Healing Transitions 20th Anniversary Publication

2001 – 2021

CONTENTS 

Letter from Leadership 4 

LOOKING BACK 

The Foundational Years (1997–2000) 

Linda Strother, Visionary 09 | Fred Barber, The Leader 13 

Maria Spaulding, The Personality 15 | Barbara Goodmon, The Powerhouse 17 

In the News 19 

The Start-Up Years (2001–2005) 

West’s Story 24 | Raeford’s Story 29 | Milestones 32 

Photo Gallery 33 | In the News 39 | Impact 40 

The Expansion Years (2006–2010) 

A.J.’s Story 43 | Herb’s Story 45 | Milestones 47 


The Sustainability Years (2011–2015) 

Jamie’s Story 58 | Paul’s Story 61 | Milestones 63 


The Maturation Years (2016–2020) 

Maya’s Story 77 | Courtni’s Story 80 | Milestones 82 


LOOKING FORWARD 

The Future Years (2021–onward) 

Recovery Can’t Wait 92 | Men’s Campus 95 

Women’s Campus 97 | Milestones 99 

SPECIAL THANKS 

Meet the Bilbros 101 | Our Village 106 | Our Cornerstone 110 

“Thank You” 115 

2

3 CELEBRATING YEARS OF RECOVERY HEALING-TRANSITIONS.ORG

WHAT DOES 

Healing Transitions 

MEAN TO YOU? 

Looking back. 

As I have been reflecting on 

the last 20 years of Healing 

Transitions’ service to the 

community, a question of great 

interest to me has been “What 

does Healing Transitions mean to 

you?” The utility of this question 

is that it can be answered by the 

individual engaged in services 

as well as friends, families, 

employers, first responders, 

teachers, community partners, 

public officials, municipalities, 

jails, prisons, probation 

officers, colleges/universities, 

faith communities, fitness 

communities, and hospitals. 

Only through asking this question 

broadly enough are we able to 

begin to better understand the 

depth and breadth of the impact 

of Healing Transitions as: 

1. A MODEL 

low-barriers, services ondemand, 

at no cost to 

the individual 

2. A CONDUIT TO THE LARGER 

RECOVERY COMMUNITY 

growth of addiction recovery 

mutual aid meetings and 

Oxford Houses 

3. AN INCUBATOR 

alumni who have gone on 

to work professionally in 

recovery and treatment 

settings, interns whose 

experience with Healing 

Transitions has influenced 

the direction of their 

careers, a service ethic for 

helping others that has been 

embodied by many alumni 

4. A LEARNING LAB 

all of our Healing Transitions 

interns, all of the law 

enforcement officers who 

have toured and attended 

educational classes as part of 

the CIT program, all of the new 

EMS paramedics who spend 

time at Healing Transitions 

as part of their academy, all 

of the Advanced Practice 

Paramedics who have spent 

time at Healing Transitions and 

invited Healing Transitions to 

contribute to their educational 

training as part of the Mobile 

Integrated Health Program, 

domestic and international 

guests we have hosted (Ghana 

and Japan) and elements 

of Healing Transitions that 

they have incorporated into 

their services 

5. A SOURCE OF HOPE AND 

INSPIRATION 

the Healing Transitions 

participants, alumni, staff, 

and volunteers 

LETTER FROM LEADERSHIP 

4

“ Each individual answer 

will be uniquely 

painted by our personal 

experiences.” 

If you are reading this 

publication, then there is a strong 

chance that you are a past or 

current supporter of Healing 

Transitions. And whether you 

have been with us for a long 

time or joined our recovery 

village recently, I invite you to 

ask yourself that very question: 

“What does Healing Transitions 

mean to you?” Each individual 

answer will be uniquely painted 

by our personal experiences. 

And by each of us reflecting 

on and sharing how we have 

been impacted, we collectively 

create the tapestry of Healing 

Transitions’ impact over the past 

two decades. 

Looking forward. 

As we stride forward into the 

coming decades of service to the 

community, Healing Transitions 

will continue to be guided by our 

founding principles of providing 

low barriers and services ondemand 

as well as being both 

peer-driven and recoveryoriented...as 

many times as 

it takes. 

The future of Healing Transitions 

will be guided by a desire to 

see more people initiate and 

sustain recovery. And it will 

include the addition of new 

principles as we gain more 

institutional knowledge of 

effective practices, are better 

informed by research, and adapt 

to the changing needs of the 

community (i.e. shifting drug 

trends) as well as changes within 

behavioral healthcare policies. 

