Building relationships with local heroes to create resilient communities
The Rural Community Resiliency Initiative is a collaborative effort to provide wrap-around care for community members struggling with substance use disorder, mental health concerns, and other co-occurring issues — connecting people to treatment, recovery residences, peer support, and the everyday resources that make recovery possible in rural central Wisconsin.
Care that meets people where they are
The Initiative was created by a partnership of Wisconsin-based nonprofits, agencies, and businesses in response to the growing challenges of substance use disorder and mental health concerns in our communities. Rather than treating these issues in isolation, we address them together — because people struggling with one are far more likely to struggle with the others.
In partnership with our sister organization, Mission of Hope, the Initiative surrounds each person with treatment access, safe housing, peer support, and practical help — a single, coordinated path toward long-term recovery.
How It Began
A response to rising substance use disorder and mental health concerns — built by local nonprofits, agencies, and businesses who chose to work together instead of alone.
Intersectionality
Health, housing, employment, and recovery are interconnected. The Initiative is designed to address all of them in a comprehensive, coordinated way.
Wrap-Around Care
One coordinated path — treatment, recovery residences, peer support, and community resources — so no one has to navigate recovery on their own.
When you treat the individual, you treat the community. When people are healed holistically, families are reunited, employers gain stronger employees, communities gain leaders — and the trajectory of lives changes for generations.
Four connected programs, one ecosystem of care
Each program strengthens the others — a person can move from crisis, to stable housing, to peer support, to self-sufficiency without ever falling through the cracks.
Resiliency Residence
A 16-bed, peer-supported living environment offering trauma-informed, drug- and alcohol-free housing for those breaking free from substance use disorder, homelessness, and poverty.
Resiliency Center
A welcoming space for the whole community — connecting anyone in need to resources Monday through Friday, and hosting meetings, workshops, and classes.
Meet The Need
Provides essentials and everyday necessities to community members in need across Waupaca County and the surrounding rural central Wisconsin region.
The Bridge
A community resale store that offers tools, training, and support — helping people become healthy, self-sufficient members of the community.
Measuring recovery, not just sobriety
The Initiative uses the Recovery Capital Index (RCI) — a score from 1 to 100 that captures a person’s whole picture of wellbeing across physical, emotional, social, and cultural dimensions. Higher scores reflect greater resiliency capital.
We use the RCI to track progress over time, identify where someone needs more support, and tailor each person’s plan to their individual needs — so care adapts as recovery grows.
A Phase Structure
Housing is built on a phase model, with each stage earned through recovery-related tasks and personal progress — and each new phase unlocking new privileges and responsibility.
Peer Support at the Core
Residents practice the principles of sober, responsible living and complete a minimum of five hours of peer support every week.
A coordinated ecosystem of care
Central to the Initiative is a robust network of care — local nonprofits, government agencies, healthcare providers, and community leaders coming together to break down the silos that have historically limited support services.
Breaking Down Silos
By working together, partners develop integrated solutions that make recovery services more accessible and reduce barriers to care.
Resources Where They’re Needed
Shared data and coordination ensure resources reach the people and places where they will have the greatest impact.
A Culture Shift
Beyond services, the Initiative works to transform how the whole community sees recovery — reducing stigma and making it a shared, ongoing process.
Recovery is a path — we’ll walk it with you
Crisis Line
Area Served
Waupaca County and surrounding central rural Wisconsin
Crisis Line Hours
24 / 7 / 365