Most of our supporters know of our two main treatment campuses, Jacquelyn and Bonita House. A lesser known hidden gem is our original location on Paschall, just north of downtown off North Main Street. This location is where Santa Maria began in the late 1950’s as a residence for substance use disorder treatment. Much has changed since then with the science of recovery and the best practices of treatment. However, this wonderful old Victorian home has become the center of a vibrant recovery community. One advantage is that it gives a home to our PAC (Peer Advisory Council) an organization designed to build recovery relationships among the recent graduates of our treatment programs. This group is led by recent graduates of our treatment programs and gives them the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and integrate into being a productive member of the recovery community.

Before COVID restrictions were in place, this group scheduled bike tours, monthly recovery celebrations, bake sales and attended recovery meetings in this wonderful space. Now, like the rest of us, their Council has been meeting by ZOOM and over the phone to keep in touch. At a recent meeting, officers planned the sale of PAC tee shirts on our website.

 

 

 

 

They also discussed ways to engage soon-to-graduate participants from our residential treatment programs. Through lived experience, they all know that a community of peers is absolutely essential for support and connection. The guidance from this organization comes from Santa Maria’s own recovery support specialists, Amelia Murphy and Lillian Stephens.

The roster of PAC officers is a snapshot of the strength these women have to offer.  Their activities and vocational goals are a testament to the world of possibilities opened by their own journeys.  They are each choosing to “give back” to those struggling by finding jobs in the field of recovery or through their commitment to PAC.

• President Holly – studying to become an LCDC (Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor).

• Vice President Ronnie – a Peer Recovery Coach working as part of a frontline opioid intervention team at Houston Recovery Center.

• Treasurer Cassandra – a full-time health care worker able to beat the odds of her past to regain a starting position. She was soon promoted and is currently training to be an x-ray technician at her employer’s clinic.

• Secretary April – beginning a new position at Luna Recovery as a recovery advocate and moving to her first independent apartment with her twin sons.

• Community Organizer Jessica – part of the street peer group at Mercy Street Church, also studying for her LCDC.

• Community Organizer Heather – currently completing her recovery coach training.

Here at Santa Maria, we know there is so much that is needed to change the direction of a life. Finding purpose, a support structure, goals for the realization of meaningful and fruitful employment and building lifelong friendships take forethought and structure.  Our beloved PAC provides that bond for those who want to stay involved with their sisters in recovery.

They are the face of RecovHery!

If you would like to  purchase a T-shirt to support the PAC, click here.

Sometimes you have to lose something to realize how precious it is to you.  This was true for Shannon and her right to vote.  She realized how important this election is for Americans.  Shannon wanted to cast her ballot and use her voice.  Up until now, a felony conviction had kept her from exercising this basic right, but with new laws passed, her privilege was restored.

Shown here after the staff drove her to a nearby polling place, she is energized and happy to have cast her very first ballot at the age of 41.

“Some of the decisions I had made in my addiction left me with a criminal history.  Although I have made mistakes; I am still a citizen and an actual part of the society,’ Shannon says. ‘I have changed my ways, leaving the path of destruction I was on.   I feel like I am not labeled as an outcast any more.  I have worked to gain my integrity.  I voted for my children’s future and safety.”

 

 

 

Shannon is one of our new moms, a resident of our criminal justice program, Women Helping Ourselves (WHO).  She was referred from the court and three days after arriving from the Harris County Jail, she gave birth to her “life changing blessing” infant son, Cleveland (CJ for short).  He was a healthy boy and they have bonded and grown together during her stay.

Shannon had been on the streets with a full -fledged and likely fatal substance use disorder.  She was, fortunately, arrested and offered a chance of treatment and the chance of a brighter futures.  She says she arrived with “sneaky and manipulative thinking” and was met with “uncut, raw and brutally honest kindness” that instilled the integrity of thought that she exercises today.  After her discharge, she plans to move to a transitional living center, find a great childcare center and look for employment to begin her new chapter.

She reminds us all of the great privilege it is to live in a democracy and exercise our right to vote!  She is looking forward to a productive and self-fulfilling life with her beloved baby son.  She is the Face of RecovHERy.