Our experience over the past 

20 years has already helped 

us improve how we support 

individuals. Three main examples 

of this are: 

1. Greater connection to the 

community, particularly the 

recovery, faith, and fitness 

communities. 

2. Recognition and support of 

multiple pathways of recovery 

initiation and maintenance. 

3. Broadening our core strength, 

peer support, to include 

outreach to: 

a. Those who have not 

engaged in Healing 

Transitions services 

(Rapid Responder program) 

b. Those who did not 

complete the recovery 

program 

c. All individuals over a 

longer period of time 

As we approach the final stages 

of our $16.75 million Recovery 

Can’t Wait capital campaign for 

our much-needed expansion, 

we enter this new season with a 

tremendous amount of gratitude 

and excitement. Gratitude for 

those who have supported us 

over two decades and for those 

who have allowed us to serve 

them when they needed it most. 

And excitement for those who 

will support us in the future, and 

for those whom it is our mission 

to continue serving for years 

to come. 

With gratitude, 

Chris Budnick 

Executive Director 


Back 

LOOKING 

6


Foundational 

the 

YEARS 

1997-2000 

During the mid-1990’s, Wake County was struggling to address the increasing 

number of homeless individuals, two-thirds of whom were identified as also 

having an alcohol or other drug problem. Because no shelters would serve 

individuals under the influence, street homelessness became a larger problem 

resulting in the overuse of jails and emergency departments. 

The County formed several committees to explore possible solutions. Their final 

recommendation – a non-medical detox, an emergency “wet” shelter, and a longterm 

peer-run recovery program (based on a model in Louisville, KY that was 

achieving significant results). At the time, official records estimated the number 

of homeless individuals to be 1251. Interestingly, quite some time later, the City 

assigned 1251 Goode Street as The Healing Place’s official street address. Many 

saw this as a sign, with some even calling the campus "God’s four acres." 

In 2001, Healing Transitions opened its men’s campus with 165 beds. Then in 

2006, the women’s campus was opened with 88 beds. Since its inception, Healing 

Transitions has provided a better quality and more economical alternative to 

emergency departments, jails, first responders, and the streets. 

Wake County 

Facts * (1997-2000) 

Population 14.8% increase 

Homelessness 15.4% decrease 

Year Wake Co. Population Homeless Count 

1997 551,790 1,856 

1998 

570,353 1,975 

1999 

586,940 1,900 

2000 

633,517 1,571 

*Source: United States Census Bureau 

THE FOUNDATIONAL YEARS [ 1997–2000 ] 

8

Linda Strother 

THE VISIONARY 

In a world that feels constantly 

connected, it’s hard to imagine 

a time when “just Google it” 

didn’t bring you the answers you 

were looking for. But for Linda 

Strother, a retired public health 

nurse in Wake County, it wasn’t 

that easy. 


“For several years, we’d been 

working hard to address the 

rising homelessness and 

addiction problems in the 

community, but it wasn’t 

enough,” she recalled. “In 1993, 

we started to see the rapid rise 

of these issues in our community 

and the devastation it caused for 

so many.” 

Back then, Wake County had 

just eight detox beds and 26 

substance use rehabilitation 

beds in the entire county. 

The County organized a task 

force with several community 

partners to find a program 

that could address this urgent 

need. Linda was volunteered 

to serve as the chair of the 

committee, but she could’ve 

never imagined what that 

request would turn into. 


“ Bringing The Healing 

Place program to 

Wake County was like 

a dream to me.” 

“It scared the liver out of me, to 

tell you the truth. Are you kidding 

me? I was so frustrated. I was 

looking for all kinds of solutions 

but nothing suited me. Nothing fit 

what I was looking for.” 

“Bringing The Healing Place 

program to Wake County was 

like a dream to me,” Linda shared 

fondly. “It was like building the 

steps of recovery from nothing 

to something. That’s exactly how 

I felt about it. It took so many 

people. I still don’t know how I 

found the program in the first 

place. I think it was a Higher 

Power. I really do.” 

And then it happened. On 

January 14, 1997, long after her 

teammates had turned off the 

lights in the office and left to go 

home, Linda was still at her desk, 

typing and searching and looking 

desperately for something that 

would help. 

