Facebook Instagram Tiktok
Become a Member

About Us

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries 

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries 

23.5k+
Volunteers Engaged
23.5k+

Volunteers Engaged

2014

Early Years (Developing a purpose)

Founded in 2014 as a non-profit charity focused on helping sober living programs gain Florida Association of Recovery Residences (FARR) accreditation, Recovery Epicenter gained it’s 501-c3 in December of 2015 under the leadership of our first volunteer Executive Director Jessica Leigh Scott.
Carlos Morgan, Edward Jones, William Atkinson, and Rachel Strausbaugh meeting at Starbucks with a recoveree discovering how the newly formed non-profit can support persons in early recovery through the personal experience of our first participant.

Founders from Left to Right: William Atkinson, person in long term recovery since 2006 – Edward Jones, person in long term recovery since 2010 – Carlos Morgan, person in long term recovery since 2009

2015

Jessica Leigh Scott is a person in long term recovery since December of 2011 who has dedicated herself to helping others throughout her career and her leadership gained RE our 501-c3 status and sparked our becoming the second ARCO member in the State of Florida.

2015

Recovery Epicenter’s board members! 1/31/15 Can’t say enough good things about this group of dedicated recovery community advocates. With their guidance, we’re going to improve the landscape for recovery in Tampa Bay.
logoipsum-221-1.png
logoipsum-253-1.png
logoipsum-311-1.png
logoipsum-317-1.png
logoipsum-323-1-1.png

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries 

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries 

23.5k+
Volunteers Engaged
23.5k+

Volunteers Engaged

REC-1280X1280-about-1
REC-1280X1280-about-2
REC-1280X1280-about-3
REC-1280X1280-about-4
2016

Becoming an RCO

By the summer of 2016, the laws in Florida had begun to change, requiring sober living programs to achieve FARR accreditation if they wanted to receive referrals from DCF licensed treatment programs. Considering our original mission complete, in large part due to the sober home task force and FARR accredited programs throughout the state of Florida, Recovery Epicenter needed a new mission.
Recovery Epicenter found it’s new mission through it’s now long-term Executive Director William Atkinson. Through helping raise standards at sober living homes throughout the Tampa Bay area we had developed resources and support for persons seeking to overcome obstacles to their early recovery. Those resources began to form the backbone of our Recovery Community Foundation, which we added to our name in 2016. Program Director Rochae Zwicharowski stepped up to lead the day to day.

Recovery Epicenter Foundation the second Recovery Community Organization in the state of Florida came to be in the commercial space between FARR accredited sober living at 559 49th St S in Saint Petersburg Florida. From that building we provided access to multiple pathways to recovery, recovery summits, hosted a fed-up rally, as well as a host of recovery activities for our community.

2018

Through The Present

In late 2017, shortly after our Fed-Up Rally, we were asked to vacate 559 49th St S due to not having a fire suppression system within our commercial space adjacent to FARR accredited sober living. We had to pair down the services we offered to our community and refocused on Narcan distribution, education, and providing discounted bus passes to persons in early recovery. Rochae Z moved on to work in the substance abuse treatment field and Rachel Starostin came on to replace her.

2019

We began providing services in Pasco as well.

core sector

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud

Houses built

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit.

Schools built

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit.

Milions Donations

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit.

expert team

Meet Our Volunteer

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

William Atkinson

Executive Director – Recovery Epicenter Foundation

Will is a person in long-term recovery who hasn’t found it necessary to pick up a drink or a drug since February of 2006. Serving in the substance use disorder field since 2008, Will opened the first FARR accredited sober living program on the West Coast of Florida after gaining a bachelor’s degree in human services from Springfield College in 2012. In 2014 he co-founded the Recovery Epicenter Foundation (REF), a 501-c3 non-profit which would become the second ARCO recognized Recovery Community Organization (RCO) in the state of Florida by 2017. In 2021, Recovery Epicenter Foundation became the first RCO in the Suncoast region to receive SOR funding through our managing entity Central Florida Behavioral Health Network. Thanks to funding from CFBHN, REF has distributed over 5,000 doses of Narcan, connected with the personal recovery journeys of over 2,000 people, created and hosted numerous community connection events such as the Recovery Round Tables throughout Tampa Bay, and spearheaded the Saint Petersburg College Collegiate Recovery Program with on site peer support. In 2023, through a generous grant from BayCare Hospital, REF opened the first peer support respite center in the Suncoast Region named the Catchers Mitt.

Since opening in 2023, the Peer Respite Program has provided a safe landing for over 1,200 people with a substance use disorder who otherwise would have fallen through the gaps in the continuum of care. Starting with the Pinellas Catchers Mitt in 2023, and expanding into the Pasco Outfield in 2025 , the peer respite recovery home model is saving lives.

       A tireless advocate for the benefits of peer support services, William Atkinson is the Executive Director of Recovery Epicenter Foundation, in his role he has ushered in new services for our organization and the larger communities throughout the Tampa Bay region that we serve. Will is a Certified Recovery Support Specialist, Certified Recovery Residence Administrator, CCAR Recovery Coach trainee, as well as a long term board member of the Florida Association of Recovery Residences, a board member for Fellowship RCO in Broward County, and a board member for St. Petersburg College’s Human Services Department.