Recovery: Help Me Help You

by David L. Hertz, Ed.D, Chief Development Officer

The recent tragedy of Michael Jackson’s sudden death has led to public knowledge of his private battle with addiction.  Even with his superstar status, it appears he had access to treatment but had no real supports to get him through his struggle.  As actress Jamie Lee Curtis noted in a recent piece for The Huffington Post,  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-lee-curtis/king-of-pain_b_240998.html “recovery from drug addiction is the single greatest accomplishment of my life… but it takes work — hard, painful work — but the help is there, in every town and career, drug/drink freed members of society, from every single walk and talk of life to help and guide.”

One thing about treatment is that it’s hard to get when you don’t have a phone or a place to live. This means the most vulnerable and susceptible can easily be ignored or passed over for help. SUS consumers who were recent graduates of the SUS Peer Counseling program were previously homeless and diagnosed with a mental illness before coming to SUS.  Many were substance abusers or incarcerated.

“The emotional high I feel today is only matched by the emotional depths I sank to when my wife and twin daughters died in a car crash and I began years of homelessness and drug addiction.”

“I’m 62 years old. My mother is 90 and sitting in the audience. I say to her, in front of all of you, ‘I’m sorry. So sorry, for the years of hell I put you through. I promise in what ever years are left to me, to make you as proud of me as I possibly can.”

“The last thing I graduated was jump school before going to Viet Nam.”

“For years I called myself a ‘psych-veggie’ and now I call myself a man in full recovery.”

These remarks were made by some of the recent graduates of the SUS Peer Counseling program; sixteen-weeks of intensive engagement with the core principles and methods of listening, empathy, trust, and conflict resolution.

Beyond the treatment, we know that recovery is more than just not drinking or using drugs; it is about putting together a new and meaningful life in which alcohol and drugs no longer have a place.  Now, some graduates will be employed by SUS as counselors in our wellness programs, many will be similarly employed in other agencies, and some will simply utilize the valuable lessons learned as they pursue their individual goals.

Whatever path they take, each will experience, in the words of Donna Colonna, SUS’ CEO, “the recovery power of giving back.” By achieving their own greater independence, they will demonstrate a multiplier-effect upon the lives of others still struggling to manage mental illness and achieve self-fulfillment.

In the year ahead, SUS will be sharing more about its’ Peer Counseling program. We invite you to stay tuned and learn how this program serves the mission of independence and gives rise to personal success stories that can inspire us all.

Celebrating Independence

There will be cultural staples across the U.S. over the long weekend that accompany Independence Day. Barbecues, family, picnics, fireworks. Many Americans will turn a watchful eye to loved ones in the Armed Services and to countries like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Honduras.

At SUS, we share the same traditions, touch stones and reminders but they come from slightly different perspectives.  Our focus on CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE actually began in June this year as it was the theme of our annual gala held June 3 at Jazz at Lincoln Center.  Our gala celebrated 30 years of providing service to help challenged New Yorkers achieve independence in their lives. Some of these New Yorkers are veterans of the Armed Forces who had a hard time coping with coming home and living civilian lives. Some are New Yorkers making a transition from streets or shelter to a residence in the SUS supportive service network.  Additionally, there are senior New Yorkers unable to go outside to a barbecue or picnic without our dedicated home care attendants as well as developmentally disabled individuals for whom SUS is their everyday family.

The quality of service from SUS inspires consumers to move toward self-determination, self-reliance, self-sufficiency.  Just a few weeks ago, we held the graduation for our first “class” of the peer-to-peer program. It was emotional for all of us when we heard fifteen SUS consumers talk about their personal road to recovery – moving from the powerless state of addiction, and in most cases homelessness, to now inspiring themselves to give back to their peers.  For some consumers, this is the first time they held a diploma and now they have options for moving forward in their lives.

Our work is to move individuals from our service to their INDEPENDENCE.  Our programs acknowledge vulnerability and needs of consumers but at the same time encourage nurturing ‘human resilience.’ This striving for independence drives the agency as we move forward to refine and build upon our past success. You can view our progress through our multi-media storytelling project.  Please click to see the first of several video episodes about our consumers. For photographs of our proud population click. For more information, register here to be on our mailing list.

As you enjoy the weekend, survey your family, your friends, your neighborhood and your community for someone who is challenged with mental illness, HIV/AIDS, a developmental disability, aging, homelessness, drug addiction and ask yourself who takes care of that person? How do they do it? Do they have help? What are the costs and burdens posed by their challenge? We ask ourselves these questions everyday and then we go to work on the answers.