should include a detailed description of the idea, its potential impact, implementation strategy, and any relevant supporting materials.

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Judging Process: Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of experts in the recovery housing field. Judges will assess the proposals based on the following criteria.

• Novelty and creativity – Is the idea new, using a new approach, or serving a new population?

• Scalability – how easily can this idea be implemented in other environments?

• Success measurement – can the idea’s success be measured?

• Potential for Impact – how big is the potential impact, either on an individual or a community level?

• Alignment with Recovery principals – does this idea advance the social model of recovery?

• Community Engagement – does this idea involve partners? Is the community supportive and engaged?

 

Judges: Dave Sheridan, Executive Director of NARR; Lori Criss, former Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; Alisha Nelson, Executive Director of OneOhio Foundation; Dr. Corrie Vilsaint, Associate Director of Recovery Health Equity at Harvard Medical School; and Aimee Shadwick Director for RecoveryOhio.

 

Finalists and Winners: All applications will be reviewed.  Three ideas will be selected as finalists. Selected finalists will be invited to present their ideas at the Recovery Housing Innovation Symposium (March 19, 2024, from 1:00 – 4:00 PM, which is the day before the ORH Annual Conference [March 20 and 21, 2024]), where they will have to showcase their innovations to a wider audience of stakeholders, and other recovery housing operators. At the symposium, finalists will present their ideas to an audience as well as to expert judges.  Finalists will be provided with 30 minutes to present their ideas and 15 minutes to answer questions from the audience and judges. Judges will determine winners of the innovation challenge.  The winner will be announced the following day (March 20, 2024) at the Recovery Housing Celebration Dinner. All finalists will receive a cash prize to invest in their innovation. All decisions of the judges are final.

 

Timeline:

• Challenge Launch: October 1, 2023

• Submission Deadline: January 9, 2024

• Finalists Announcement: February 1, 2024

• Recovery Housing Innovation Symposium: March 19, 2024

• Recovery Housing Celebration Dinner: March 20, 2024

 

Prizes:

• 1st Place: $2,500

• 2nd Place: $500

• 3rd Place: $500

 

Contact Information:

For inquiries and updates related to the Recovery Housing Innovation Challenge, please contact info@ohiorecoveryhousing.org or 614-453-5133.