“New Vision House of Hope has helped me see a new vision in my life.” -James Dupree
W hen James Dupree came to New Vision House of Hope looking for housing assistance seven months ago, little did he know how quickly his life would change. When he realized how many different programs were available, he answered with an enthusiastic “YES! I want everything. Give me mental health, behavioral health, I want addictions, I want it all.” Though he wasn’t sure if he needed help in certain areas of his life, he decided there was always room for improvement: “Even if it ain't broke, I’m trying to make it better than it was. And that’s still my motivation since I’ve been here. Once they gave me a real glimpse of what is possible to do, I jumped on board and started to pursue those things. Now I'm on my way to being an addictions counselor. I plan on going to college.” As a former client, he can connect with the newcomers. He is now a peer coach, sitting in on meetings and working directly with his peers. “I’m an advocate. I do the best job I can do for myself and my peers.” And just who are his clients? “Most clients are recovering. Everybody comes in at different stages in their lives.” So what does being a peer coach entail? James answers that it differs daily: “Sometimes I'm talking to the group, sometimes one-on- one, trying to be supportive when they have issues. A lot of guys are coming straight off the street or coming out of very difficult living situations, so we’re trying to give them a little normalcy.”
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