“I stayed in my office until 

seven o’clock that night. It was 

dark outside. And I wasn’t very 

computer literate at all. I put my 

finger on the keys, counted to 

five, and guess what? The Healing 

Place of Louisville, Kentucky 

came up on the screen (a site 

which, at the time, had only been 

viewed 701 times ever). It just 

appeared. I got cold chills from 

my toes to my head. I had been so 

agonized, so tired, so frustrated. 

And then there it was.” 

Linda presented the program 

to her boss, Maria Spaulding, 

who was the Director of Wake 

County Human Services at the 

time. Maria quickly realized 

its potential and made it a top 

priority for the department. Soon 

after, Maria led an 18-person 

delegation of community 

partners to visit the program 

in Kentucky. Three members of 

that group – Maria Spaulding, 

Barbara Goodmon (Wake County 

Human Services board member), 

and Fred Barber (Senior Vice 

President for Broadcasting at 

Capitol Broadcasting Company) 

– were so inspired by what they 

saw on that trip that they agreed 

to do whatever it took to bring 

the program to Wake County. The 

group, known as The Dynamic 

Trio, was born! 

When construction began in 

2000, Linda and her husband 

visited the construction site. 

“I kissed the bricks!” Linda said 

with a laugh. 

Linda shares her reflections 

as she looks back on Healing 

Transitions’ 20-year history. 

“Chris Budnick is the true hero 

of this program,” she shared. “He 

is the only person who has been 

there from the writing of the first 

program policies to seeing the 

construction of the men’s and 

women’s campuses to the dayto-day 

joys and challenges of 

running Healing Transitions for 

all of the 20 years of existence. 

He is incredible.” 

She also reminisced about 

her role in the organization’s 

success. “I just felt so good being 

a part of Healing Transitions,” 

she acknowledged. “Sometimes, 

it can be so frustrating to be a 

nurse, seeing what we see every 

day. But deep down, human 

beings can be really good, you 

know? We can all make things 

better.” 


10

“ Maria Spaulding, the Wake County 

Human Services Director; Barbara 

Goodmon, a member of the Wake 

County Human Services Board, and 

Fred Barber, Senior Vice President 

at Capital Broadcasting Company – 

the three people who have worked 

tirelessly to bring a local program 

of the celebrated Healing Place (a 

nonprofit organization based in 

Louisville, Kentucky) to Wake County.” 

The News & Observer, March 17, 1999 

11

OUR FOUNDERS 

Dynamic 

the 

TRIO 

Fred Barber, Maria Spaulding, 

and Barbara Goodmon. 

12

Fred Barber (1938-2014) 

THE LEADER 

You can almost hear the smile 

spreading on Evelyn Barber’s 

face when we start talking about 

her late husband, Fred, and one 

of the biggest joys of his life – his 

work at Healing Transitions. 

“Healing Transitions became 

the greatest passion of Fred’s 

life,” she said. “And I felt the 

same way. We lost our older 

son, Mark, to alcoholism, and 

Fred was a recovering alcoholic. 

We couldn’t save our son, but 

we both felt that our work with 

Healing Transitions was a tribute 

to him. And if we could help 

other parents help their children 

save themselves…well it became 

very personal to us.” 

Fred Barber, along with former 

Wake County Human Services 

director, Maria Spaulding, and 

Barbara Goodmon, former Board 

Member at Wake County Human 

Services, became known in the 

community as the “Dynamic 

Trio.” Many who spoke to us for 

this series acknowledged that 

opening the doors at Healing 

Darryl with Evelyn 


OUR FOUNDERS 

“ I think to see people go from living on the streets 

to living normal life again, it’s very rewarding.” 

Transitions 20 years ago would 

never have happened without 

the trio’s unique combination of 

charm, perseverance, and grit. 

While the three of them faced 

some early challenges trying 

to convince local leaders and 

donors that this program was a 

worthwhile investment for the 

community, Evelyn still remembers 

those early days fondly. 

“I called Fred’s work with 

Healing Transitions his ’healthy 

obsession.’ And I’m so glad he 

found it,” she recalled. “Saturday 

nights were our date nights, 

and we’d always start them with 

his weekly meeting at Healing 

Transitions. I’d go with him, and 

then we’d go out to get a pancake 

or something to eat together 

downtown. That was always fun.” 

