Portsmouth Method

"They have a proven track record and work alongside their success stories everyday. Their work and community is inspirational and life-changing. If you have been touched by the opioid crisis, and want to learn how to help, come to Southern Ohio and learn the Portsmouth Method." - Dr. Tom McCoy

The Portsmouth Method is an ongoing community revitalization project combining fitness, behavioral health, and economic development for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). The project has been featured in media outlets such as the Rolling Stone, NBC, Fox News, and the award winning documentary Small Town Strong.

Our goal is to combat the opioid epidemic by training behavioral health professionals, fitness trainers, government officials, and other interested parties how to create and implement a sustainable relationship based fitness/wellness program into a behavioral health organization.

The effectiveness of the program has been backed by published research in the study "Enhancing Long-Term Recovery from Substance Use Disorder: The Impact of an Exercise Program on Recovery Capital and Overall Well-being".

The key findings from this study revealed; "participants in the exercise program exhibited positive trends in their wellbeing, including reduced feelings of hopelessness and depression, as well as enhanced energy levels and challenges associated with fulfilling and meaningful lives without substance abuse. Notably, the program's stress-inducing nature seemed to positively impact RC, potentially due to the satisfaction derived from mastering challenging tasks."

BACKGROUND:

Since 2018 PSKC CrossFit has partnered with a non-profit behavioral health agency, The Counseling Center to offer CrossFit classes to their clients. Currently PSKC CrossFit conducts 25 classes/week at two Health & Wellness Centers (HAWC) owned by TCC. To date, we have had over 32,000 (and counting) individual sessions through our classes. The program offers a total of 4+ client and staff classes at two separate facilities, a total of 5 people that have earned their CrossFit Level 1 trainer certificate, 3 separate entities that employ up to 12 people, annual fundraisers and community competitions, and multiple national and media articles.

In 2023, the program expanded to providing fitness classes inside correctional facilities to further aid in the rehabilitation of those who are incarcerated.

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"What an incredible day! Incredibly helpful, it far exceeded expectations. This program is the perfect solution for localities dealing with the opioid epidemic."

-Chris McKlarney, Giles County Administrator

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SEMINARS:

We offer training/instructional seminars to the public at our Portsmouth, Ohio facility multiple times a year. We also are available for private seminars at your location by request. During the seminars we cover the following areas:

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PROGRAM GOALS:

1. Our goal is for each participant to experience and participate in a Portsmouth Method CrossFit class. By working out alongside people in recovery in order to foster better conversations and communication. 
2. Gain an understanding of the basics of behavioral health treatment for people with substance use disorder (SUD). 
3. Gain of an understanding of SUD, how and why people become addicted, and what to expect when working with people with SUD
4. Understand the Portsmouth Method philosophy of combining CrossFit and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Explore psychological coaching tools, programming/equipment considerations, and lesson plans that are unique to a Portsmouth Method class. 
5. Review strategies for developing a partnership/relationship with a local Behavioral Health Center (BHC) and a path forward on how to stand up a program. 
6. Understand the business mechanisms (pricing, contracts, proposals, terms/conditions) involved in developing the business partnership. 
7. Evaluate possibilities of long term employment for clients utilizing your gym as a hub of economic development.

COST: For seminars based in Portsmouth the cost is $1000/participant.

To inquire about scheduling speaking engagements, consultations, or Private Seminars - email here