Santa Maria wishes to express their strong opposition to the rule change adopted on Friday, October 9 during the joint meeting of the Texas Behavioral Health Council and the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners. This ruling changed a section of the state’s code of conduct that establishes when a social worker may refuse to serve someone. With the change, language was removed prohibiting social workers from refusing to serve clients solely due to their disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. The rule change effectively removes protections in place to both individuals with disabilities and to individuals from the LGBTQ community. Governor Gregg Abbot’s office recommended the change. Santa Maria does not and will not discriminate in our services to any population seeking services for treatment. We believe that this rule change will further reinforce the stigma of behavioral health services and discourage people with disabilities, LGTBQ communities and other vulnerable populations from seeking and receiving treatment. We believe that this ruling be reversed.

Click HERE to read the letter from the Network of Behavioral Healthcare Providers for more information.

 

Seeking Safety is a type of therapy that is used to help people obtain a sense of safety from both trauma and substance use disorder. It is an evidenced-based approach offered in a protected group setting that promotes physical and emotional safety for each participant. Seeking Safety teaches present-focused coping skills to help clients attain safety in their lives. It allows participants to move through treatment topics that represent safe coping skills relevant to both trauma and/or substance use, such as “Asking for Help”, “Creating Meaning”, “Compassion”, and “Healing from Anger”.

The primary goals of Seeking Safety are to reduce trauma and/or substance use symptoms by increasing these skills. Participants are helped in obtaining techniques related to relationships, critical thinking, behavior and their emotions.  The approach provides concrete strategies to build recovery skills. It is one of the standard treatment models we practice at Santa Maria.

 

Our client’s respond to these sessions by replying to an anonymous survey each month.  Here are some of their comments… In Her Voice!

“Seeking safety is the first place I’ve ever been able to feel safe closing my eyes.”

“I always feel safe and respected and it helps my own self-esteem and for me to have respect towards myself.”

“They are very respectful when they ask me questions, and even before they ask, they warn me about the sensitivity of the said question to prepare me and make sure them asking is okay by me.”

“I understand that this is part of my healing.  I am learning so much about my inner illnesses.”

“I’m so proud in coming to Santa Maria. They have thought me a lot about myself and my addiction.”

“The staff explained to me why they asked about difficult experiences in my life (i.e., violence or abuse).”

“My counselor is amazing. She listens to me about what works and doesn’t work for my recovery.”

“This is my safe haven.”

 

Please consider purchasing one or multiple copies of “A Woman’s Addiction Workbook” for our participants, available from Amazon through the link below. This incredible resource is the perfect tool for our participants to use while working through Seeking Safety.

 

Click to Purchase This Workbook For One Of Our Residents

You may send the workbook to 2605 Parker Rd., Houston, Tx 77093 attention to Marcia Chaney.

Come Home Houston is a new program recently awarded through funding from SAMSHA to Baylor College of Medicine, with Santa Maria (SMH) serving as a sub-grantee. The award is for a 5 year period for nearly $2 million. The grant will be specifically targeted to serve underserved homeless individuals who are living with both substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. These services will be targeted in areas where there are high concentrations of women who need support; identified by data and designated by zip code. It appears that these identified areas share a common lack of access to available support services, creating conditions where women face steep barriers to self-sufficiency. These barriers include low levels of employment, poverty, poor educational backgrounds, prior criminal justice involvement and incarceration, trauma histories and lack of family support. In short, almost every barrier standing on its own restricts successful reentry after treatment. Combined, these barriers require intensive intervention to provide a better probability of lasting recovery.

Santa Maria has been selected as the site to provide services for these identified individuals. Primary treatment will include integrated substance use disorder and mental health treatment. The program expects to assist 60 participants a year to successfully gain housing. This will be achieved by support and individualized services related to recovery housing, health, life skills, vocational training and employment coaching. It will also include a strong enhancement of tobacco and vaping cessation services. The approach used will emphasize survivor empowerment and peer support. The program will also be tailored to be culturally responsive to the needs of black and Latina female substance users who experience homelessness at a disproportionate rate. All participants will have access to a level of recovery support that will assist them in reconstructing their lives.

“Given our long and successful history of partnership with SMH, we were excited to receive the Come Home Houston funding and participate together in a new project,” says Maribel Mosqueda, MPA/HCA project manager for Baylor, Department of Family and Community Medicine. She continues, “This current project is going to help address real areas of need with its focus on those who are homeless and it is certainly timely in our current climate.  Besides the standard treatment services, this robust program is highlighted by a tobacco and vaping cessation program for the participants.  It showcases that tobacco is an addictive substance and along with opioid and alcohol use is extremely detrimental.  We knew that because Santa Maria was a tobacco-free community, these additional services would be most welcome.”

