Michelle is doing her best to stay sober. She is in recovery but where she was living people continued to use drugs. Michelle had to get away. Her only choice is the streets of Philadelphia and homelessness.
Michelle has 3 and a half months sober. That is amazing! I have a lot of respect for her. Staying sober is hard enough. Staying sober while on the streets is nearly impossible!
Michelle is going to outpatient treatment every day. She is putting effort into her recovery. In a week or so, she will be in a sober living home and off the streets.
Michelle’s story highlights a serious issue in how recovery services are often disconnected from homeless services. Often someone will go into detox only to exit back to the streets. Homelessness is hard to do sober so even with a few months of sobriety, people go back to drinking and drugs to escape the pain. We’ve coordinated entry into the system. Now we need to coordinate services better.
