How 42 Addicts Got Sober in the Last 6 Months

One of the cornerstones of Greenhouse Project is addiction recovery and, because of generous donor support, it is provided free to recovering addicts in Chester. You have directly impacted the lives of 42 addicts (and counting…) who have gotten sober in the last 6 months! That alone has a major impact on our city as those men and women go on to repair broken family ties, engage in the workplace, return to education, and do better for their children. They thank you. We thank you.     

Because it’s always good to know what we’re supporting, here’s what addiction recovery is like at Greenhouse. How is our program different from others, and what actually happens when we walk someone through recovery?

HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT

The Greenhouse recovery model is all about the individual and their recovery process via relationship, coaching, accountability, and guidance towards their self-identified goals. While most people in our program are in therapy or outpatient treatment, have a sponsor, attend community based mutual aid meetings, or live in a sober living environment like Paramount Recovery House, we are not those things. Greenhouse is an added layer of active daily support in client’s lives.

We don’t meet with clients to enforce recovery house rules or other boundaries that may be placed on them. Our sole purpose is to establish a long-term support system for them with a foundation built on common ground, trust, and boundaries.

All of our services are free to clients and funded by donations.

THE POWER OF STORY IN THE PROCESS

Recovery clients initiate the process by reaching out to schedule meetings with us. This puts the responsibility on them, empowering them to advocate for their recovery. The first meeting with clients sets the trajectory for all the other meetings. They are primed to recover and know they need help. 

After intake and confidentiality forms, clients hear my story for the first time. My own story of addiction, homelessness, relapse, incarceration, and journey into sobriety has shocked every client in their first session. The power of my story builds trust, disarms prideful attitudes, and creates a safe space with a judgement-free zone. It tells them that I know and understand where they’ve been and where they are now in the throws of getting sober.

Clients then share their story at a pace that’s comfortable for them. It’s a heartfelt question-answer discovery time about childhood and family, life experiences, and painful choices that led them to use. We get to find out who a person really is. About 65% of our addiction recovery clients are men, and the other 35% women. While I exclusively work with male clients, our women’s segment is led by Alex Delgatto, a certified recovery specialist with her own redemption stories. 

Goal setting comes next as we explore strengths, dreams, future goals, and what it will take to get there. Most of these goals cannot be met without living a recovery lifestyle. As we engage a second session with clients, we have them bring in three big goals for their lives. These are broken down into an achievable “road map” on how to reach them. 

Guys, we journey with people in their pain. It is real, and it is raw. 

We can tell you the link between abuse and trauma–mental, physical, sexual, emotional–and substance abuse is profound. Experience has revealed patterns between trauma and addiction, and as we identify those patterns with clients during recovery sessions, we start to address the root issues behind substance abuse. It’s only after root issues are addressed that clients experience true sustainable healing.

These client-initiated recovery sessions continue as our team extends 100% commitment to their healing and success. As we’ve stated before, it’s a long-term, relational model that advocates the best interests of clients, even if they relapse.   

RECOVERY IS LIFE-CHANGING

Everyone knows Chester is a rough place to live. It’s a city known for drug use and crime, education fallout, and unemployment with a poverty rate of over 33%. Greenhouse is planted in Chester to help bring renewal–real, long-term change–one story at a time. 

If you’ve been part of an addiction story, will you consider helping our next client get help? Just $1 per day covers addiction counseling for 1 client for a month.