NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With International Overdose Awareness Day approaching, a Middle Tennessee organization is working to be part of the solution for women battling addiction.
Healing Housing, a nonprofit residential recovery program, has helped hundreds of women suffering from addiction, but demand for services continues to rise.
"I knew something had to change or I wasn't going to make it," said Chrissy, who has battled addiction and homelessness for the last 15 years.
The nonprofit asked us to obscure her face as she's still in the program. She's one of 27 women who call this place home.
"Just because somebody's an addict doesn't mean that they're less than or they're not as good of a person. They just clearly need help," Chrissy said.
Help is exactly what Healing Housing has been providing. Executive Director Tracey Levine describes it as "A nonprofit residential recovery program for women healing from alcohol and drug addiction."
At the facility, women receive therapy, medical care, career training and take part in arts and crafts activities.
"All of us on staff at Healing Housing have graduated the program here, and so we feel this sense of connectedness to the mission," said Levine
Expanding services
The organization has seen such success with this program that Healing Housing has partnered with the Franklin Recovery Center to extend services to the greater community. Using state opioid settlement funds, they have opened a new center providing day and evening services.
Forty women have already participated, and the program is on track to double enrollment in year two. The Franklin Recovery Center is providing services to men in the same building.
"Addiction is here. I don't see it going anywhere. So, to me, it's how do we work with it? And what we've seen at Healing Housing is there are many ways to work with addiction and to make it become less, less the part of the focus or the conversation," said Levine.
It's a place where women like Chrissy can get back on their feet.
"This place saved my life. It really did. It's given me the option to be the person and the mother I've always wanted to be – I just had to learn how to deal with things in a better way," Chrissy said.
Remembering Morgan Baine
NewsChannel5 visited Healing Housing before the recent passing of Morgan Baine, the program's director. For more than six years, Baine worked to help other women recover.
Her family says her death was the result of a medical emergency and not related to substance abuse. They ask people to donate to Healing Housing in honor of Baine, whose life mission was to advocate for women facing addiction. Click here to make a donation.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
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