Robert Brooks recently celebrated six months of addiction recovery and is determined to make this change lifelong. He credits his experience at Catholic Charities Partners in Recovery program for helping him take this immeasurable step.
OPENING UP
“Coming to Partners in Recovery was the best decision I ever made,” Robert says. He attends counseling groups every day and wants to participate. “Let the help, help” is a phrase Robert repeats to himself when the compassionate staff encourages him to open up and express his concerns.
Partners in Recovery, “the help,” supports men and women who have a mental health diagnosis and a co-occurring substance abuse disorder to build their skills and resources through recovery planning, group therapy, and pre-vocational services. This comprehensive approach promotes healthy living.
UNDERSTANDING THE ‘WHY’
Part of Robert’s journey, prior to coming to Catholic Charities, involved time spent in jail. “As soon as I was released, I would start using again,” shared Robert. “It never dawned on me to ask why I was using or why I kept getting incarcerated, because I had normalized both.”
Catholic Charities “gave me a safe place to share my experiences and helped me understand and respond to the causes of addiction.” In addition to helping him maintain his recovery from addiction, the program also helped him manage symptoms related to his PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
“We help people develop hope and encourage them to get to know who they really are,” says Brittani Gaskins Roberson, LSW, the program supervisor of Partners in Recovery. “Robert bravely opening up, and sharing his abuse experiences and subsequent incarcerations, has allowed other men to feel safe doing so.”
He inspired the creation of a new men’s trauma support group at Catholic Charities and has written a book about his journey. Robert plans on returning to college to pursue a counseling degree.
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