Rising Stars: Meet Emily Jung of ARCHway

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Jung.

Hi Emily, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I will gladly walk you through ARCHway Institute’s Story.

ARCHway Institute was founded in 2012 by two families: The Stuckeys and the Menzies. Together, they wanted to help the thousands of individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders. John Stuckey is a person in long-term recovery from opioid use disorder. He and his family struggled for many years due to this disorder, and they didn’t know where to go or whom to reach out to for help. They felt alone, and they eventually lost hope that things would get better.

The Stuckey family did find the hope they needed to keep going though, and they found it at Assisted Recovery Centers of America (ARCA) in St. Louis. John would receive the proper medications along with cognitive behavioral therapy, recovery housing, and peer support. All were needed to help him recover. His family received support through ARCA as well. The Menzies were the owners and operators of ARCA. They saw many families just like the Stuckeys, and they, too, saw a need to do more. From there, ARCHway was born in order to eliminate barriers to long-term recovery and increase access to treatment and recovery resources through financial assistance, education, and peer support.

ARCHway currently operates in four states (Missouri, Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina), but the organization has held educational events in seven states and receives requests for assistance from across the country. ARCHway provides between 50 and 60,000 dollars in grants each year towards treatment, recovery housing, recovery community organizations, and prevention efforts.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Many non-profits do not survive five years, and ARCHway is gratefully moving into its 10 year anniversary in 2022. The road hasn’t been smooth – there was loss before there was gain, but ARCHway has always had a passionate and knowledgeable board of directors and volunteer base in order to help the organization grow. In the beginning, there was no paid staff.

Those involved worked free of charge because they believed wholeheartedly in the mission. The Stuckey family really drove the energy and enthusiasm behind the mission as well.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
ARCHway is a community of hope for those impacted by substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. ARCHway helps to educate the community on the realities of these disorders in order to increase awareness, diminish stigma, and ultimately, help people heal. ARCHway also educates individuals and families on the different treatment and recovery resources that are available in their community.

We do this through our Advocates for HOPE Program, which involves people thriving in recovery and caregivers who have been impacted by their loved one’s substance use, who can offer peer-to-peer support and guidance around the available resources. In addition, ARCHway awards 50 to 60,000 dollars in grants each year to recovery-oriented systems of care (i.e. treatment providers, recovery housing providers, recovery community organizations, and prevention efforts). All grants help to increase access to treatment and recovery resources for those in financial need.

I believe one thing that sets us apart is that ARCHway was built on a story of hope. John and his family did recover. They are proof that recovery is possible, that substance use disorders do not always have to lead to loss of life. They are proud to share their story of recovery in hopes that it helps someone else’s family recover as well.

Another thing that sets us apart is that ARCHway is very focused on peer support — those with lived experience working as part of treatment teams to help provide care and support to those on their journey to recovery. We have recently partnered with the National Peer Recovery Alliance to support the development and sustainability of the peer movement.

We provide peer support through our Advocates for HOPE Program as explained above. The majority of those involved in the organization are either in recovery themselves or have had loved ones struggle with these disorders.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I think people would be surprised to know that we receive requests from people all over the country who are currently struggling and in need of support and/or financial assistance.

ARCHway also recently published a book called “Igniting Hope: The Story of a Community Lighting the Way to Recovery”. This book was written by ARCHway’s current CEO, Emily Jung, and it is available on Amazon today at https://www.amazon.com/Igniting-Hope-Community-Lighting-Recovery/dp/B08WJTQKH9/.

Pricing:

• Donations are always welcome at https://thearchwayinstitute.org/get-involved/make-a-donation/
• We have our HOPE Fund, which is our primary vehicle for providing grants to support long-term recovery. More information can be found at https://thearchwayinstitute.org/hope-fund-about/.

Contact Info:

• Email: emily.jung@thearchwayinstitute.org
• Website: https://thearchwayinstitute.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thearchwayinstitute/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thearchwayinstitute
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARCHway_Inst
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWExdtPZDRb2XucgxfojZaQ
• Other: https://vimeo.com/archwayinstitute