“We will love you till you learn to love yourself.”
Angela says, “A client may come straight from jail, still wearing a jumper. They come in, still wearing their wristband. I ask, ‘Would you like me to cut it off for you?’ She watches as their face lights up. “They feel free.” Angela makes sure she knows their names, “… so when we pass them in the hallway, we can talk to them. Ask how their day is going. The first day may be a ‘two’ and soon it turns to an ‘eight.’” Some participants come with only their little plastic bag of belongings from jail. Angela smiles. “They have clothes now; they have a roof over their heads. Their apartment may be the best place they’ve ever lived. Once they get on medication and stop using drugs, their physical being, and their mental being, are present. They have to address all the pain they’ve swept under the rug. Their aches and pains that they ignored. Their depression. Once they address these issues, they become better.” Mary Hall is twenty-six years old and has the recipe for success, focusing on “The now, the new, and the next.” The vision of Mary Hall is to continue to grow. “ When we started, it was a house. Now it’s a village. This is the most staff we’ve ever had. We are growing and that allows us to help more people. With the four of us, you can always call somebody.” She adds, “We don’t want to make it cookie cutter because everyone has different needs. It is very important to provide a positive experience. We set the tone of how women transition. If we are not friendly or respectful, we will not have women in our treatment program. Some people come in kicking and screaming, but we must set the tone because they will mirror us eventually. Our motto is: ‘We will love you till you learn to love yourself.’ We do that, here at connections.”
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