About the Red House Peer Recovery Support Center
Red House Peer Recovery Support Center
Our Peer Recovery Support Center, located at the Red House, serves as a safe place for those affected by and seeking help with their addiction, be it substance or behavioral. Peers with lived experience help to guide and support new members on their new journey in recovery. The PRSC and members of the recovery community work together to identify the needs of those affected by the grip of addiction.
We are not a treatment facility or a 12 step club house, we encourage multiple paths of recovery. We offer a monthly calendar of structured groups, workshops, trainings, services as well as recovery oriented social events. At the PRSC we are a home for those trying to figure out a new way of life.
Meet the Staff
Robert Cropper ▸ Director of Recovery Management Services
Robert Cropper has been in recovery for 33 years with 15 years of continuous sobriety. As a trained Pastry Chef he owned a cafe in Vineyard Haven and managed high end retail jobs before training to be a Life Coach. He began his Recovery Coach career in 2017; as Recovery Coach Supervisor in 2018 and as Director of Recovery Management Services in 2021. He believes that, truly, the opposite of addiction is connection. He firmly believes that there are many paths to recovery and if we do something everyday for our recovery we will be a success.
Christine Thompson-Colbert ▸ Director
Christine is the Director of the Red House and has been a person in long-term recovery since 2016. As a year-round resident of the Vineyard since 2017 Christine has been very active in the recovery community and worked as a Recovery Coach for MVCS since 2020. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Vineyard House and a volunteer for Harbor Homes seasonal shelter. Prior to working in recovery, Christine had a 20+ year career in the investment industry but helping people struggling with substance use disorder is where her true passion lies. She has also proudly served as the CEO of the Colbert family raising her now adult twins and senior labrador retriever.
David Ferguson ▸ Program Coordinator
David is the Program Coordinator at the Red House. He’s been dry since 2004 and sometimes feels like he’s just scratching the surface of recovery. He plans to become a Recovery Coach by 2023. He’s a former PR man, entertainment coordinator, farmer and landscaper; he’s a current illustrator, satirist, cartoonist and father to a toddler – by far his favorite work.
Shivi Datta ▸ Community Engagement Coordinator
Shivi Datta is the Community Engagement Coordinator and Recovery Coach. She has been a Martha's Vineyard local for 30 years, having been raised there. Shivi is a trained chef and has worked at several restaurants on the island; she has also hosted her own "Indian nights."
She is thrilled to be a part of the care team where she can promote care for the members of her local community. She emphasizes respect and empowerment, offering peer support, personal assistance and education on community resources for individuals dealing with substance use disorders.
John Tau ▸ Volunteer Coordinator
John has lived on the island for 15 years and has been in the food and beverage industry for the last 25 years and a person in recovery since 2021. He started his sobriety journey as a Red House client and is now the newest staff member.