Individuals leaving a correctional facility after being incarcerated as a result of substance abuse or checking out of a detox center are fundamentally doomed to failure if they immediately return to their former lifestyle. Statistically, without the support of a sober transitional living facility, the relapse rate is 90 percent.
However, after just three months of living in a recovery environment that rate drops down to 50 percent and after one year to about 30 percent.
Until last year, finding an affordable sober house locally had been all but impossible for single women with children, but they are now being offered a second chance through the Substance Awareness Center of Indian River County’s Woman’s Recovery Support Program. Women are primarily referred through the judicial and correctional re-entry programs; ideally having gone through a recovery program.
Supporters of the Substance Awareness Center were given an update on the progress of the program at a reception at the lovely riverfront home of Betty and Ted von Zielinski last Thursday evening.
“We now have two homes gifted through community donations,” said Robin Dapp, SAC Executive Director. “We literally take a person’s life and give them better odds.”
There are currently eight women in various stages of treatment in the two homes, which were funded by grants from the Walter and Lalita Janke Charitable Foundation and the Indian River Community Foundation. The homes have adjoining back yards and share a Recovery Support Program manager, who lives on site and provides 24-hour assistance.
“Everyone in here is in counseling and they’re required to either work or volunteer. Each person has a treatment plan for the three to six months they’re in the house,” said Carrie Lester, SAC Clinical Director. “Substance use disorders affect one in three people, directly or indirectly.”
“I think it’s a wonderful way for these women who want to be healthy and want to take their lives back,” said event hostess Betty von Zielinski, who joined the SAC board after attending a similar event last year. “This is an endeavor that is so very close to our hearts; so many people are touched in some way by addiction.”
The Substance Awareness Center has two main initiatives – Prevention Works, which seeks to combat substance abuse through programs such as the Life Skills Training curriculum taught at the middle school level; and Recovery Works, which offers counseling and transitional housing to adults.
“People can and do recover from substance abuse,” said Lester.
“Women want to be back in the workforce, clean and sober, so they can have their children back. I wanted to give them that opportunity,” said Lalita Janke, SAC board president, noting that five women have been reunited with their children in the past year.
“I’m an advocate for women. I saw that in Vero, single mothers who had gone off track had nowhere to go. We make it very affordable to them so they don’t go back to nefarious situations just to pay the rent. What motivates women the most is to have their children back. It’s so important because otherwise only the rich have choices.”
While the residents do contribute to their care, they are charged just $200 per month, considerably less than the next closest halfway house at about $4,000 per month. To subsidize the $50,000 per year cost to run the program, the SAC relies completely on grants and private donations.
Dapp noted that to date, 22 women have gone through the treatment program and 18 of the women who left are now employed.
“There is nothing more beautiful than having a woman say, ‘I’m living a life with my children again,’” added Dapp.
