- Alcohol
- Drugs
Interview with Erin M., an assessment manager at a treatment facility
What are your job responsibilities as the assessment manager?
I meet with individuals and their families who are seeking treatment. I help them navigate those waters. I meet with them and help them see whether our facility or another facility fits their needs and what level of care would be most appropriate.
What is usually the driving force behind people coming to meet with you for an assessment?
They’re usually at the end of their rope. Life has often gotten so bad for them that it’s no longer about using for the high it provides. It’s about using just to get by. They’re looking for a different way of life, a different way of being. They come to us at their most desperate times or their families come to us so overwhelmed, hurt and confused that they don’t know what to do.
What is it that gets people to the point that they are so broken that they reach out?
They are often at risk for losing it all. Family life may be so broken that people are threatening to leave. They may be in trouble at work. They may have given so much up for their drug of choice that they have lost sight of who they truly are. In some cases, this is their last ditch effort. Sometimes they have legal issues that mandate them to treatment, but most of the time it is that brokenness that leads them to this point.
What changes do you notice in people from the time of their assessment to the time they complete the program?
I notice the change in their spirits. They come in so broken, and I start to see them develop and change. They begin to deal with issues that have been plaguing them and start discovering who they really are. They learn that they are more than just their addictions. They are good people who have so much to give back to their communities. They find a vigor for life. I see people really start to blossom. They actually start to have smiles on their faces. They start to be a part of life. They aren’t just surviving anymore, they’re living. The most beautiful aspect of this whole process is seeing someone come in so defeated and leave with a new sense of self. They are ready to go through each day, living fully and happily.