From Addiction to Empowerment

Stephanie, former CERRC client. April 2023.

SAN DIEGO — Once living in a tent and estranged from her family, Stephanie struggled with substance abuse. Seeking help from CERRC, she embarked on a journey of healing and growth through their comprehensive outpatient treatment services. Battling her inner turmoil, Stephanie persevered with support from her dedicated counselor, Summer Kahoonei. Now, after 20 months clean, she has reconnected with her family, secured a job, and is determined to make a difference in the lives of others.

As she shared her progress, Stephanie expressed her thankfulness, saying, "Miss Summer, I called to let you know I am still doing good and remember everything you said in [the] group. I'm starting school to be a drug and alcohol counselor!"

ECS’ Central East Recovery Center (CERRC) provides treatment and services to individuals struggling with substance use disorders. CERRC’s multifaceted and dedicated team assists with services such as individual counseling, group treatment, assessments, and discharge planning. Clients who are facing other difficulties, such as homelessness or unemployment, will also be provided connections to related community resources.

According to the California Health Care Foundation, in 2021, nine percent of Californians qualified for a substance use disorder, yet only ten percent of those individuals sought help for their illness. Programs like CERRC are essential now more than ever.

With a high success rate, the CERRC program changes lives like Stephanie's daily. Her story highlights the power of determination and support; anyone can overcome challenges and create a brighter future. Please help us continue making an impact by donating today!

Redemption: From 30-Year Prison Term to Recovery at CERRC

Eladio, CERRC client. April 2023.

Eladio arrived in the United States from Cuba in the 1980s and spent over 30 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. After his release, Eladio faced significant challenges in adapting to life on the outside; he battled with alcohol abuse to cope with the loss of his ex-wife and struggled with the difficulties of societal reentry.

Despite these challenges, Eladio remained determined to turn his life around. He contacted CERRC, which provided him with the support and resources to address his addiction and rebuild his life.

Eladio recalls, “I prayed every day [for] a second chance at life. God heard my prayers, and I was awakened one day and told it was time to go. I can’t express what it feels like to have spent 30-plus years in prison and walk free.”

With the help of CERRC, Eladio was able to obtain a state ID, secure funding through the cash assistance program for immigrants, acquire a work permit, and begin the lengthy process of obtaining his U.S. citizenship, which has given him a newfound sense of hope for the future.

Eladio’s story highlights the many challenges former inmates face when reintegrating into society, especially those with a history of addiction. However, it also demonstrates the transformative power of second chances and the importance of compassionate and dedicated support in helping individuals rebuild their lives after incarceration.

Meet Greg

Meeting Greg for the first time, one is struck by his unassuming demeanor. He has an effortless Southern Californian air about him: delicately windswept salt and pepper hair, a posture and walk that is assured yet unhurried, and a gentle manner of speaking, which is purposeful yet unpretentious.

It’s his self-effacing manner that might surprise someone to learn of his past struggles. Like many others in our community, he is on the road toward recovery.

CERRC helped Greg overcome the challenges he faced. September 2022.

And now, his matter-of-fact openness with his past struggles denies the opportunity for stigma to step in. He shares his past with humility and earnestness that demands one’s absolute attention.

Greg grew up the fourth of five children in what he describes as a typical suburban family in Sacramento. It was not until he was older that he realized his mother was an alcoholic, and his father, consumed by his work, rarely had time for Greg. After his parents divorced, he always yearned for a close relationship with his father—something he carried into adulthood.

After a devasting rollover car accident, Greg was prescribed painkiller medication to help with his excruciating pain.

“I ended up addicted to heavy doses of opioid pain medications for twelve years,” Greg recalled. “It wasn’t until later that I was able to stabilize my chronic pain and get myself off the medications.”

And after a brutal divorce from his first wife, Greg again found himself turning to substances for comfort.

“I masked and escaped my past so hard that I became addicted to meth at 55 years old,” Greg said. “I was absolutely alone and, in the darkness, fighting with my demons.”

Fortunately, Greg found support from his faith and his family.

“One of my favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11:

‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plan to give you a hope and a future.’

So, I reached out to my brother and found my first sober living home in Phoenix,” Greg said. “I stayed there six months, then helped my brother open his first sober living home in San Diego.”

Shortly thereafter, he returned to Sacramento. He got connected with the recovery community in Sacramento, and things were looking up for Greg. 

“I got involved in my new fiancé’s respiratory services business, and we grew it into a profitable business,” Greg said. “All was good until the dreaded COVID hit.”

Not only did Greg have to find other ways to make enough money to survive, but many of his recovery meetings also shut down entirely, cutting him off from his network of support.

“I went on a long, lonely, and dark relapse,” Greg said.

Recovery is a journey, not a destination. And though he’s been on this road before and stumbled along the way, Greg keeps pushing forward. This drive led him back to San Diego again, looking for a fresh start.

His brother-in-law connected him to ECS’ Central East Regional Recovery Center (CERRC), an intensive, outpatient substance use disorder program in City Heights.

