Community, Connection, and Healing through Surfing

Social support networks

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Poor mental health and addiction go hand-in-hand. Since the onset of Covid-19, the rise in substance abuse is well-documented along with a decline in mental well-being for many adults. Need has never been greater to reach the estimated 1,482,000 LA County residents struggling with substance abuse (SAPC), of which only about 1% seek treatment (SAMHSA), making innovative methods like ours that appeal to different people vital. Contributing factors like isolation and disconnection only exacerbate these issues and for underserved populations, like low-income communities and ethnic minorities, equitable access to mental health care is extremely challenging. As someone who has been in recovery for ten years, Sophie intimately understands the importance of integrating community while seeking mental health help. Providing Angelenos a place to connect, move their bodies, get some sun, and obtain mental health support, is how we help the most vulnerable of us become stronger and more resilient.

Waves of Recovery (WoR) aims to provide Angelenos in recovery with a dynamic form of community, connection, and healing through learning to surf. Surf therapy is an out-of-the-box approach that utilizes a free natural resource and offers a way to connect with others while building and strengthening recovery skills. WoR will provide five 6-week surf group therapy programs where participants are led by trained and licensed therapists weekly at no cost. Participants learn evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy like mindfulness and somatic-based techniques like breathwork, as well as developing an overall sense of belonging and connectedness. Professional surf coaches provide individual surfing instruction so that participants gain proficiency in surfing skills, but more importantly, learn the correlation between their sense of empowerment, resilience in overcoming challenges, processing emotions healthily, and developing coping strategies both in and out of the water. WoR is especially unique because the ENTIRE STAFF is made up entirely of individuals who have lived experience with their own successful recovery journeys. With these and larger community efforts like their free summer Sunday community surf sessions, Waves of Recovery plans to establish trusted programming in major beach cities and marginalized communities across LA County while focusing on reaching those individuals who might otherwise not have access to surf therapy.

Ultimately, as a result of the work of Waves of Recovery therapy programs - Los Angeles County will experience a significant impact in successful, sustained recovery rates for thousands of recovering Angelenos. In the next year, we plan to hire additional surf coaches and one licensed therapist. This will increase enrollment by 50%, serving 120 participants over the one-year program period. Following that, we plan to add additional licensed therapists and surf coaches to scale our program and replicate it in other communities throughout LA County, reaching as many underserved and underrepresented communities as possible. Fostering this sense of belonging and connecting through shared experiences strengthens our communities as a whole. We acknowledge that the surfing community has historically not been known for diversity and inclusion, but we envision the surfing community of Greater Los Angeles being a safe space where all are welcome on their recovery journey.

In 2023, Waves of Recovery connected with over 2,000 people in recovery from mental health and addiction through surfing. We hosted three 8-week Summer Surf Therapy programs and 2 surf trips with 51 participants, 16 of them being scholarshipped to increase access. We partnered with 19 treatment centers and sober livings in LA and estimate that our impact with LA2050 would double if awarded. We’ve hosted weekly virtual recovery meetings with 50+ participants and hosted 30+ free community surf sessions with over 500 participants. 90% of our surf therapy program participants reported an increased sense of belonging and connectedness in their post-participation survey. 90% also reported that they feel equipped for a continued successful recovery as a result of taking part in the program. Between our staff of 10 and over a dozen dedicated volunteers we are well positioned to partner with LA2050 and continue building this unique community, making LA County the best place to connect.