 

Women are already being selected by our case managers and coaching staff who have deep roots in the communities targeted by these objectives. As they are admitted, they are assigned a recovery coach and a counselor. They also are welcomed to their new residence.

 

We wish to thank Family Missions West for stepping up to create welcome baskets for the new arrivals. These baskets of basic needs and comfort will indeed assist the women in settling in and understanding that they have arrived at a place of safety and promise.

 

 

 

Recalling earlier projects with SMH, Maribel Mosqueda says, “When I first began work with SMH, I was able to sit in on a round table discussion of the initial participation and impact of a program.  I learned that these services really do make a difference. It is a treatment model that works. I am so supportive of our partnership. Observing the persistence displayed by our participants to reach their goals makes it wonderful to be a part of the work. When we saw this opportunity to apply for funding, we wanted a chance to again make Santa Maria our partner.”

This grant ensures that the door will be kept open for disenfranchised women in our community to receive life- changing services.  We are grateful for our partnership at Baylor, the relationships with the team there and for the opportunity to empower women to lead healthy, successful, productive and self-fulfilling lives.

 

Participants at Santa Maria  

A Profile of Admissions Data

78%  Single

98%  Below poverty level

89%  Homeless

100%  Substance use disorder

85%  Domestic violence or severe trauma histories

78%  Co-occurring mental health disorder

94%  Unemployed

52%  Without GED or high school diploma

64%  Prior criminal justice involvement

43%  Active CPS case

70%  Current smoker

 

“Having empathy for another person means your heart is breaking, because you understand the intensity of their experience, and at the same moment you are absolutely, equanimously present. You are not clinging to anything, just watching the phenomena of universal change.” 

-Ram Dass

 

 

 

It has been a great honor to listen to the participants at Santa Maria, recording their stories of recovery.  Santa Maria is, indeed, a special place that provides a safe space for healing. Our clients arrive from places of real danger, violence and desperation. Here at Santa Maria, their basic needs and security are met and they can focus on self-care and a journey to a better future.  

Recently while interviewing a participant in our program, she shared a journal entry of her first impression of her new surroundings, our courtyard at Jacquelyn. These thoughts were recorded just after she began her residential treatment stay.  Just a few nights before, she had been sleeping on the streets, in fear of everything around her and all that she faced.  A street rescue non-profit had placed her in a motel and connected her with an assessment interview and referral, a chance to find available help to leave the life she had been living. Once Santa Maria appeared on the horizon, she was provided an expanded motel stay until we had space ready for her. It was the first time that anyone had offered help to her in years.

From her journal:

Day 7 at SMH – I feel so at home here, as I sit on the staircase with the wind blowing such a gentle breeze, the sun’s rays hitting my body with the feeling of warmth. I acknowledge the peace that I feel. I haven’t felt this way in a very long time, or should I say, I can’t ever remember feeling this way. Ever. Never. Thank you for such a peaceful and pleasant moment, God.  As I continue sitting, I now see such a rainbow of women sitting with me in the beautiful courtyard, hanging out, smiling, and enjoying one another’s company. Women fighting every day, including me, with our addictions and trauma. Not knowing if the day will ever come, living a life of sobriety.  Today at this moment, I actually feel that I am here with these women at the right place and with perfect timing. Feelings of finally fitting in somewhere. After all, we are all struggling with the same issues. Such strong addictions that has us drowning for the best part of our existence.  I love these women.  I learn something every day from these strong, beautiful women.  (They are) living the same struggles as I have been until this day.  Thank you God for making way for such availability at Santa Maria.  Thank you for allowing me to meet these special women and for placing them on my path to recovery.

 All of this emotion and gratitude was expressed in April 2020, during the frightening early days of the pandemic.  The intention and strength to healing body, mind and spirit was so strong.  The acceptance of help, the recognition of hope, the strong feeling of belonging are all so beautiful to behold. 

We are only here to walk each other home.  At Santa Maria, you help us do that every day.  If you ever wondered if make a difference, know that you do.

National Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with mental and substance use disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives. Now in its 31st year, Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those living in recovery. Here at Santa Maria Hostel (SMH), we celebrate recovery all year in the special work that we do with women and their families finding a path to a better life, a hopeful way forward.

National Recovery Month was founded and supported by SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services) for the past 30 years. 2020 begins a new chapter with the organization Faces and Voices of Recovery leading the effort.  From their website, “Recovery month works to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices, the emergence of a strong and proud recovery community and the dedication of service providers and community members across the nation who make recovery possible.”

