Current Recovery Programs
The Holistic Path to Recovery
This is a current schedule of weekly group-based activities focused around promoting overall health and well-being for adults living with serious mental health conditions who are served by the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health.
Please let us know if you’d like to try or sign up for a group before you attend. Not all groups listed below meet every week because they have specific start and end dates. Some groups also have a waitlist. If a group is currently full, we will let you know when a spot opens up.
For questions or to register, please contact Matt Ballard, Farm Program Manager, matthew_ballard@med.unc.edu, 919-966-0933 (office) OR 919-533-9397 (cell). You can also request UNC staff/clinician send a referral to Matthew Ballard through Epic In Basket.
MONDAYS
10:00am – 12:00pm Therapeutic Horticulture
12:30pm – 1:30pm Communal Lunch
1:30pm – 2:30pm Food & Mood
3:00pm – 4:00pm Emotional Resiliency Skills (H)
3:00pm – 5:00pm Community Volunteer Workday
TUESDAYS
10:30am – 12:00pm Brushes with Life (V)
1:00pm – 2:30pm Mindfulness & Self-Compassion (H)
2:30pm – 4:00pm Earth-Based & Body-Centered Practices
WEDNESDAYS
11:00am – 12:00pm Yoga & Breathing
12:00pm – 2:00pm Healthy Cooking & Lunch
2:00pm – 3:00pm Music Over Mind
THURSDAYS
11:00am – 12:30pm Equine Therapy (off-site)
11:00am – 12:00pm Yoga & Breathing*
12:00pm – 2:00pm Healthy Cooking & Lunch*
2:00pm – 3:00pm Music Over Mind*
3:00pm – 4:30pm “Dig In” Farm Crew
FRIDAYS
10:00am – 12:00pm Community Volunteer Workday
12:00pm – 1:00pm PAWS (March 3 thru March 31)
1:00pm – 2:30pm Brushes with Life
2:30pm – 4:00pm Creative Writing
(H) Hybrid | (V) Virtual
* A shuttle is available from Wake STEP’s Whitaker Mill office for 11am-3pm groups for March-April 2023
Most groups are located in-person at the UNC Farm at Penny Lane (263 Penny Lane, Pittsboro, NC 27312). A couple of groups also have a virtual or hybrid option. A shuttle is available from Carr Mill STEP but please reach out to schedule. The shuttle is a small blue bus that picks up at the outdoor pavilion in between CVS and Carr Mill Mall. The shuttle departs 30 minutes before the group starts and returns within 30 minutes after the group ends. When registering for groups, please note if you will need the shuttle and we will try to make it available.
Brushes with Life (In-person or Virtual)
This group provides visual and expressive arts activities where participants can select from a wide range of mediums to express their thoughts and feelings. All skill levels are encouraged.
Creative Writing
This group aims to deepen personal vocabularies of presence, observation, and joy to become both more comfortable and more intentional in the ways we communicate with ourselves and others in the process of recovery.
Community Volunteer Workday
We meet as a community to tend the farm. The focus is on garden projects with all community members invited.
Earth-based & Body-Centered Practices
This group offers a variety of bodily practices that focus on our many senses to the healing connections with the rest of the natural world. Practices include forest therapy, mandala art and grounding techniques.
Equine Therapy
Learn healthy connection and communication from horses, the ultimate teachers. They have a unique ability to physiologically reduce symptoms, foster honesty and increase overall resilience.
Emotional Resiliency Skills (In-person or Virtual)
This group provides a way to check in weekly with others and focuses on supporting each other through symptom management skills and recovery strategies. Time is also offered each week for brief group processing or problem-solving.
“Dig In” Farm Crew
This group focuses on learning seasonal gardening skills in a supportive environment and to give back by helping grow food for people impacted by mental illness. No green thumb is required, only an interest and regular commitment to learning basic gardening skills.
Food and Mood
This group explores how food can influence how we feel about ourselves and others. Topics include: healthy menus & budgeting strategies, body image and the brain-gut axis. A free farm lunch is offered before the class.
Healthy Cooking & Lunch
This group focuses on healthy and delicious cooking instruction on a limited budget with seasonal produce. We cook alongside each other and socialize with each other. All skill levels are encouraged.
Mindfulness & Self-Compassion (In-person or Virtual)
Learn and practice self-compassion techniques that are kind to yourself, help to ground yourself and recognize feelings, with the overall goal to decrease self judgment.
Music Over Mind
This group provides participants with the creative space to play an instrument, sing, and read poetry or prose to connect with yourself and each other. All skill levels are encouraged.
PAWS
This group promotes healing and well-being through human-dog interaction. We teach skills, habits and methods of communication that all species can carry with them. Participants don’t need to be dog-owners to participate.
Therapeutic Horticulture
This group provides weekly plant-based activities in and around the garden to help lower anxiety, boost your mood and encourage physical activity and regular outdoor time. Participants often go home with produce for the week. No green thumb is required!
Yoga & Breathing
This group focuses on using yoga to promote wellness and connect the mind and body. Sessions may include gentle stretching and twisting, breathing techniques and guided imagery. The instructor emphasizes listening to your body and feeling empowered.