Behavioral Health Services, Addiction Patient, ParkCare Pavilion/GATS
Listen to Lakeshia Brown’s story
I grew up the child of two parents who struggled with addiction, both of whom have since passed away. With addiction in my family and both parents incarcerated at times, the odds were stacked against me. I first tried marijuana at 10 years old with my half-sister, and by 14, I was smoking PCP with friends.
Now, at 43, I am two years clean after a relapse that followed seven years of sobriety. My addiction caused me to lose my children, though I was fortunate to eventually get them back. I have three children and five grandchildren, and my family stepped up to care for them when I could not.
This time in recovery, I’ve made major strides. I earned my Peer Recovery Specialist Provisional Certificate and am completing 500 field hours for my internship. Before COVID, I enrolled at Westchester Community College to become a recovery counselor and only have nine classes left. I’m a member of PTK (Phi Theta Kapa) an international honor society for community college students maintaining a 3.5 GPA after not being enrolled in school in over 20 years. I’ve also maintained steady employment for over a year since my sobriety and successfully completed probation, which helped me avoid a felony conviction.
I completed the St. John’s Riverside program but still attend twice a month for aftercare maintenance. I also participate in New Form online sober meetings, meetups, and classes that help me manage struggles and maintain a healthy, sober mindset.
For me, St. John’s has been a part of my life for nearly 30 years. What sets them apart is that the staff never gave up on me—even when I had given up on myself. That persistence taught me not to give up either. When someone looks past your struggles and sees you as a person, it is life changing.
I will never forget the compassion and guidance of Taiesha Wooten, Director of New Focus and former counselor at ATS. She pushed me when I needed to be pushed and showed me compassion when I needed it most. ATS became like a second home where I was nurtured, supported, and reminded that recovery is a lifelong journey.
Today, I value my life and my children’s lives in a way I couldn’t when I was using. Addiction blinds you from seeing beyond the next high. But now I can provide a safe home for my children and a future for myself.
St. John’s Riverside Hospital’s, New Focus has given me a place of solitude, understanding, and community. They never judged me, never shamed me, and always believed in me—even when I couldn’t believe in myself. For that, I am forever grateful. My way of thanking them is to keep moving forward and continue to share my sober story.