”
“Clients need to know we care about them.”
– Eva DeVaughn
site for college undergraduates and
You're not responsible for where you came from, but you are responsible for where you are going. – Eva DeVaughn, CEO/Co-founder “ treatment program called DeVaughn Intervention Teach and Treat Options under the Eva Life Giver, Inc. umbrella. In 2014, a new influx of client referrals from attorneys, judicial systems and public agencies enabled her to make the program a full-time enterprise. Today, DITTO serves more than 200 men, women and adolescents per year. As part of its mission to teach, DITTO also serves as a work-study and internship abusers in the neighborhood. They were driven by a desire to help the inner-city community and the struggling individuals they saw around them. WHOLE PERSON TREATMENT The DeVaughns' initial mission was to house neighborhood families in need, in local properties. Gradually their focus shifted to serving those with addictions, as Eva worked as a counselor, an administrator, clinical supervisor and program director for several outpatient treatment programs. She came to realize the importance of treating the whole person, a process that can often include helping clients with housing, employment and transportation. They also provide referrals to mental health counseling and educational resources such as parenting and anger management classes. Unmet needs in any of those areas can present barriers to recovery, Eva DeVaughn points out. In 2006, Eva established her own outpatient
graduate students who are studying addiction counseling. HUMAN EMPATHY DeVaughn says one of the most
important insights she has gained is the importance of meeting clients where they are. Helping each one face his or her addiction, along with defenses
and internal barriers they need to overcome, are critical. While treating addiction can be a complex business, the key to unlocking the door to recovery comes down to simple human empathy, DeVaughn says. “Clients need to know we care about them, regard- less of their background, criminal history, morals, values or things they may be lacking,” she says. Education is a key element. DITTO provides clients information on their addiction, including the effects of chemicals, the impact of addiction on all aspects of life and coping mechanisms to deal with emotions in a healthy, chemical-free fashion. It's part of a process of empowering clients to take control of their own lives. Once clients are given the information, then it's up to them to apply it to their lives. As Eva DeVaughn likes to tell her clients: “You're not responsible for where you came from, but you are responsible for where you are going.”
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