Posted by Board of Supervisors and Public Relations
The Board of Supervisors has proclaimed September 2026 as Recovery Month in Pottawattamie County, recognizing individuals on their recovery journeys and the community support that helps make recovery possible.
Representatives from Full Circle Recovery joined the Board during its September 1 meeting as supervisors approved the proclamation. Executive Director Cindy West, Director of Programs Tracy Gryp and Council Bluffs Center Manager Lora Lemus attended on behalf of the organization.
For West, who shared that she is also a person in long-term recovery, the recognition carries both professional and personal meaning.
“Recovery is real. Recovery is possible and recovery changes lives,” West told the Board.
People are also reading…
Recovery Month is observed nationally each September to celebrate people in recovery, promote the message that recovery is possible and reduce the stigma that can make it more difficult for individuals and families to seek support. The county's proclamation also recognizes that recovery is highly personal, can occur through many different pathways and is supported by peers, families, friends, treatment and community resources.
Recovery support in Pottawattamie County is reaching thousands of people locally through Full Circle Recovery's Council Bluffs Recovery Community Center.
From January 1 through July 30, 2026, the center recorded 7,357 engagements with people in recovery and recovery allies. During that same period, Full Circle provided 3,047 recovery coaching sessions and welcomed 1,558 unique visitors who made a combined 4,598 visits to the center. Its in-house groups recorded 3,552 attendees, while staff participated in 454 community trainings, groups and outreach events and made 738 referrals to community partners.
Full Circle's services are nonclinical, low-barrier and free. West emphasized that recovery involves much more than stopping the use of drugs or alcohol.
“It's about rebuilding lives, connecting with families, finding purpose, giving back, and becoming part of a community again,” West said. “People don't recover alone. Recovery happens in community.”
Lemus highlighted efforts to expand that sense of community beyond Council Bluffs through Full Circle's peer-driven services program, which is focused in part on addressing gaps in recovery support in rural communities.
The program is designed to bring peer support and recovery resources closer to where people live. Full Circle is also working with community partners to create additional opportunities for people to connect with others who understand the recovery journey.
Recovery Month will also include Full Circle Recovery's fourth annual Pathways Walk 2 Recovery on Saturday, September 19, representing the different pathways people take in recovery and serves as a reminder that support is available.
Participants will gather at 7:30 a.m. at The Salvation Army, 715 N. 16th St. in Council Bluffs, before beginning the walk at 7:45 a.m. The route travels along Avenue G to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and back to Full Circle Recovery. The event is presented in partnership with The Salvation Army and Full Circle Recovery.
“There is hope, there is support and there are people who are willing to walk alongside you,” she said.
Throughout the month, Full Circle will also continue offering recovery meetings, peer support and other programming through its Council Bluffs center at 300 W. Broadway, Suite 108.
The Board's proclamation encourages Pottawattamie County residents to recognize the strength of those in recovery and help build a community where recovery is supported and celebrated.
