Association of Alternative Peer Groups
Bringing Hope to Recovery, One Group at a Time
The Association of Alternative Peer Groups (AAPG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals and families overcome addiction and substance use disorder through effective Alternative Peer Groups (APGs) across the United States. By involving families and community members, APGs create a network of support and resources that extend beyond the individual into the long-term, offering a more robust and cohesive approach to recovery.
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APG Media
Surrounded by Sobriety: Inside the Alternative Peer Group Model
Hear first hand from Alternative Peer Group leaders, researchers, and veterans how the Alternative Peer Group model of recovery works for helping to support teens struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. The speakers explain why the model is effective, how it helps teens and families, and share success stories of teens overcoming addiction through participating in alternative peer groups.
Generation Found – Trailer
Testimonials
Parent Voices
“I kind of found some serenity through working my own steps. And I recognized my codependency, my codependency behaviors… That I didn’t see before.”
“[My child] was definitely not ready when she came in. And I think she realized we were serious—there was no getting out of it. So she needed to apply herself towards that. We were attending all the meetings and she knew that I was taking my lunch break at work to go pick her up bring her [to the APG]. So I think there was the external pressure. And then once she got in with the group… I think that’s what helped her.”
“It seems to me that the kids where the families are really struggling or they don’t show up… the biggest part is to show up. But their parents aren’t showing up and they don’t have the support and it doesn’t carry through or it’s not consistent —those kids have the hardest time.”
Recoveree Voices
“Showing me that much love not even knowing my name… the staff they’re great. They love us every single one of us to bits… the fellowship helps me get my mind off of all the demons and BS in my head.”
“And then like I have the opportunity to sponsor kids… And it really like helps me a lot to be able to help other people that are struggling also like it’s just a sense of like service that I have…That I really enjoy… And that helps my recovery.”
“I’ve really gotten what I needed out of [the APG]. Not only have I gotten recovery, I’ve also like gotten real-life skills. I know how to get a job. I know how to like have a relationship with people.”
“So like it’s really hard for like kids my age to like get sober and no one else is sober or even tried to get sober. So it’s really nice to have that aspect of like relatability and also the accountability that you get…But not just by the staff but like peer accountability.”
“This is awesome like ‘I get to have a lot of fun.’ Like ‘I’m doing the right things.’ Everyone was just healthy whenever I came back and we were all working on ourselves each giving feedback, a really close community.”
APG Leader Voices
“So, they’re going to be exposed to real world problems, right? I can stay sober in a treatment center pretty damn easy, you know, because there’s no one around. Here, you know, I’m going to be faced with that. And I can come in here and talk about these exposures to, you know, triggers, urges, cravings, right? So, we’re not so sheltered in the sense that, it’s going to be around. You know? You can come in here and try to figure out how to avoid that, talk about it, and what do I think or feel about it.”
“Having a family atmosphere within the group, where they all kind of depend on each other and they look to each other for something. If a new kid comes twice, and the next time he doesn’t make the next event, kids will ask where he is, because there is so much going on at home. They just accept that this is my family. I’ve had a kid here recently telling me that, “I love hanging out with my homeboys and I love doing all that.” But he actually said that the group felt more like his family. He does the things that he does with them (homeboys), but he says he has the most fun and he builds more love when he’s in our group.”
“I mean, really, kids get a chance to hear from other kids, parents hear from other parents what works and what doesn’t work. And it’s in the context of having fun. You know, it really creates a culture that’s the village that needs to be available for a kid to survive and for a family to be able to enjoy each other and quit fighting. So, to me, it is really all about the peer accountability.”
“And then they also say almost every meeting, almost every parent meeting that I’m in, they say, “I came for my kid, I decided to stay for myself.” And I think that’s that moment that you’re talking about being in recovery.”