NPORTC Magazine

The First Friendly Face for a Fresh Start

W hen clients enter New Place of Recovery, their first contact is Michelle West, Administrative Assistant. She does paperwork, prints the schedules, runs the office, and, most importantly, she is the smiling face clients see when they walk through the door—the first contact. She walks them through the intake process with kindness and compassion. Some clients aremandated and reluctant to be here: “I'm their voice of reason for them.” And there are those who are ready and eager to start a new life. “I take them under my wing, and we do the lessons. We talk.” And she knows a thing or two about addiction. “I've always wanted to work in this field because I'm a former drug addict myself.” She shares her recovery story: “I went to a place like this—it was for women and children—called Second Genesis, in Upper Marlboro. I went away for nine months. They taught me structure and they taught me my actual triggers—they taught me things I never knew about myself. I just took it from there and

kept it going. When I came home, I went to meetings every day, every week. And I just stayed on that path. I have five years clean

in December. I always wanted to help out and

share what I know— pass it on. So, when

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