By: Micaela Meyer, Marketing Assistant, Center for Human Services

For Jesi Hegwood, her youth was marked by poor relationships with her parents, drug use, Juvenile Hall, group homes, and mental health challenges. Growing up in trap houses without electricity or water, she didn’t have any sense of direction. After becoming addicted to meth, running away from her group home at 17, and turning herself into jail at 18, she was eventually homeless with nowhere to go.

“I was in survival mode and doing unspeakable things through my addiction just to get by,” she said. “At 21, I found out I was pregnant and didn’t want to raise my child the way I’d been raised.” At the time, some friends who she would do drugs with had gotten clean. They had previously encouraged her to get clean too, but it wasn’t until realizing she was pregnant that she became more receptive to their advice.

“I was on the streets for three days after I found out I was pregnant. Then my friend saw me sitting in a park and said, ‘You need to call me.’” That call was a turning point, and it put Jesi on the path to becoming clean.

“My friend connected me with resources for treatment,” she said, and this conversation led her to Center for Human Services. She talked to her counselor Austin Gunter about outpatient treatment, and he suggested she seek services at First Step.

Looking back on her experience at First Step, she said, “It was amazing. I learned so much and loved it there. It’s not easy, but you have to work at it everyday.” She took drug, alcohol, and parenting classes through the program. As she stayed clean and developed healthy habits, she helped solidify her recovery by getting involved in church and volunteering at Redwood Family Center for four months.

“My life was hugely impacted,” she said after receiving services and pursuing recovery.

“Without the support from my friends and the professional care and support, I honestly don’t think I’d be where I’m at today. They told me how it was, didn’t sugar coat anything, and they have been where I’ve been. That also showed me what I wanted to do as my career and how I wanted to give back.”

For others facing similar challenges, Jesi advises, “If you want it, fight for it. With addiction, it comes down to that. If you’re not ready, you’re not gonna do it. Nobody else can make you do it.” She is especially thankful for the community of support she received that helped her progress through recovery. “My support group is the thing that really guided me through my life,” she said.

In 2020, Jesi earned her GED, began taking classes at MJC, and became a counselor with Center for Human Services’ Youth Opioid Response (YOR) program. Today, she is a Substance Abuse Counselor for the StanWORKS program.

“I love my job, and I love CHS. It’s such a great company. They’ve supported me in so many different ways. It’s just a really great place to work,” she said. As Jesi continues her education and her career at CHS, she can continue to support others in recovery, giving them motivation, hope, and resources to thrive.

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