Respecting clients When addicts and alcoholics arrive to begin treatment they are typically in an emotionally fragile state, a mindset that counselors and other staff take into account when providing care, Evans notes. “We might see something that could be a small thing to us but may be huge to them, and could be deal-breaker,” Evans says. “So we’ve got to pay attention to details. A small thing might be talking to their probation officer to let them know how the client is doing in treatment, or even just acknowledging their presence. I pay attention to the details and hear their emotions because as a recovering addict, I have probably experienced what they’re feeling.” Evans says one key to helping clients get better is “treating our clients like human beings, giving them the respect and dignity they deserve, and letting them know that if they have a problem, we can help. All of my clients have my personal phone number. If they need me, if something is going on, they can call me. I’m not just a counselor for that group or individual assessment. I’m a counselor 24 hours a day. So they know that somebody cares about them.”
Holistic approach “We can’t give people effective treatment if they’re homeless or hungry, or if they don’t have transportation tokens. We will help them get insurance, but if they can’t get insurance, we don’t turn them away. We do a lot of pro bono helping.” Evans considers No Turning Back’s holistic approach to serving clients one of the keys to successful treatment, especially helping them meet basic needs and stabilize their living situation. “One of the easiest things we do is getting the drug out of clients,” Evans says. But what is more challenging is reversing the effects of years of disappointment and misinformation. “That’s also what we work on: helping them improve their life skills, coping skills and acceptance levels so they can live a better life.”
Evans was in treatment for 18 months by choice, including inpatient and outpatient treatment and transitional time in a sober living facility. “I didn’t know where I was going or how to get there. The only thing I knew was that I didn’t want to go back to the life I was living. Anything going forward had to be better than where I was coming from.” As Evans gained a foothold in recovery, good things started to happen. The court took him off probation 14 months ahead of schedule and he found a new job. He also recently returned to school to work toward his master’s degree in behavioral health clinical administration.
“All of my clients have my personal phone number. If they need me, if something is going on, they can call me. I’m not just a counselor for that group or individual assessment. I’m a counselor 24 hours a day.”
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