The Brightside: Impact Life Expansion
SUSSEX Co., Del. – A community-based behavioral health support organization has expanded to Sussex County. Impact Life is helping people whether in recovery, battling addiction, or families and friends offering their support to find the tools needed to do so.
At Impact Life, we’re told being a good neighbor goes beyond just being a friendly face, it’s about being a support system. “We want to be good neighbors and we are and we want to show the community that these are just some folks who need a little bit of guidance, they’re good people,” says Chief Operations and Compliance Officer, Brian Dietz.
A young but mighty organization in Delaware has planted roots, “We just want to be a resource for everyone, not only for people in active addiction, we want to be a resource for the community who are just curious and have about it or are dealing with a family member,” says Dietz. A newly opened drop-in center in Seaford is providing a few of those resources.
For those battling addiction, taking the first step can be a challenge but it’s a challenge for those at Impact Life who are there to help. “We wanted to create several resources for folks that did not cost them money. So they could come in and be themselves and say what’s going on,” explains Dietz.
Individuals can go to the drop-in center for immediate support; a safe non-judgmental environment with access to recovery resources, peer support, and basic needs. We’re told this is all to further break the stigma surrounding addiction, recovery, and other life traumas. “You have a peer support specialist that can focus me on recovery and guide me along that way. Then you have a workforce development specialist who can help them create a resume, look for jobs, and create a cover letter,” says Dietz.
“I think that finding more people to understand about recovery and what that looks like will bring people out of the woodwork,” says Harriet Williams-Glover, the Director of Community Support Services, who helps in Georgetown where Impact Life has created the second recovery cafe and hub in the state, which is a unique take on providing wrap-around services.
“So we want to check in, we want to make sure they’re in the right head space or if they’re going through something, how can we intervene, how can we help.” She adds, “We have a vast amount of topics that we address and it brings the peers into a safe space so they can open the door maybe to things that they wouldn’t normally say in another group.”
Right outside the Georgetown Circle, those looking for resources are exposed to different organizations like Contact Lifeline and First State Community Action, parenting certification classes, culinary arts, or they’re provided bus passes to get to and from work.
Like organization leaders say — grab a cup of coffee – grab a seat — and get the help you need.
“So building that connection in the community is not just bringing them here to look at us, they look at what they have to support us.”
“This area needs these types of services and I think you can see that by the membership of the hub being at almost 70, and the drop in center, you see more and more folks come in day and day so it’s definitely needed.”
And while the organization as a whole is working to give those in recovery a more supported and organized path — the overall mission to connect everyone in the community continues.
“So I think just as we expand and realize that the need is here and in Sussex, I think it’s going to grow I think it’s just going to move like wildfire.”
