TIFTON, Ga. — “For $1,000, Alec, What is an RCO?”

No, this question has not made it to Jeopardy yet; however, it is a question that is being asked with more and more frequency across the country in recent months.

The short answer is that RCO stands for “Recovery Community Organization” and it is defined as an independent, non-profit organization led and governed by representatives of local communities of recovery. These entities organize recovery-focused policy advocacy activities, carry out recovery-focused community education and outreach programs, and/or provide peer-based recovery support services (P-BRSS).

“The reality is that an RCO is whatever the local community wants it to be,” explains Herby Benson, Judge of the State Court of Tift County’s DUI/Drug program. “The exact goals and programs associated with any local RCO will be decided on by each community and will be designed to address the specific needs of each community. Education, counseling, and employment resources are just a few of the items that have been addressed by RCOs in other communities in Georgia.”

A symposium to explain how to organize an RCO, what issues and objectives can be addressed by an RCO, and who benefits from an RCO will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at Southern Regional Technical College’s Tifton campus. Lunch will be served at the symposium and it will include a variety of speakers who are associated with established RCOs in the State of Georgia as well as numerous speakers who are in recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol.

“Some of the primary goals of an RCO are to provide support and information to those individuals and their family members who have questions concerning addiction,” adds Benson. “We also hope to show what resources are available in the Tiftarea to those who are suffering from addiction or who know someone who is in need of assistance. It’s important to celebrate and publicize the success stories of those who are winning the battle of addiction every day in order to reduce the stigma associated with addiction.”

“Our nation, our state, and our community are suffering from an addiction epidemic. We read about it every day and see it repeatedly in the news. Everyone knows someone who is suffering from addiction. We are lying to ourselves if we don’t admit that. And it’s important that those who have faced the disease and are winning the battle against addiction stand up and be counted. It gives everyone else hope.”

The RCO symposium in Tifton is being sponsored by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) in partnership with the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse (GCSA), the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, the Tift County Accountability Courts, Tift Regional Medical Center, South Georgia Technical College, and many other local organizations. BJ Smith Events and Catering is providing lunch and door prizes will be awarded throughout the day, including a new television. Everyone in the Tiftarea, including all of the surrounding counties, is invited to attend.

Anyone who has any questions about this event or wishes to contribute a door prize should contact Benson at (229) 386-7921 or email him at herbert.benson@tiftcounty.org.