Fast forward twenty years, and 

she still sees the rewards of her 

husband’s hard work almost daily. 

“One of the most exciting and 

rewarding things to me has 

been encountering people in 

jobs around town. People who 

completed the program and 

are now functioning in the ’real 

world.’ That’s just so exciting. 

And a lot of them are now giving 

back to others. I love to see 

people go from living on the 

streets to living a normal life 

again, it’s very rewarding. My 

face lights up every time I think 

of it. It’s so heartwarming.” 

Evelyn smiled as she added, “I 

consider myself a pretty riskaverse 

person. But here we were, 

Fred and me, Maria and Barbara, 

starting something that some 

people might say was risky. But 

how could you go wrong with 

helping others? I never thought 

of it as risky at all.” 

Evelyn Barber, Kat Thomas, 

John T., and Fred Barber 


14

Maria Spaulding 

THE PERSONALITY 

When Maria Spaulding 

started her career, she 

wasn’t sure what she wanted 

to do, but she knew she did not 

want to have anything to do with 

“disadvantaged people or people 

who had a lot of problems.” 

You can hear her laugh as she 

tells this part of her life story. 

“I wanted to work with people 

who were healthy, I wanted to 

work in economic development 

with a lot of money. That’s what 

my goal was when I was younger. 

Working in human services was a 

total accident.” 

Call it a “happy accident” then, 

because Maria Spaulding’s 

work over the span of her 30- 

year career in human services 

included co-founding Healing 

Transitions with Fred Barber 

and Barbara Goodmon. She 

remembered the day they 

decided to make it happen. 

“We were on the plane coming 

back from that first visit to The 

Healing Place in Kentucky, and 

we could not get back here 

fast enough to start calling 

people. We just put our heads 

together and said ’Come hell 

or high water, we’re bringing 

this program to Raleigh, and 

nothing is going to stop us’,” 

she shared. “And nothing did. It 

was wonderful. One of the best 

days of my life was when we 

opened and probably the most 

outstanding thing I feel like 

I’ve done in my whole career. 

I would never exchange it for 

anything. Never.” 

Maria recalled the enormous task 

her team faced when she was 

selected to head up Wake County 

Human Services and reorganize 

the social services departments 

across the county. 

“We were working to integrate 

our services because we 

realized that people never 

came to us with one issue, they 

came with several issues. If you 

weren’t able to address all of 

the issues, they would never 

become a whole person and 

be able to be self-sufficient, 

keep their families together, 

and stay out of trouble. It just 

never worked,” she shared. 

“We conducted a survey and 

found that the things that kept 

people from being successful 

were poverty and substance 

use problems. And that’s when 

we knew we had to find a new 

solution to this problem for 

our community.” 

Even though Healing Transitions 

has been open for nearly two 

decades now, Maria says she still 

hears from people whose lives 

have been changed as a result 

of the program. 

“I remember going to the grocery 

store a few years ago and the 

cashier said, ’You don’t know me, 


OUR FOUNDERS 

but I graduated from Healing 

Transitions, and I’ve been sober 

for several years now. And you 

sent a bedroom furniture set 

from your house to help me get 

started. I still have that furniture 

in my bedroom,’ he told me.” 

Maria continued to reflect on 

the legacy of her life’s work and 

of Healing Transitions’ impact in 

the community. 

“It’s very gratifying to know you 

had a hand in someone’s success 

in their life. To see them working, 

happy, and back with their family. 

It’s tremendous. Believe it or not, I 

found my mission. Human services 

was the very thing I had run away 

from for almost 20 years of my 

career. This was the kind of work 

that wasn’t work, and it really 

became my life’s mission. And I 

still love it today!” 

“ It’s very gratifying to 

know you had a hand 

in someone’s success 

in their life.” 



16

Barbara Goodmon 

THE POWERHOUSE 

When you sit down to hear 

the stories of Healing 

Transitions’ early days, one story 

comes up over and over again. 

Each founder interviewed for 

this year’s anniversary stories 

said, “You have to ask Barbara 

about the time we met with 

WakeMed.” And then they would 

laugh. Naturally this was the 

first question we asked Barbara 

Goodmon, one of Healing 

Transitions co-founders. 

“We had decided that WakeMed 

had to give us $2 million,” 

said Barbara, her voice thick 

with pride as she recalled the 

meeting that would become the 

catalyst for the organization’s 

biggest donation at the time. 