“When I returned to San Diego, I aspired to get into a recovery program, build a recovery plan, and work it,” Greg recalled. “I needed a sponsoring agency that could support me, and CERRC was that program.”

But those early days of recovery were challenging for Greg.

“I was trying to heal mentally and physically,” Greg said. “It took me 90 days until things were fleshed out. It was then that I was doing the recovery—and not out of obligation. I looked forward to every day.”

Greg credits his experience with CERRC for helping him on the path toward recovery.

“CERRC took me to the next level,” Greg said. “They gave me a relapse plan and helped me build my goals. They were calming and reassuring, and you don’t get that all the time.”

Greg and CERRC Counselor Summer. September 2022.

On top of that, working with his counselor, Summer, proved to be the difference for Greg in those early days.

“I needed regular meetings and structure,” Greg said. “Working with Summer helped me stay in recovery. She gave me the structure I needed. It helped me be less anxious. It helped me to slow down and take the time in the process.”

Now, Greg has so much to look forward to. He celebrated 11 months of not using substances. Still, he’s keeping his feet firmly on the ground and attending a weekly group session at CERRC.

“This is a mile marker along the way,” Greg said about his recovery journey. “The next phase is working with my wife and repairing that relationship. I’m being patient. That’s what’s different this time.”

Because of your support, Greg is thriving on the road to recovery.

“I look back; it makes me grateful that there are people out there supporting this program,” Greg said. “I know I’m in the right place and in the right program at ECS to build my recovery. I feel like I’m on the right path right now. God keeps opening doors for me daily, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity.”

Watch Greg share the impact CERRC had on him.

Meet Paul

Meeting Paul for the first time, one is struck by his signature Texas twang. It’s a delicate speech pattern that savors each vowel, and sometimes, makes one believe that they aren’t in Southern California, but deep in the heart of Texas.

Paul outside of CERRC. September 2021.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise since Paul grew up outside of Dallas in the city of Plano.

And one would also not be surprised that Paul was a football standout—his broad shoulders and strong frame exude athleticism. In fact, his talents landed him with a football scholarship at LSU in Baton Rouge—a powerhouse of the Southeastern Conference.

But beneath the layers of this born and bred Texan, lies so much more. Growing up, he admits he had a really great life.

“My parents divorced when I was really young. But I loved my parents and got to know my birth mother as I got older,” Paul recalled.

But in his teen years, Paul’s birth mother faced her own issues.

“My step-father was a raging alcoholic and would beat my mother senseless,” Paul said.

There was a lot of weight on Paul and his siblings, thinking about the safety of their mother. Then, one event would change the course of their lives forever.

“One night, there was an accident,” Paul said. “Mom had to go to the hospital.”

But instead of driving to the hospital, Paul and his brother drove over to his step-father’s house.

“There were police everywhere. It was a mess,” Paul said. 

And then, Paul reacted. 

He picked up a butcher knife and stabbed his stepfather in the chest.

Paul was only 17. 

Though Paul was acquitted of any wrongdoing, the event replays mercilessly in Paul’s mind. And it is the main reason why Paul started using drugs.

“I started with cocaine, then heroin, metho, ecstasy,” Paul recalled.

For nearly 30 years, he relied on drugs to escape the indescribable pain of that night in his mother’s kitchen.

In between, he’s spent time in and out of prison. And during his most recent stint in prison, Paul decided he needed a change.

“March 7, 2020 was the day I decided to stop using drugs,” Paul said. “Two of the guys with me in prison were doing drugs, and I told them I was done. I decided to change. I was tired of seeing drugs ruin my life.”

Since then, Paul has not used substances. He was released from prison on March 5, and as part of his probation, enrolled in services at the Central East Regional Recovery Center (CERRC), operated by Episcopal Community Services in San Diego. 

At CERRC, clients receive outpatient recovery services, including in-depth assessments, individual counseling, group treatment, and more.

But Paul was reluctant to commit to the program at first.

“I had just enrolled and my counselor, Trisha, called to tell me that I was going to class three days a week, for an hour and a half,” Paul recalled. “I told her, ‘I can’t do that. I’m not gonna do that—I gotta work.’”

But his CERRC counselor was persistent.

Paul and his CERRC Counselor Trisha. September 2021.

“Trisha said to give her two weeks of her class and see how it goes,” Paul said. “That was just six classes, so we tried it out.” 

The rest, as they say, is history.

“Now, they can’t get rid of me!” Paul quipped. “I just want to spend my life inspiring others, just like ECS inspired me. My ultimate goal is to be affiliated with ECS as long as possible. That’s how much this program means to me.”

Paul is the first to acknowledge that recovery is a process, but he knows that he has a community behind him.

“ECS has made me realize that there is a better life,” Paul said. “If I didn’t have ECS, I would not be working. I would not be housed. I would not have food.”

And now, Paul basks in this new chapter .

"If you could have seen me before, I was a completely different person," Paul said. "My life has changed. This program helped me to change my life." 

Watch Paul share what ECS’ support means to him.