Again, from the Faces and Voices of Recovery website, “This year’s recovery month theme, Join the Voice for Recovery: Celebrating Connections, embraces the adversity experienced in 2020. When we celebrate our connections diversity of people from all walks of life striving for recovery, we find support and courage to speak up for inclusion, respect and opportunity.”

SMH would like to join in this spirit of “speaking up” to honor those on our staff and our clients, past and present, who embody this diversity of people.  We are proud of the role that SMH plays in creating and connecting community.  We will continue to support inclusion and respect for all.  We will continue to provide opportunity and look for new paths forward.

We call to those who need help to seek services and treatment.  A better future is possible.  There is a recovery community waiting to embrace you.  And for that, we are grateful.

As the opioid epidemic rages, the world community has looked for answers to saving lives and providing a path to recovery for those that are affected.  We are proud to support:

 

It is possible to lower that grim statistic with training that allows friends, family, healthcare and social service workers, law enforcement and emergency responders to recognize the signs of overdose and the steps to administering naloxone, a lifesaving medication. By temporarily reversing the effects of opioid overdose, proper administration of naloxone (Narcan) saves lives. What it takes is awareness and training.  That’s what today’s awareness campaign is all about.

 

 

 

Our Partners

Recognizing the need for overdose prevention training at SMH, Nadine Scamp, CEO and Lucia DE Paloli, Senior Director of Programs at Jacquelyn House were thrilled to learn of services available from a new group founded in December of 2013 by retired state employees and colleagues Mark Kinzly and Charles Thibodeaux. The Texas Overdose and Naloxone Initiative (TONI) has been a vital partner ever since, providing training for family members, clients and staff on a regular basis. TONI also provides the lifesaving kits, dosages of Naloxone, that go home with our clients as they leave treatment.

Santa Maria is not alone in benefitting from the expertise and generosity of TONI. Mark and Charles’ efforts have served to educate organizations and communities across the state of Texas. TONI is dedicated to educating the public about overdose prevention and community support for the state of Texas and making life-saving medication more available to the opioid using population. As a result of these efforts, there have been over 600 overdose reversals since 2013.

“80% of all those who live after overdose are saved by another drug user or a family member, says Charles Thibodeaux. That’s why getting in front of the clients at SMH and their families is so valuable. Every time we get to train just five users on recognizing overdose and the use of naloxone, no doubt lives are saved. We have been working with the residents and staff of Santa Maria since our inception. Santa Maria has always been on my heroes list.”

Our latest training was just completed on August 21. Clients and staff sat side by side to learn the very important identification signs of overdose and the proper techniques for the administration of Naloxone.

 

COVID -19 Pushes and Fuels Addiction

The recent training could not have been more timely. In the middle of a pandemic, relapse and overdose are on the rise. The recovery community has been specifically hampered from important meetings and gatherings that are a hallmark of building resiliency for those affected by substance use.

“Substance use disorder is a disease of isolation and separation. COVID pushes those feelings and fuels the addiction,” says Charles Thibodeaux.

The vigilance of the SMH staff in recognizing the particular challenges brought about by social distancing is crucial to pulling our clients and graduates close. Amelia Murphy, Senior Director of Recovery Support Services for SMH said, “Alongside the clinical team, our recovery coaches have kept close contact with our vulnerable peers.  We were joined in this effort by our prevention team. COVID-19 has been a particular kind of threat to our community.  We have relied on extensive training and thank not only TONI, but the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance for their guidance, as well. The staff and especially the clients of Santa Maria are fortunate because not everyone has these services available to them. It is in situations like these that training and communication become vital for saving lives.”

On August 4, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), awarded and announced $35,104,338 in grant funding to provide safe, stable housing and appropriate services to victims of human trafficking.  The grants will go to 73 organizations nationwide to provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs.  The grants will also provide funding for support needed to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment, as well as occupational training and counseling. Santa Maria (SMH) is one of two Houston area recipients to receive a $500,000 grant award. SMH will be able to provide treatment when needed and safe and secure transitional housing.  They will also be able to coordinate other services related to recovery through case management and peer recovery coaching.

In the release, OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan said, “Human traffickers dangle the threat of homelessness over those they have entrapped, playing a ruthless game of psychological manipulation that victims are never in a position to win. These grants will empower survivors on their path to independence and a life of self-sufficiency and hope.”

