Lori Martin, LSW is a Project Coordinator/Case Manager at Crossroads. She recently sat down with Amber to talk about treatment at Crossroads in the Pregnant and Postpartum Residential Grant Program and how it has changed her life. The following is Amber’s story of recovery, as told by Lori.
Amber heard about Crossroads from her mother. Her mother felt it would be a good place for her to go to work on her sobriety and become a healthy parent. Amber came to Crossroads with her 4-month-old daughter and successfully completed the 60-day Pregnant and Postpartum Residential Grant Program (PPRG) funded through Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA).
Amber struggled when she first came into the program. Living with 14 other females, following program rules and being newly sober was overwhelming. Thinking back, a memory that made a huge impact on her while in treatment was meeting with the Program Director and her clinician to do a Behavior Contract.
“That is when everything changed for me, this was real. That is when I realized that I needed to take this seriously or I could lose my child. Once I started participating [in treatment] I really enjoyed being here and the whole thing was a great experience.”
Case Management services are now offered to pregnant and postpartum females as part of the SAMHSA grant. Amber was able to benefit from these services. “One of the most surprising things to me was that things really did happen. [Through case management services] I was able to work on reunification with my daughter, secure housing and worked on parenting skills. The best thing that happened from receiving treatment was that my case with DHHS was dropped and now I’m with my daughter and I’m a sober mom.”
Another component offered under the grant are enhanced Family Engagement services. Her partner, David, was able to attend the family day visits and benefitted from case management resources related to parenting and affected other groups. David “didn’t mind attending the group for family members. I thought it was educational.” Currently, Crossroads offers Family Engagement Services including family education day, family counseling, case management support and parenting programs for eligible fathers or father figures.
At the end of her residential stay, Amber was invited to a Crossroads board meeting where she shared her story with the Board of Directors. “It felt really good to share this as it gave me a chance to see all that I’ve accomplished while being here at Crossroads.” When asked if she would recommend Crossroads she replied “I would definitely recommend Crossroads to a friend thinking about seeking treatment. I thought the staff was really good and would do anything to help you.”
Today, Amber is living in her own apartment with her 11 month old daughter and boyfriend. Her daughter is starting to walk, and she’s happy, healthy and thriving in her new home. Amber is returning to Adult Education to complete her GED. She and David are working on building a healthy family relationship. Amber attends weekly AA Meetings and has reached her six-month sobriety milestone.
