Summer 2025

Summer 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to the Council Connection, your seasonal update on the people, programs, and partnerships that move our mission forward.

This summer, we’re celebrating the Texas Health and Human Services Commission expansion of our Recovery Now outpatient program, spotlighting community impact through Friends of the Council, introducing Gloria Sotelo—a compassionate Recovery Now counselor—and inviting you to join us for our inaugural Mahjong for Meaningful Change event. Whether you give, attend, or share our story, your support helps provide life-saving services to those who need them most.

Agency Updates

Recovery Now Expansion: State Funding Doubles Access to Outpatient Care

The Council’s Recovery Now program is entering its largest chapter yet. Thanks to a significant increase in funding from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Council will now be able to serve twice as many clients—up to 120 individuals at any given time, the highest capacity in agency history.

Recovery Now offers trauma-informed outpatient treatment for individuals with substance use and co-occurring disorders. Participants attend individualized counseling and group therapy for 12 to 24 weeks, all delivered virtually by licensed chemical dependency counselors. Services include clinical assessments, case management, psychoeducational groups, and referrals for continued care.

To support this expansion, the program will grow its clinical team and increase the number of group sessions available. With 100% of services offered online and with increased funding from the state, Recovery Now removes key barriers like transportation, childcare, and cost—ensuring that individuals with no insurance or income still have access to life-saving treatment.

This investment also builds on recent outreach success in Arlington, where new referrals from Arlington Community Court have led to increased enrollments and successful program graduations. As the need for recovery services continues to rise, this expansion ensures more North Texans receive the compassionate care they deserve—in a space free from stigma, shame, or judgment.

Community Engagement

Friends of the Council: Powering Care Through a Compassionate Giving Community

Every day in North Texas, lives are being shaped by forces beyond most people’s control: untreated mental illness, substance use, housing instability, and generational trauma. These aren’t distant issues—they’re the daily realities our clients face when they walk through our doors.

At Recovery Resource Council, we provide a path forward. Through no-cost, trauma-informed care, we serve more than 60,000 people each year across 20 counties—meeting urgent needs through counseling, recovery programs, case management, community outreach, housing assistance, and youth prevention services.

But the work doesn’t happen on its own. It’s powered by a community of supporters who choose to stand with us.

Friends of the Council is a community of monthly and annual supporters who believe in access to care, dignity, and healing. With a pledge of just $25 a month or $300 a year, you help ensure our programs remain strong, responsive, and available to neighbors who need them most.

Your gift can help provide:
• Meals for at-risk youth participating in our health and wellness camps.
• Recovery support services for clients navigating sobriety post treatment.
• Counseling sessions for teens struggling with mental health issues.
• Comprehensive case management for formerly unhoused clients.
• Psychotherapy for veterans and their family members.

When you become a Friend of the Council, you become part of every story of resilience and recovery—like Carl’s. After multiple overdoses, Carl connected with Dan, a Recovery Support Peer Specialist at the Council, who helped him enter treatment and rebuild his life. Today, Carl is employed, active in his church, and still in recovery.

“I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. If it wasn’t for Dan and Recovery Resource Council, my life wouldn’t be as good as it is now,” Carl said.

If you’re ready to be part of a compassionate, engaged community that creates lasting change, becoming a Friend of the Council is a powerful place to start. Click below to sign up online, download the enrollment form, or give us a call. However you give, your support will go straight to the frontlines of recovery—helping more North Texans heal, rebuild, and thrive.

Staff Spotlight

Meet Gloria Sotelo: From Recovery to Counselor, Leading by Example

After 14 years in recovery and a complete life transformation, Gloria Sotelo now serves as a leading counselor in the Council’s Recovery Now outpatient program. Every day, she offers her clients not just clinical expertise, but a lived understanding of what it means to survive, rebuild, and thrive.

Gloria’s path to counseling didn’t begin in a classroom—it began with her own experience of addiction. “I drank for thirty years,” she shares. “It started when I was twenty and my parents were getting divorced. I wanted relief from the depression. I knew it was a bad idea, but I tried it anyway, thinking I wouldn’t get hooked.” Just two months after she got sober, Gloria suffered two strokes—back-to-back, on both sides of her brain. She spent the next five years in a nursing home and then assisted living.

