Lisa began her journey with ɫ��ɫ after being referred by her probation officer who felt it was in Lisa’s best interest to provide not only law enforcement supervision, but also to assist her with her psychiatric symptoms and empower her to achieve her recovery goals. Her story involved both a mental challenge and the social stigma attached to having a criminal record, due to her drug use. As Lisa expressed, “Drugs make you feel good for a bit, but then the effects go away, you find yourself in a deeper hole”.

Lisa’s childhood included sexual and physical abuse, lack of support system, continuous trauma, and depression and anxiety disorders. She found in alcohol and drugs a way to cope with these issues; nonetheless, her criminal record and increased psychiatric symptoms became a reality check for Lisa and the decisions she made.

As a member of ɫ��ɫ, Lisa acknowledged her past and set goals for her future. She envisioned herself being independent, having a job, a car, a steady income and more importantly, to continue with her psychiatric treatment.

Currently, Lisa works full-time at a sober living house and is saving money to transition and live in her own studio close to work — and she is about to buy her own “smart” car. Lisa believes recovery is alive and is up to us to allow it to live in us. As such, Lisa’s recovery includes constant participation in therapy and use of coping, communication, and social skills learned, compliance with her probation, and constant participation with ɫ��ɫ. Lisa also has eliminated use of illegal substances and is confident in reaching her goal to become a productive citizen, and as she said “maybe a co-worker” at ɫ��ɫ.

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Team ɫ��ɫ of in Vancouver, Washington wanted to remind staff that they are important and a strong contributing factor in the recovery of our clients. For the first two weeks of February, Team ɫ��ɫ hung brightly colored Valentine’s bags in the staff hallway. Supervisors placed hand written notes of appreciation in each staff member’s bag and staff was invited to join in the fun with written notes of encouragement, Valentine cards, and candy for co-workers. On Valentine’s Day, everyone enjoyed the notes and treats given to them and gathered for a delicious potluck. This event is a sweet way for everyone to show each other that we appreciate the work they do all year!