Project: Family Recovery Coalition
Organization: Women's 12-Step Recovery Center, Inc.
Kansas City, MO
As told by LaurieAnn Jean-Klapproth, project director

Tina's Road
The first meeting she never once looked the counselor in the face and her fatigued eyes never left her trembling hands, her voice softer than a mouse’s whisper. Not yet able to acknowledge how far she had already come just by going through treatment and staying sober, Tina could only see the long dark road that stretched out endlessly in front of her and felt the familiar dread of having to tell yet another person what a failure she was.

This young mother of four had arrived at a reintegration program that is one of the partners in the Family Recovery Coalition, and had begun the process that many women seeking recovery navigate when accessing services in the metropolitan Kansas City area.  Tina was already trying to plan ahead, although her energy was at its lowest point. She knew she would need to find not only housing, but her mind ran through the laundry list of things to accomplish: maintain sobriety, find a job, take care of her legal issues, get some kind of counseling for the kids, and the list seemed unending.  With no money, no car, and little hope, she had no idea how she was going to take care of all of these things.

She tried her best to tell the counselor all the information she knew she needed to share.  It was hard to have to repeat the story of how she had waited too long before leaving her boyfriend’s unsafe house; that their drinking was escalating along with the fighting, how she hadn’t worked in years, and now had court dates coming up and no plan of how to take care of them.  She felt so ashamed and hopeless and the only glimmer of light was the thought of her children having a different life.  They had seen too much for such young lives and she didn’t want to keep putting them through this hell.

After she had explained everything, Tina was surprised when the counselor said, “Let’s schedule some appointments for you.” He turned to his computer and opened the calendar of a staff member at an employment service.  “There are open times on this Wednesday and Thursday,” she offered. “What would work for you?” Then the same process took place to schedule counseling for her children, to find a support group for her, and even to see the clerk at the drug court.

As the dates arrived for her appointments, Tina was relieved to discover that she didn’t have to keep telling her story. With her permission each of the partnering agencies staff was able to pull up her confidential information in their systems, then add more notes and initiate all of the services she needed.  They worked together so that, contrary to her fears, the process seemed smooth and easy to manage.

Tina’s story has a happy ending.  She is still sober. She obtained job training and a good job that will enable her to care for her kids, was able to make restitution and resolve her legal issues, and found permanent safe housing. She knows that she has all the agencies of the Family Recovery Coalition to help her and that she can reach all their services with a call to any one of them. Tina now looks forward to the road ahead, her voice strong and confident.  She no longer defines herself as a failure. 

Graduates 2006 | Project's Graduate Report | Project's Information Page