TAMPA, Fla. — The battle against drug and alcohol addiction can often seem hopeless for people in the middle of the fight and for their families, too.
That is why BayCare Behavioral Health offers a unique program to help those battling addiction called Peer Specialist.
“We're all peer specialists. We all have different roles. We have some mental health peers here. We have some substance abuse peers here. We have a family peer here for families like there's so many different roles,” explained Wendy Dillingham, a case manager at BayCare Behavioral Health.
Everyone in the group has battled their own demons and won. Now, they're on a mission to help others do the same.
“I had a lot of people that won't even open up to nurses because they're so scared. But once they know that I lived an experience, had that personal experience. It's like a weight off their shoulders," explained one peer specialist.
Dillingham said that this job as a peer specialist was perfect for her because she knows what it's like to be in their shoes.
"I've been to state penitentiary four times, and I've been incarcerated. I have been arrested 55 times," said Dillingham.
“Some of the people are coming in because they really want that help initially. And I won't even mention it until like later on down the road. And I’ll just say, hey, I’m in recovery, too,” explained Dillingham.
She continued, “So many of my clients are like, I can't believe that. I’m like, well, I want to just let you know if I can get clean and turn my life around and get a good job, so can you.”
Cherrice is one of Wendy’s success stories. She's also in recovery.
“I’ve experienced that same shame, remorse, and guilt that they are feeling in early recovery, as is scary for them to walk through those doors. They're staying in a residential treatment facility for six to nine months, and sometimes up to a year. So, we are their home,” said Cherrice.
This team is healthy and whole now, but say recovery is a lifelong struggle. That's why group sessions are so important.
“You're listening and helping people that have problems all day, every day. And we're in recovery, too. So, you, first of all, you have to have other people that understand,” explained Dillingham.
“It is absolutely amazing that we all have the same commonality that we have recovery under our umbrella. And yet, we work under different facets and BayCare. We all have a different position, and the BayCare program of what we work in and still helping others,” said Cherrice.
Cherrice continued, “We are the BayCare recovery effect. That's what we are. So yes, we are what BayCare recovery looks like. That's beautiful!”
Dillingham told ABC Action News that the holidays are a tough time for people struggling with any kind of addiction.
She encourages anyone needing help to look into BayCare Behavioral Health’s Substance use service.
