Unmet human needs

Sam and Darren met in prison and formed a powerful friendship. They are as close as brothers. The men were released together and began their Step 1 transition, graduating from that program and attending classes with Niki through the Washoe County Community Reinvestment Grant.

One day Sam showed up at our St Marguerite’s Support Services to see Niki. He was frightened and ashamed. He had relapsed and before he went to see his parole officer he wanted to see Niki. Together they came up with a plan and Niki called Sam’s P.O. to offer some ideas of how to keep Sam on track. The P.O. was grateful for the call and after Same checked in with her, she agreed to the plan that had been proposed.

The plan was two-pronged: Urgent and Emergent: what needed to happen now and what he would be working toward long term. Sam’s original desire to contribute to society began with his shouldering too much at once. He became the provider for a family of 4 beside himself which was overwhelming and led to choices that caused the relapse. The Emergent plan Niki and Sam came up with considered Sam’s work ethic and built in time for self-care, AA meetings, and rest.

Darren participated in Niki’s work-force classes with Sam and then Niki didn’t hear from him for about a month. She tried to reach out to no avail. Then Niki checked the County inmate roster and found that Darren was back inside. It turned out his girlfriend had lodged a serious false accusation against him, and he had been arrested as a result. Niki and Sam were able to provide evidence of his innocence, and the charges were dropped.

Two weeks later Niki still hadn’t heard from either man. She again checked the County Inmate Roster but neither Sam nor Darren was there. When she called Sam he said, “Niki, you wouldn’t believe it but we are right here in your parking lot coming to visit you!” Niki sat the men down and opened the files that she had saved on both of them. Their urgent/emergent
plans, their certification of completion of their Step 1 and CRG classes, their heroic efforts at remaining sober and employed. She outlined their accomplishments and affirmed their next steps. Sam and Darren are their greatest support system. They are currently attending job fairs, AA meetings, and alumni gatherings for Step 1; creating a solid safety net. They are feeling optimistic about the future and are so grateful to Catholic Charities and Niki for her role in their recovery and stability.