The Empower Henrico Task Force will present a series of free life-skills workshops this fall and winter to help adults who have struggled with substance use.
The Empowerment Series workshops are open to the public and will be held in 10 sessions, from Tuesday, Oct. 27 through Tuesday, Feb. 16. Each will be held at the Fairfield Area Library, 1401 N. Laburnum Ave., and will focus on a different topic, such as managing personal finances, securing employment, coping with grief and parenting.
The workshops are open to all adults in recovery. Participants are not required to attend each session but are encouraged to attend a session for each topic.
“If they don’t have employment readiness skills, if they have poor credit, if they are dealing with grief, then that’s going to play into whether they’re going to be successful in their recovery journey,” said Leslie M. Stephen, division director for Substance Use and Prevention Services for Henrico Area Mental Health & Development Services (MHDS).
“Each class, you’re going to come away with a useful tool that can be used in your everyday life,” she added.
The Empower Henrico Task Force is focused on preventing and addressing the challenges associated with substance use in the county. It includes representatives of MHDS, the Division of Fire, the Richmond & Henrico Health Districts and the nonprofit Neighborhood Resource Center.
The Empowerment Series was developed by individuals in recovery and is supported through a $500,000 grant from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to address the disproportionately high rates of substance use and overdoses among Black men in Henrico. Between 2020 and 2023, the overdose rate in that population increased by 167% while the rates in other populations decreased, according to Stephen.
The Empowerment Series workshops are open to all adults in recovery, regardless of race.
Participants may register for the series by going online or by calling 804-727-8667.