Crippled by depression and anxiety after her husband left, Rhonda Belissimo did not leave her bedroom for nearly 10 years. “My son took care of me for a whole decade,” Rhonda said. He moved in with her while she struggled hoping he could help her get better. During that time period Rhonda tried to take her own life 14 times. She returned to McLean Hospital so many times, the staff knew her. The last time she was there, her son and the hospital staff convinced her to go to North Suffolk Mental Health Association’s Independence House. That was 20 months ago.

Independence House is a 12-bed residential program located on Broadway in Chelsea for people with severe mental illness. Each one of the 12 residents, men and women, has a different and unique story – some have been here for years, while others for just a few months. The program is double staffed 24/7. Staff assist residents with cooking, activities of daily living, money management, medication administration, and anything else they might need.

Before she experienced agoraphobia, Rhonda had a great career as an Executive Assistant, owned her own homes, and by all accounts maneuvered through life quite well, even with a diagnosis of bipolar and PTSD at the age of 19. Rhonda, now 56, matter-of-factly says “I learned to live with it through medication and therapy. I did well enough to get through life.”

When Rhonda first got to Independence House she did not leave her room. Slowly though, she began to roam around the house, then she tried the front porch. When she got comfortable with that, Rhonda walked to a store. Now, she frequents Market Basket for groceries regularly. Recently, Rhonda went to the Museum of Science with her social worker, and a few months before that went to the Franklin Park Zoo with her housemates. “I’ve been doing things like a real person again,” Rhonda exclaimed, her voice filled with joy, and what seemed like a huge sense of relief.

A turning point toward wellness was when Rhonda began to let herself believe that other people really did love her. Today she has a beautiful and healthy relationship with her son, who she talks with every day. She FaceTime’s with her six year old granddaughter daily as well. Prior to Independence House, her granddaughter only ever saw her in her bedroom. “She is obsessed with me,” Rhonda says of her granddaughter, the joy of it obvious.

Today, 20 months after showing up at Independence House, Rhonda says, “I feel like I am wasting a room [at Independence House], I feel guilty that I’m taking up someone’s chance to get better here. I give all the credit to Chrissy and her team.”

Rhonda’s suicidal thoughts have abated. She has a strong and engaged care team. And Rhonda has loving and healthy family relationships. It is with this backdrop that Rhonda is giving up that room so someone else can benefit from caring team at Independence House.

Rhonda is moving into her own place but she won’t live there alone. She will be sharing her new home with her gray and white, green-eyed cat Leo.

The power of example can be inspirational. It can be life changing, just ask Rose Stone. From the age of 14, until she was 30, Rose used drugs to get by. But in December 2014, she found her way to North Suffolk’s Meridian House and her life changed, for the better.

“My life was running around Mass Ave, getting high,” said Rose. “I had no structure, nothing of value. I had kids but I lost custody of all of them.” When she showed up at Meridian House she “came as is, just a broken person.”

Rose had no intention of going to treatment. Her husband was mandated to treatment as part of his probation, but wouldn’t go unless Rose went. And she did. After detox, Rose chose further treatment. She turned to her brother, who is sober, for help. Having gone through Meridian House himself, he helped her get in there.

“I told myself I was just going to complete this, if I want to go backwards when I finish, I can do that,” Rose told herself.

Rose appreciated all the guidance from staff and how they reflected all the things she wanted in life. For example, there were staff who had lost custody of their kids, and now regained custody. “It was powerful because someone who was in the exact same shoes as me was exactly where I wanted to be,” Rose said.

Rose graduated from Meridian in 2016, the same year her husband passed away. Despite this tragedy, she stayed sober. The outreach, love, and care she received from North Suffolk staff and others during that difficult time was extraordinary. Rose worked three jobs to make ends meet, she was a house manager at Campbell House in Revere, worked at Gavin Foundation, and also worked at a salad place.

In 2019, Rose accepted a Recovery Coach position at North Suffolk’s Recovery on the Harbor and soon she was promoted to Program Director.

Rose has a great relationship with her two boys, who were legally adopted a while back and received custody of her daughter about a year ago. “I don’t have to work three jobs now,” Rose said. Adding, “I can take my daughter and get her whatever she wants, I can even buy my son an iPhone.”

Katie O’Leary, Director of Recovery Support Services at North Suffolk Community Services is a certified Recovery Coach, as are 27 of her staff. This cadre of people have had various struggles with substance use disorder, and now live drug and alcohol free lives. Every day Katie shows up for work ready to provide support and guidance for people who are in recovery or on a path toward it. Katie is strong, confident and dependable. However, it has not always been the case.

Katie grew up in Charlestown and started drinking at a young age. “There were no consequences for drinking at 13,” Katie said. “I went through school and life and there were never any consequences for my actions.” It was socially acceptable, a rite of passage almost she said.

Then, in 11th grade, Katie’s parents took a trip to Alaska. Katie stopped going to school and she finally experienced consequences for her behavior. Given the option to stay back a year and go to Catholic school, she did. Katie stopped drinking, and her grades went up significantly. She was accepted to a number of good colleges, choosing UMass Amherst. Yet, Katie didn’t connect drinking with these experiences at the time, it is only in hindsight that she sees how it was related.

