Beacon of the 2nd — Healing Transitions
A stone’s throw from Dorothea Dix Park in downtown Raleigh is the men’s campus of Healing Transitions, an organization committed to providing help and services to all people struggling with addiction (especially the homeless, uninsured, and underserved) as many times as it takes — to find recovery.
A few days ago I had the opportunity to tour the facility. I was greeted by Justin Garrity, a sharply dressed, physically fit young man in his early 30s. He greeted me with a smile and confidence and pride, eager to share with me the story of Healing Transitions. He began with a quick summary — they believe everyone is entitled to food, shelter, and clothing, regardless of their ability to change other areas of their lives. And they are committed to never turning anyone away who is seeking help. People can stay overnight at the emergency shelter section even if they are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. And they can walk right back out the next day. After all, Justin said, recovery is a choice, and a courageous act, and places of recovery like Healing Transitions should be a welcoming place.
Then he spoke about how recovery does happen. People battling substance misuse and addiction are not just lost souls who have made poor decisions. They have an illness that is stigmatized, but which, perhaps because of the opioid crisis, the world is slowly coming to understand. Treatment, not judgment, is essential to recovery. Moreover, success lies in community, and Healing Transitions is a place where a supportive community of peers is built.
I asked what Justin meant by “a community of peers,” and he said, “staff only help these folks in the program. It’s their peers who decide — through community discussion — the steps for each individual as he or she navigates progress in the program.” And then he walked me through the facility and showed me the path to recovery.
The path often begins in the non-medical detox center, a small, controlled area. It’s a place where anyone can just walk in, 24 hours a day, and find an alternative to an emergency room, a jail, or the street. The goal is also link them to resources that might just enable them to take a first step toward recovery. In this safe place, staff evaluate each individual to determine if they require higher level care. They also introduce them to people and resources that might influence them to take the first step toward recovery. Many times it might be another individual in the program who is just a bit further down the road of recovery.
After a few days of detox, if a person elects to remain at Healing Transitions, he moves to the “Motivation and Engagement Track,” which looks very much like the squad bay I lived in during my initial Marine Corps training. Participants sleep in a large room, many of them on mats on the floor, due to the record-breaking demand for services. They are guaranteed a safe spot to sleep and a place to store their personal belongings. They participate with peers in mutual aid recovery meetings to explore whether they want to commit to the long-term recovery program. The Motivation and Engagement Track can last up to 90 days.
If an individual chooses to continue, and if his peers vote that he has committed to recovery, he moves to the “Commit to Recovery I Track.” People in this part of the program live in four-person rooms, much like a college dormitory. They are responsible for the daily operations of the campus, participate in peer accountability (it is peers who hold people accountable when they do not live up to the policies and expectations of Healing Transitions). They take part in job readiness and life skills classes through a partnership with Wake Technical Community College. Participants might stay in this phase for more than a year.
An individual moves into “Commit to Recovery II Track” when his peers determine that he is ready for it. In this phase participants focus on getting a job and they move into recovery-supportive housing as they work through a plan to transition back into the community.
Once individuals make the II Track transition, they often return to visit, maintaining their connection to the community of peers by helping others and receiving support themselves. And the program works. 76 percent of alumni remain substance free after one year. Thousands have benefited from the program since it began in 2001. Healing Transitions houses, feeds and connects over 300 individuals to a recovery community every single night.
I asked Justin how he got involved in this work. He looked me in the eye and said, “this place saved my life. I’m an alumni.” He then shared his story. He grew up in Cary, graduated from Apex High School and then attended UNC-Wilmington. He partied throughout high school and college. He used drugs not infrequently, and he spiraled down. It took more than one attempt with Healing Transitions before he succeeded in his recovery. His desire to help others who may be struggling like he did (and still does sometimes) that motivated him to get a masters degree in social work and commit his professional life to this cause. He is an inspiration, and I was struck by his candor and humility as he goes about this job.
Whenever people talk about the opioid crisis, or addiction, or substance misuse, it’s often a head-shaking, hand-wringing moment with some comment about “what a tragedy.” We quote statistics like 130 people die every day from an opioid related overdose. And so often the conversation stops there.
Healing Transitions is a place where people are making progress, a place of action and not just words or sentiments. Moreover, it’s a public-private partnership — their revenue comes from private donations, government grants, and in-kind contributions. It’s also a place of inspiration, an integral part of the Raleigh community, and a beacon of hope.
