Recovery Month is about celebrating the strength, resilience, and unity of those who walk the road of healing.
Guest Blog Post; Renee Baribeau, The Practical Shaman
For me, one story stands out, a reminder that recovery doesn’t just happen in treatment rooms. It happens in community, when we come together in ways that inspire hope, and that spirit lives in Programs & Services that support connection beyond detox.
Remembering the Heroes in Recovery Golf Tournament
Many years ago, I hosted the first-ever Heroes in Recovery Golf Tournament. At the time, my boss told me, “This is not something we do in treatment.” But I felt differently. Recovery needed to be visible, celebrated, and woven into the fabric of our community, which is why ongoing support like recovery aftercare matters long after treatment ends.
We proved what was possible. Over 300 people came to the luncheon, and we filled the course with golfers ready to stand up for recovery, the same kind of shared momentum we aim to build through our supportive counseling support services. That day took Southern California’s treatment community by storm. But what it did for me personally was even bigger.
That year, we sponsored 12 newly sober golfers to play. Today, thanks to social media, I can still see their lives unfolding. Nearly 90% of them are still sober. They’re earning degrees, raising families, building careers, and sharing their gifts with the world.
Now, years later, golf tournaments have become an integral part of the recovery community, proof that healing grows when people stay connected through treatment, support, and community. just like the approach we take in mental health and addiction care. They’re hosted at conferences and gatherings across the country, bringing together people in sobriety, treatment professionals, families, and allies. And while I no longer organize golf outings myself, it’s inspiring to see many of the same people from that first tournament now hosting their own events, keeping the tradition alive and helping others feel connected.
These days, my focus is on educational events like our Above and Beyond the Crisis: Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention for Clinicians—bringing communities together to learn, to share, and to face some of the hardest truths about addiction and mental health. Because the reality is, we don’t just lose people to overdose. We lose them to suicide, often fueled by untreated trauma, depression, and despair. That’s why awareness, education, and connection are so vital.
Whether it’s a golf tournament, a beach cookout, a mini-golf game, or an educational workshop, the activity itself doesn’t matter. Community does. Shared experiences remind us that recovery is not just about abstinence, it’s about living, connecting, and discovering joy in new ways, supported by ongoing structure through recovery aftercare.
At Hollywood Detox, we carry this same belief forward. Healing is not just about medical stabilization or therapy—it’s about connection, service, and community.
As we honor National Recovery Month, we remember that every act of service, every educational gathering, every moment of connection is a step toward lasting recovery, strengthened through community-based support and consistent recovery aftercare.
Because when one of us rises, we all rise.
Recovery doesn’t just happen in treatment rooms—it happens in community.