A BIG PAYOFF
More than two decades later, Thompson has found that better life. Through the use of Women’s Treatment Center services, she was able to remain present as a mother and still receive the treatment she needed. In March of 2000, she met her husband Albert Ellis while they were coworkers at the Norwegian American Hospital. Together, they opened the doors to Elite House of Sober Living in 2002. They now provide the same recovery services for their clients that Thompson took a chance on many years before. The recovery home works to help clients build social and professional skills. They coach clients on how to engage without the use of drugs and help them become productive members of society. “I’ve had clients who don’t even know their own social security number,” Thompson says. “We want to help better prepare them for the world outside recovery home support services. We help them get personal identi cation, engage without drugs and even register to vote. Many don’t realize how much their vote counts.”
She nds that men often have the most trouble adjusting to the structured environment of the recovery home setting, but explains that it’s the structure received in the Elite Houses of Sober Living that will allow them to build a structured life once they leave the program. She hopes that clients understand recovery home support services are a blessing and encourages clients to use every available resource and utilize them to the fullest. “We hope we can help our clients build a life away from illicit drug use and criminal behavior,” Thompson says. “We want them to know how much help is available and what a life without drug use can look like. It’s a great thing.”
“We want them to know how much help is available.” -Sylvia Thompson
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