At age 54, she decided to start over. “I didn’t know if I had any brain cells left between drinking for 30 years and having two strokes,” she says. But she enrolled at Tarrant County College, earned her certificate in Chemical Dependency Counseling, and graduated summa cum laude. “It’s amazing what you can do with renewed hope and sobriety.”

Today, as a licensed chemical dependency counselor, Gloria leads group and individual sessions for Recovery Now clients using the evidence-based Seeking Safety curriculum. She helps individuals navigate treatment plans, learn safe coping skills, and reconnect with a sense of purpose—often working with court-referred clients from probation, Department of Family and Protective Services, and Veterans Treatment Court.

Seeing a person find hope again after surviving the setbacks of addiction is priceless,” she says. “Helping a client regain their power and light again—that’s what makes this job so rewarding.”

Gloria’s work is a reflection of the Council’s mission in action: compassionate, evidence-based care that meets people where they are. “My goal is to empower each client to begin their recovery journey with hope for a better future,” she says. “And I’m so blessed and grateful to be able to do what I love at my job here at Recovery Resource Council.”

Supporting Our Mission

Mahjong for Meaningful Change: Turning Play into Progress, One Tile at a Time

Mahjong for Meaningful Change Event on September 13, 2025, at Edison’s Dallas from 10:30am-1:30pm.

Join us for Recovery Resource Council’s inaugural Mahjong for Meaningful Change event—an exciting morning of tiles, tradition, and purposeful play to advance meaningful change across North Texas.

A centuries-old game, Mahjong is known for bringing people together to connect, compete, and build community. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, you’re sure to enjoy a fun and engaging experience for a meaningful cause.

Guests will enjoy a light lunch, exciting raffle prizes, and open Mahjong play, all in support of RRC’s life-saving wellness and recovery services. Together, we’re turning play into progress, one tile at a time—to provide hope, conquer addiction, and heal families.

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Time: 10:30am-1:30pm
Location: Edison’s Dallas – 1724 Cockrell Ave, Dallas, TX 75215

Reserve Tickets & Become a Sponsor!
Sponsors are a vital part of our RRC family, helping us provide care and hope to the veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, youth, and families we serve.

Individual tickets are $150 and sponsorships begin at $600. New to the game? A limited number of beginner spots are available—come learn, play, and be part of an impactful event.

Let’s create meaningful change in our community, one tile at a time.

Spring 2025

Spring 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to the Spring 2025 Edition of the Council Connection!

This issue highlights exciting updates from Recovery Resource Council, including the arrival of Bronson, our therapy dog in training, the impact of Birdies for Charity, a spotlight on Prevention Specialist Kim Hallom, and an invitation to join us at the upcoming Stars in Recovery Luncheon with former Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Quincy Carter. We hope you enjoy reading about the positive changes happening in our community!

Agency Updates:

Meet Our Newest (and Furriest) Team Member

The Council’s Enduring Families program has a new recruit, and he’s got four paws and a wagging tail! Bronson, our therapy dog in training, is already making an impact—when veterans and their families walk through the door, the first thing they ask is, “Where’s Bronson?” Hearing his name, he eagerly greets them, offering warmth and connection from the start.

With his “therapy dog in training” vest and official RRC badge, Bronson has completed his first round of training, and now his handler, our Director of Veterans Mental Health Services, is working toward her animal assisted therapy certification. Once fully trained, Bronson will play an essential role in the healing process for veterans and their families.

Our Enduring Families program provides free free individual, couples/marriage, and family psychotherapy for veterans and their family members, as well as child-centered play therapy for children ages 4 and older. Research shows that animal assisted therapy can lower stress, improve symptoms of PTSD, and foster emotional resilience—all crucial for mental health, recovery, and wellness. Even in training, Bronson is already bringing comfort, connection, and a little extra joy to those who have served.

