Inspired To Help
Daphane and Kimberly are a power duo with “lived experience” who are passionate to assist new moms and their infants in building a better future through recovery. They each turned to Santa Maria when their own lives were unmanageable. As SMH alums, Daphne and Kimberly share much in common because of the similarity of their struggles.
Both credit Santa Maria with giving them the tools to choose a path to recovery. Daphne and Kimberly joined our staff as a recovery coach and a linkage specialist respectively. They are able to impact their clients because they are relatable and real.
They both remember the moment that a SMH staff member inspired them to follow a path of training and education beyond their own battle with substance use. They each became motivated to help others find hope and opportunity. “While listening to my family counselor at Jacquelyn, I decided right there and then that I would become a counselor myself,” says Kimberly. She continues, “All I needed was for someone to tell me you can do this. I found that at Santa Maria. In fact, I found respect and dignity here. I would have taken anything, any job to work here; they saved my life.”
As a 2015 graduate of our treatment program, Kimberly fought for recovery after 36 years without a day sober. She followed her daughter to treatment and began to believe in herself. Since her graduation, she has been on a journey of learning. She went back to school and received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work. While waiting to take the LMSW, (Licensed Master Social Work), she was accepted into the school of her choice, St. Edwards University, where Kimberly is currently enrolled in a Doctorate program in Education.
In only 18 months since her release, Daphne has put her incarceration for a drug- related crime far behind her. While in prison, she sought treatment and stayed in recovery groups, ready to make a change. After release, she moved to Paschall (SMH’s Women’s Recovery Residence and Community Center) for the sober housing and support services. She completed an associate’s degree in business management on the computers in the center’s lab. She seized the opportunity as an essential worker in a food service industry to move from part to full time, despite the pandemic. She was grateful for the work and the paycheck.
While working in the computer lab, Daphane was influenced and motivated by our recovery coach staff in action across the hall. She realized that there was a recovery coach training opportunity for her to complete that allowed her to work with women like herself and share her success. She completed her certification and found her new position with our prevention staff.
Daphane and Kimberly are concerned that the necessary COVID-19 restrictions are keeping them from their vital community-based outreach. Their team mission is to reach and connect with the many vulnerable women who may not traditionally seek services for substance use disorder and available prenatal or postpartum assistance. By design, they co-locate in medical clinics, community centers and the county jail. Several of our 18 community partners are still not allowing in-person visits, following strict pandemic protocols. In the interim, the team has been providing the majority of their outreach through referral and by Zoom, phone and other virtual means. They fear that many women are not being connected to services. With the isolation and disruption of the pandemic, they also know that the numbers of women who need help is rising. They have adapted their approach, being flexible to the times, but are eager for a return to in-person community outreach work when safety allows. They are committed to helping as many women as possible to finding life in recovery.
THEY ARE THE FACES OF RECOVHERY.
Nine years ago, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) began the Healthy Kids Healthy Families program started as a three-year initiative designed to improve the health and wellness of at least one million children through community investments. The program was extended as BCBSTX’s ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of children and families in Texas. The program has impacted the lives of millions of Texas children and families through the more than $14 million in grants awarded by BCBSTX to community organizations statewide. BCBSTX — the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas — is the largest provider of health benefits in the state
Indeed, our CFT is one of the most transformative programs in our portfolio. CFT provides evidence-based support, education and tools to help vulnerable families improve their ability to appropriately care for, nourish and interact with their young children. At its’ foundation, CFT promotes healthy infant-child development through improving the home environment and caregiver competencies, attitudes, and behaviors. A crucial component of the work includes improving the mother’s mental and physical health so she is better able to bond with and care for her child. CFT helps mothers sustain long- term recovery from substance use, provides the entire family with education, skills and support to commit to and sustain positive behavioral changes and builds resiliency in children to mitigate trauma. It is a natural extension of our continuum of care and has been experiencing rapid growth since its inception in 2013.
Our staff tailors services to each mother-child dyad and family, providing services in individual or group format, at the home or a community based site, to best meet family needs. In addition, CFT works with partner healthcare and social services providers to improve their ability to serve vulnerable families impacted by substance use and/or trauma through the provision of education, training, technical assistance, and onsite support through co-location and integration of services. CFT services are currently provided for the residents of our treatment program as well as at 18 partner locations to improve care access. Due to COVID protocols, a number of our community services now are offered virtually and we are looking forward to the day when we can fully return to the field.
In today’s world, we can all benefit from some positivity. We’d like to encourage you to feel empowered and share kindness with our women residents, who are working hard on their recovery journey.
Connection is one of the most important treatments of substance use disorder (SUD). Connecting with other human beings that share similar experiences is one of the strongest components for recovery. This connecting ability can turn pain to passion to purpose, bringing about hope and strength for a recovery journey.
We provide a safe space for treatment and harm-reduction. We lead with education and relapse prevention skills. We connect a community of services and increase the scope of the recovery community itself.