“It all went by so quick. Somewhere in college I transgressed. School was no longer important. My family, I could do without. And drugs and alcohol began to call all the shots,” Katie said. After three years, UMass Amherst “kindly” asked her to leave. “My life came to a screaming halt. No matter how far I walked, I got nowhere. I gave up on every dream, every goal, and every aspiration. I was broken. The only thing I cared about was more,” she added.

The next few years were chaotic. Heroin became Katie’s life. She lived in and out of detoxes, holdings, recovery homes, and jail. “This lifestyle became acceptable to me. Unnecessary risk after unnecessary risk, consequence after consequence, I would do anything to feel numb,” she said. Katie said that her children became innocent victims.  “I had become so guarded and withdrawn that my own children were at the bottom of my priority list.”

Katie found her way to North Suffolk’s Intensive Outpatient Program. “I loved it there,” Katie said. “I did well there.” She said she met someone, fell in love, and got pregnant. Then, her husband started using. Katie followed suit. She lost custody of her son.

Eventually, Katie got arrested and her only option was treatment. She went to North Suffolk’s Meridian House. “Meridian House was the best experience of my life,” Katie said. However, she broke a number of rules, including becoming pregnant. She was asked to leave. This didn’t deter her desire for recovery though. She returned to North Suffolk’s IOP and stayed sober for two years. She gave birth to her daughter, began to reconnect with her son and she and her husband were doing well. Until he used and Katie followed.

Katie left her son with her in-laws but kept her daughter with her during this dark time. All that time out using she thought she was being a good mother. Until one day the cops showed up to arrest her husband. It was a cold and snowy day. Katie and her 18-month old daughter were crouched behind a bush. Her daughter, who had no coat, looked up into Katie’s eyes and said, “Mommy I am cold.” And that was it.

“In that moment I knew. I had a moment of surrender. I believe God works through people and on that cold day in January, I believe he worked through my daughter. I felt a sense of relief,” Said Katie

Katie went to a treatment center for pregnant/parenting mothers, then a transitional housing program for two years. While there her husband ended up relapsing, yet this time she stayed sober. She attended the Recovery Coach Academy but didn’t do anything with it right away. Until one day North Suffolk’s Director of Addiction Services was looking for a Recovery Coach. Katie interviewed and has been working at North Suffolk ever since.

Today Katie, sober more than 12 years, her ex-husband, sober 8-plus years, and Katie’s boyfriend and father to her youngest, sober more than 10 years, all co-parent their three children in a loving and open way. “By aiding me in my time of need and providing services and support throughout my journey, North Suffolk has positively impacted me and my children. And for that, I will be forever grateful,” said Katie.

There are times that one’s life seems to come full circle. Caitlin Gillespie, North Suffolk Community Services’s, Services over Sentencing (SOS) Project Coordinator and Recovery Coach Supervisor can readily attest to that. There was a time she feared courtrooms she now works in helping others. Rightfully so.

In September 2016 Caitlin was homeless, living under the Zakim Bridge, addicted to heroin and stealing to support her habit. At the end of that September, Caitlin was arrested for petty larceny. During the booking she learned she was three months pregnant then was escorted into South Bay Jail.

Caitlin was assigned to the Charlestown Drug Court and went into a Women’s and Children’s Program. “I was pregnant there and gave birth there,” she said. Caitlin was also assigned a Recovery Coach who supported her and consistently reached out.

In and out of programs and half-way houses since 2007, Caitlin credits Recovery Coaching with her success this time around. “I had never heard of, nor had a recovery coach until the Charlestown Drug Court,” said Caitlin.

Caitlin’s Opioid use began in college. “When I got to college I drank a lot, but didn’t really know anything about drugs” she said. And then one day in 2004, someone offered her an Oxycotin. Despite her opioid use college, Caitlin managed to graduate from UMass Amherst with a Bachelor in Business Management. However, eventually her Oxycotin use led to heroin, which then led to 12 years of a spiraling addiction.

When Caitlin graduated from the Charlestown Drug Court in 2018, she received a call from Katie O’Leary, Director of Recovery at NSCS, asking if she’d like a job as a recovery coach. Since then, Caitlin has been promoted numerous times and has developed strong relationships with judges and offenders alike.

Caitlin recently purchased and moved into her first home and in May 2023, she will graduate from nursing school. She plans to continue on in her nursing education to obtain an MSN. She says will most likely stay on at NSCS as she ventures into a new career in nursing. “My experience at NSCS came in handy during my nursing clinicals,” she said. Adding, “my work here has given me a different perspective on people.”

Catlin is especially grateful for her recovery this time of year. “Family memories and gratitude are at the top of my wish list every year for the holidays, she said. “I spent too many years alone and full of despair and lucky for me my recovery gave me another chance at life. I never take for granted the special moments I now get to spend with the beautiful family I’ve been able to create and be present for my recovery.”