Community Engagement:

Birdies for Charity & the Power of Giving Back

The Birdies for Charity program, hosted by Fort Worth Colonial Charities, is more than just a fundraiser—it’s a community-driven initiative that brings people together to support local nonprofits while celebrating one of Fort Worth’s biggest sporting events, the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Each year, golf fans, businesses, and organizations rally around Birdies for Charity, turning every birdie made on the course into an opportunity to uplift local causes. Since its launch, the program has raised millions for North Texas charities, demonstrating the power of collective generosity. Last year alone, it generated $20 million for local organizations, including Recovery Resource Council.

As a longtime beneficiary, the Council is honored to be part of this initiative, which strengthens our ability to serve veterans, unhoused, youth, and families on the path to wellness. Plus, thanks to Fort Worth Colonial Charities’ matching funds, every dollar raised goes even further in supporting community well-being.

Whether you’re a golf fan or just passionate about giving back, Birdies for Charity is a great way to engage with the tournament while making a lasting impact in North Texas. Learn more about the program and how it benefits nonprofits like Recovery Resource Council below.

Staff Spotlight:

Meet Kim Hallom

Meet Kim Hallom, an Advanced Certified Lead Prevention Specialist in the Council’s Youth Prevention program. With a background in early childhood education and over 28 years at Recovery Resource Council, Kim has dedicated her career to helping youth thrive.

She currently leads the Council’s Sunshine Club, a 10-week program designed for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Using evidence-based curricula, Kim helps children build essential life skills such as coping with difficult emotions, resisting negative peer pressure, setting goals, and making healthy choices. Many of the kids she serves face challenges at home, including family members struggling with substance use or incarceration.

Kim’s passion for working with children started early. “Growing up, I wished I had extra support to help mold and shape me into who I am today. It’s been an honor to be part of shaping the next generation.” That passion is reinforced by the impact she sees firsthand. “One student stopped me in the hallway and told me that because of the Sunshine Club, she no longer had suicidal thoughts. Moments like that remind me why I do this work.”

Kim’s work supports our mission by equipping youth with the skills and resilience to overcome adversity. Through her dedication, she is making a lasting impact on our community—one child at a time. We are grateful for her commitment to helping youth build brighter futures.

Supporting Our Mission:

Stars Welcomes Former Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Quincy Carter

Since its inception in 1989, Stars in Recovery has welcomed renowned celebrities and respected public figures who courageously share their journeys of overcoming alcohol, substance use, and mental health challenges. Their stories inspire hope, reduce stigma, and highlight the importance of access to critical recovery services.

This year, we are honored to welcome former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter for an engaging fireside chat about his journey to mental health and substance-free living. Join us for this exclusive conversation as Quincy shares his story of resilience and perseverance, and help support the Council’s vital programs that provide hope and healing to those in need.

Event: 37th Annual Clifton Morris & Jim Bradshaw Memorial Stars in Recovery Luncheon
Date:
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Location: River Ranch Stockyards – 500 NE 23rd St, Fort Worth, TX 76164

Sponsors play a vital role in our RRC family, enabling us to continue our mission of improving and saving lives. Table sponsorships begin at $1,500, and individual tickets are available for $250 in limited quantities. Each sponsorship level offers unique benefits, and we encourage you to secure your sponsorship by April 18, 2025, to receive full advantages.

Winter 2024

Welcome to the Council Connection! As the season blossoms, so does our excitement to share the latest happenings. Dive into our inaugural Spring issue to discover how we celebrate progress, growth, and the collective efforts that drive our mission forward.

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Fall 2024

Welcome to the Council Connection! As the season blossoms, so does our excitement to share the latest happenings. Dive into our inaugural Spring issue to discover how we celebrate progress, growth, and the collective efforts that drive our mission forward.

Continue reading

Summer 2024

Welcome to the Council Connection! As the season blossoms, so does our excitement to share the latest happenings. Dive into our inaugural Spring issue to discover how we celebrate progress, growth, and the collective efforts that drive our mission forward.

Continue reading

Spring 2024

Welcome to the Council Connection! As the season blossoms, so does our excitement to share the latest happenings. Dive into our inaugural Spring issue to discover how we celebrate progress, growth, and the collective efforts that drive our mission forward.

Continue reading