 

 

 

Our Partners

SMH will also draw on expertise of partners, including Greater Houston PATH Collaborative (Pathways for Advocacy-Based Trauma-Informed Healthcare Collaborative), and members CHI St. Luke’s and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM)) in identifying, screening, and providing services for survivors of human trafficking.

CHI St. Luke’s created PATH Collaborative and the Houston Area Human Trafficking Healthcare Consortium, bringing together human trafficking service providers to share best practices, develop and enhance protocols and promote awareness of human trafficking.

BCM Anti-Trafficking Program was created in 2016 to respond to urgent needs of Houston-area survivors of human trafficking.  The program facilitates trauma-informed, collaborative identification and care coordination for the population.

SMH will also continue a very close and continuing partnership with Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen and Harris County Sheriff’s Office. We have received referrals of survivors and worked with both offices for number of years.

 

Our Gratitude

 

As elaborated by U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick in the funding announcement, “Human trafficking is a scourge. Prosecuting the pimps and enablers is sometimes not the hardest part. The support services for the victims can be difficult to find, fund and maintain. Grants like these take care of the victims with a safe space where they can begin to put their life back together.”

Santa Maria is grateful for the opportunity to coordinate services for some of our community’s deserving survivors.

Did You Know?

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, 55 to 99% of women in substance use treatment and 85 to 95% of women in the public mental health system report a history of trauma, with the abuse most commonly having occurred in childhood.

 

Here at Santa Maria, the trauma screening tool we use at admission supports those grim statistics. We know that substance use is often an attempt to self-medicate the debilitating effects of trauma.  Sadly a resulting addiction serves only to further undermine the individual’s health and wellness.  Most of our clients have intertwined substance use disorder and a violent history of trauma.

April Dawn and Trauma-informed care – 2018 to 2019

(Excerpts from a previous story found here). Full story here. 

While in admissions at Santa Maria, April said, “I saw a sign that read trauma- informed care which I didn’t really understand, but I knew that my life was filled with violence and that I needed that.”  For the first time, she felt safe in her room at the Jacquelyn campus.  April began to identify with the other clients and her coach, receiving peer support. She learned much from their stories.  With the skilled help of her counselors, she began to rebuild her trust and confidence. She opened up in recovery, looking at the real reasons that she had become addicted to drugs. She found that she had suppressed her feelings for years and came to understand that the abuse, fear and humiliation were connected to her life choices.  She discovered that her brain had been rewired because of the years of trauma she suffered. April began the steps to heal and reprogram her brain. She became more resilient, believing she could think differently about her future. April began to envision a living a better, more hopeful life.

After completing the intensive and supportive program at our Jacquelyn campus, April continued her journey of healing at a faith-based transitional program.  She put her newly-found faith firmly at the center her life.

Today, April Dawn is back at Santa Maria. She is hard at work earning her GED through our education program.   She is living in sober housing on our campus.   She is enjoying some limited involvement with her children, thanks to the support of our CPS liaison services.  April and her children are receiving family counseling and although she won’t regain custody anytime soon, they are on the road to healing.  She jumps at the chance to stay connected to the community of those in recovery.  She is active in our Peer Advisory Council and takes every opportunity available to tell her story to others that are struggling.  She dreams of a shot at working in technology, learning programming skills; a dream she never dared voice before.

April Dawn today – August 2020

Today, April has been reunited with her twins, age 11.  The children arrived on July 16, 2020 and the family continues to live in our transitional housing.  Like all parents, she is negotiating our current virtual school enrollment.   She finds it challenging but is determined to make the most of remote learning.  She continues both individual and family trauma-based therapy.

April has seen a positive change in her parenting skills with her therapy.  Now, she is not so afraid or hypervigilant towards her sons.  She no longer lives in constant fear that something bad will happen to them, so she does not feel the need to “hide them away or even to hide herself”. Therapy has helped her recognize that her fears were a detriment to their development and independence.  This is just one of the many benefits that recovery from addiction and trauma has afforded her family.

After a lifetime of violence, trauma, addiction, and defeat April Dawn has worked with her team to create a supportive structure for healing and hope.  That structure is as individual as her own story and has been “wrapped around her” for maximum success.  It takes the extensive and dedicated work of an entire staff, in concert and with great compassion, to both recognize and provide the necessary services a woman and her family need to become whole, perhaps for the first time. April’s recovery support is the very definition of trauma-informed care.

She is the face of RecovHERy.