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

“Five years ago, I was couch hopping, and now I just bought a home. Nothing is impossible.” With a call for help, a determined mindset, and a community of support surrounding her, Sarah Hamilton experienced a complete shift in the trajectory of her life.

In 2017, Sarah was in the midst of a domestic violence crisis. With multiple threats against her and her life at risk, she felt trapped.

“I was numbing out with drugs and alcohol. And then I tried to get sober but couldn’t figure out how to do it on my own.” As she escaped one hardship and found herself in another, she wanted to be free both for her own sake and for her three children. After attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, she connected with a representative from The Redwood Family Center, an agency providing drug and alcohol treatment and housing for mothers working to overcome addiction.

“My biggest need was stability and structure. I didn’t have any desire to stay on this planet either. I needed mental health counseling and stability.”

Sarah began the treatment program at Redwood, which was new at the time. She spent 36 days in the treatment center and 9 months in the sober living quarters before moving to the graduate house. One of the biggest adjustments was learning to live with a group of women, all facing their own unique circumstances and challenges but uniting in their path to recovery. Throughout her Redwood journey, Sarah utilized counseling services, participated in the First Step program, took Domestic Violence Survivor classes, and took Seeking Safety classes.

In reflecting back on her recovery, Sarah recalled the doubt and fear she experienced and the determination and hope that took its place. Through it all, she said,

“There were days I wanted to give up. There were days I wanted to leave. But I knew that I didn’t want to live the way that I was living, so I just kept pushing forward everyday. I said to myself, ‘This is going to end.’ When I had a hard day, I said, ‘Okay, tomorrow is going to be a better day.’ That’s just how I lived it.”

Upon leaving Redwood, Sarah worked in hospice care for a while. One day, a friend of hers told her about a job opportunity at a residential treatment house, and Sarah recognized that rather than helping people at the end of their lives, she could help people get their lives started. It was not long after that she finished schooling and became a Substance Use Disorder Registered Counselor and began her time at Center for Human Services.

“When I first got hired here, I was working with teenagers at Johansen High School,” she said. I was teaching them prevention and early intervention skills. I just recently left the Youth Opioid Response (YOR) team, and now I’m counseling adults and doing groups.” In this position, she sometimes self-discloses, offering her clients wisdom for their own journeys.

“I hope I can make an impact on at least one life, teach them how to stay sober, and show them how your life can change when you get sober. I’ve seen it happen with many, many people.” Sarah continues to be a difference maker through her work at CHS, lighting the way with words of hope and reminding clients that they aren’t alone.

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