24 Nov A Place I Will Forever Call Home by Cara Sandweiss
The electronic monitor locked around my ankle reminded me that, although I was no longer in a jail cell, I was still the property of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. I knew at the time that CRI-Help was my only chance at regaining my freedom – freedom from the legal system, and freedom from addiction.
After countless years spent within the dark shadows of drugs and alcohol, I was desperately ready to stay sober… and that is exactly what I did. I never thought I would end up in rehab, or that CRI-Help would undoubtedly help mold me into the woman I am today.
I spent six months as a client at the Pfleger Center, where my CDW Mary Grayson helped me lay the foundation for my recovery. As I neared the completion of my treatment, I knew with absolute certainty that I wanted to work at CRI-Help, so that I could contribute to the program that saves countless lives.
After six years of my life having revolved around CRI-Help, on November 30, 2020, I will step out of my role as Pfleger Center’s Clinical Program Manager to pursue other interests within the addiction treatment industry, and to focus on my family.
The career that I built, the relationships I made, and almost everything I know about addiction treatment and recovery (and almost everyone I know in the treatment field), are a direct result of my experience with CRI-Help, first as a client and later as a staff member.
CRI-Help is a place I will forever call home – a home filled with people I love unconditionally, people whom I consider my family.