Welcome to The Northeast Recovery Learning Community (NERLC)

What is Peer Support?

Peer support is the “process of giving and receiving encouragement and assistance to achieve long-term recovery.”

Peer supporters “offer emotional support, share knowledge, teach skills, provide practical assistance, and connect people with resources, opportunities, communities of support, and other people.”

           (Mead, 2003; Solomon, 2004)

The NERLC provides welcoming, safe, understanding, judgment-free spaces where individuals of diverse backgrounds can gather for healing and growth.

We are a community of peers in recovery from mental health challenges, addiction, and/or traumatic life experiences.

Peer Specialists & Recovery Coaches

NERLC’S Peer Specialists and Recovery Coaches are state certified and use their own lived experience with mental health, addiction and trauma recovery to provide support focused on advocacy, education, mentoring, and motivation. NERLC actively promotes recovery in a variety of ways and works to connect our members to the communities in which they live.

nilp collage
nilp service and support
northeast recovery learning community

All The Northeast Recovery Learning Community (NERLC) activities are conducted with support from the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Mental Health
—Recovery Learning Community.

mental health logo

WEEKLY NERLC GROUPS

ALL Groups are FREE. No Registration required.
MAY-JUNE 2023
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
10am-11am
Good Morning Group with Laurie
(Virtual Zoom)

Join us every weekday morning (expect for national holiday) to start the day with your peers in recovery.
Contact: Laurie Beserdetsky

10am-11am
Good Morning Group with Gisell
(Virtual Zoom)

Join us every weekday morning (expect for national holidays) to start the day with your peers in recovery.
Contact: Gisell Suazo

10am-11am
Good Morning Group with Gisell
(Virtual Zoom)

Join us every weekday morning (expect for national holidays) to start the day with your peers in recovery.
Contact: Gisell Suazo

10am-11am
Good Morning Group with Lisa
(Virtual Zoom)

Join us every weekday morning (expect for national holidays) to start the day with your peers in recovery.
Contact: Lisa Rivard

10am-11am
Good Morning Group with Tracy
(Virtual Zoom)

Join us every weekday morning (expect for national holidays) to start the day with your peers in recovery.
Contact: Tracy Woods

10am-11am
Welcome to the chat hour
(Lawrence Senior Center)
11am-12pm
Self-Care Together
(Virtual Zoom)
11am-12pm
Ted Talks with Jen
(In person NILP Lynn)

Join us every weekday morning (expect for national holiday) to start the day with your peers in recovery.
Contact:

10am-11am
8 Dimensions of Wellness Group with Jen
(In person Lynn Senior Center)
10am-11am
Healthy Habits with Gisell
(In person Lawrence Public Library)

Come join Gisell and start the New Year with Healthy Habits. She will be facilitating conversations about wellness. Look for her in the Trustees Room at the Lawrence Public Library.
Contact: Gisell Suazo

10am-11am
Bienvenidos a la hora de charla
(Lawrence Senior Center)
2pm-3pm
Peer Support Group with Matt
(Virtual Zoom)

Contact: Matt Aronstein

11am -12pm
Young Adult Peer Support with Kristin
(Virtual Zoom)
10am-11am
Walking Group
(In person Lowell Heritage Park)
11am-12pm
Habitos Saludables con Gisell Spanish Group
(In person Lawrence Public Library)

Ven y únete a Giselle y comienza el nuevo año con Hábitos Saludables. Ella facilitará connversaciones sobre el bienestar. Búsquela en l Trustees Room de la Biblioteca Pública de Lawrence. TODOS BIENVENIDOS VIERNES
Contact: Gisell Suazo

11am-12pm
Men's Group with Matt
(Virtual Zoom)
2pm-3pm
Peer Support Group with Matt
(Virtual Zoom)

Contact: Matt Aronstein

11am-11:30am
Awareness Meditation
(In person Lowell Heritage Park)
11am-12pm
Midday Peer Meeting with Dave
(Virtual Zoom)

Contact: Dave Carignan

2pm-3pm
A Group for Peer Video Gamers
(Virtual Zoom)

Join Matt and others in discussions about how video games can help peers in recovery.
Contact: Matt Aronstein

11am-12pm
Building Skills with a Cup of Jo
(In person NILP Lynn)

Do you love to talk while enjoying a relaxing cup of coffee? The perfect cup of coffee can help shape your day. Come join us as we combine our love for self-care tips and coping skills, while enjoying your favorite cup of jo. Coffee not your thing, we will have tea or water. See you then.
Contact: Lisa Rivard

12pm-1pm
Older Adult Peer Support Group with Tracy
(Virtual Zoom)

Contact: Tracy Woods

11am-12pm
The Artist’s Way Book Club with Tracy
(In person Acton Senior Center)

Contact: Tracy Woods

2pm-3pm
LGBTQIA+ Group with Kristin
(Virtual Zoom )
12pm-1pm
Journaling Group with Lisa
(In person NILP Lynn)

A group for peers to meet and write about life experiences. Come join us in a safe and quiet place to write your gratitude, thoughts, feelings, dreams etc.
Contact: Lisa Rivard

DIRECTOR:

Gabe Fonseca

at the rate icongfonseca@nilp

telephone icon978-245-8452

OPERATION MANAGER:

Rachely Ramos

at the rate iconrramos@nilp.org

telephone icon978-245-8429

MANAGER OF OLDER ADULTS PEER SERVICES:

Mandy Orfanos

at the rate iconaorfanos@nilp.org

telephone icon978-245-8456

Service Areas

We serve 69 cities and towns throughout the northeast region. If you have questions about this program, do not hesitate to ask our staff about which Recovery Learning Community is appropriate for your location.

nilp map

Visit Us

office locations

Make an appointment to visit one of our HUB office locations.

20 Ballard Road Lawrence, MA 01843 978-687-4288 ext. 131

1 Market Street, Suite 203, Lynn, MA 01902 978-687-4288 ext. 203

Voices of NERLC

“I feel relief from anxiety, sadness and overwhelming situations after every group.”