TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – For many, treatment and mental health support programs are the first step in the journey to getting clean and sober.
Some people need continued support to stay away from drugs and alcohol, and there’s a special program at a Toledo clinic focused on that work.
Empowered For Excellence offers a wide range of mental health and substance abuse support services and programs. And that work continues as clients transition out of treatment. The people we spoke with say that extra support after rehab saved their lives.
Drugs and alcohol were a way of life for Adam Johnson-Garland.
“Just because I am clean and don’t use today, doesn’t mean I am not an addict every day,” Johnson Garland said.
He began using in his teens and says his addictions quickly controlled his world. Johnson-Garland said he has also been diagnosed with anxiety, depression and PTSD. He eventually became homeless.
“Recovery is a rigorous process if you truly want to change your life,” Johnson-Garland said.
His work with Empowered For Excellence helped him make significant changes.
“Getting out of my own way and getting help from others and the program at EFE helped me see a better way of life,” Johnson-Garland said.
After going through the treatment program and living in a recovery home, things began to shift for Johnson-Garland. He says the after-care support opened up a whole new world.
“They helped me get my first apartment, my first car and they helped me maintain a job. As long as I have balance and structure, then I’ll have peace. This place has been a blessing to me and it’s been a blessing to so many other people, too,” Johnson-Garland said.
Toria Adams is one of them. She also started using when she was a teenager.
“I’d say at the age of 21 I was a full-fledged addict and alcoholic, using anything I could get my hands on. Not only am I an addict, I have mental health diagnoses as well. Long before I picked up drugs, I struggled with mental health,” Adams said.
Adams said she was in and out of recovery for years and the after-care support was a lifeline.
“I’d gotten to the point that I didn’t want to live. If I hadn’t come to EFE, I’d be dead. It is such a blessing because for a long time, I didn’t think I could do this. I am around people like me, who understand me, who I can be myself with. People who I consider family,” Adams said.
One of those people is Drea Linares. She’s walked alongside Adams, Johnson-Garland and so many others through the after-care program. And she’s been in their shoes.
“I was homeless, no driver’s license, no vehicle, no drive or passion in life. I got clean in 2017 off Percocet and cocaine,” Linares said.
Linares is the director of recovery services at Empowered For Excellence and she’s a big part of the after-care program.
“I say because of the grace of God, he put his light in me to shine it for others when it’s dark. I am not just following the path set before me, I am leaving footprints for the people behind me,” Linares said.
Linares said the wrap-around services and around-the-clock access to help are critical to achieving independence and long-term success.
“The case management, psych services, group therapy and individual therapy are all important parts of our work,” Linares said.
Adding up to so much more than a treatment program for so many, including Adams.
“These are not just people I got help from, they are a part of my life,” Adams said.
The after-care support services program has gained a lot of traction in recent months, going from seven to more than 40 clients.
If you’d like to learn more about the after-care support services, click here.
Latest Local News | First Alert Weather | Crime | National | 13abc Originals
Copyright 2025 WTVG. All rights reserved.
This article was published by WTVG on 2025-07-30 18:29:00
View Original Post