“They just had to. We had no way 

to raise that money alone. The 

three of us didn’t know much 

about fundraising at the time. 

And no one else was going to 

give us that kind of money to 

invest in a program they had 

never seen or heard of.” 



OUR FOUNDERS 

She continued. “The WakeMed 

board offered us $1 million, and 

I said, ’Thank you, but that’s not 

enough.’ They told us to leave and 

go wait for them in the hallway. 

They talked for a while and then 

came out and agreed to give us 

the full $2 million. Just like that.” 

Barbara, Maria Spaulding (the 

former executive director at 

Wake County Human Services), 

and Evelyn Barber (Capitol 

Broadcasting Company’s 

former Senior Vice President 

for Broadcasting), agreed that 

without that donation from 

WakeMed, Healing Transitions 

may not be around today to 

celebrate its 20th anniversary. 

“Downtown at that time wasn’t 

a nice place. We literally had 

no services to help people back 

then,” Barbara noted. “The 

police would drive homeless 

individuals five miles out of town 

and drop them off in the middle 

of nowhere. Hospitals would 

even give money to people to 

make them go away. Those were 

the options. There were so many 

people with nowhere to go and 

no help for them.” 

At the time, Barbara was serving 

on the board of Wake County’s 

Human Services department 

alongside Maria Spaulding. 

They realized the community 

desperately needed a better 

solution to the problems of 

homelessness and substance use, 

but no one knew where to turn. 

“Linda Strother, a staffer on 

Maria’s team at the time, quite 

accidentally found this program,” 

recalled Barbara. “We went to 

Louisville, Kentucky to see The 

Healing Place program. We were 

blown away. We kept looking for 

the problems. It couldn’t really be 

this good.” 

“When we came back, we got off 

the airplane, and Fred, Maria, and 

I made a pact that we would see 

to it that Healing Transitions was 

built. And that’s how it started.” 

Barbara, Maria, and Fred were 

known around town as the 

“Dynamic Trio.” But it wasn’t 

always smooth sailing to get 

these three to agree as they 

worked toward their goal of 

opening Healing Transitions. 

“Fred was our leader. He was 

a great person, and I’m sorry 

he isn’t here to celebrate this 

with us,” said Barbara. “Fred 

and Maria would fuss at each 

other all the time. They were 

both strong-headed. I mean, 

I have a strong personality, 

but nothing to beat theirs. But 

then, we’d always get done 

what we were supposed to get 

done. And we got it done right. 

It was a mountain of a task, 

and we needed to have strong 

personalities to get it done.” 

Today, Barbara says it’s 

incredible to hear the stories 

of the thousands of men and 

women whose lives have been 

changed for the better because 

of Healing Transitions’ work in 


“We had more disbelievers 

than believers when we first 

started,” added Barbara. “But 

look at it today. When I pass 

by Healing Transitions, it’s 

remarkable. They’re known far 

and wide. Healing Transitions 

has helped to make Raleigh 

what it is today.” 

“ Healing Transitions has helped to make Raleigh 

what it is today." 


18

IN 

THE 

News 

(1997-2000) 

The News & Observer, March 17, 1999 

The News & Observer, November 27, 1998 

The News & Observer, June 28, 2000 


Centennial Campus, July 9, 1999 

The News & Observer, July 7, 1999 

The News & Observer, November 27, 1998 

The News & Observer, 

July 23, 1999 


20

Jay Davidson,President/CEO of The Healing 

Place of Louisville and Maria Spaulding at 

the Dedication Ceremony held May 2, 2001. 


Star£-Up 

the 

YEARS 

2001-2005 

On January 15, 2001, after years of research, collaboration, planning, 

investment from the community, building, and tons of hard work, Healing 

Transitions – known then as The Healing Place of Wake County – opened its 

doors to the community. The mission was simple: provide on-demand recovery 

services at no cost for homeless, uninsured, and underserved men. Four days 

later, the first nine men entered the first stage of the recovery program. 

The impact was immediate. In its first year of operation, Healing Transitions 

served 1,105 men in need of its services, and 42 completed the long-term 

recovery program. Within the first five years of existence, the Wake County 

homeless population decreased by almost 25%, even as the general population 

saw an increase of more than 14%. 

*Source: United States Census Bureau 

Wake County 

Facts (2001-2005) 




2001 659,127 1,472 

2002 

680,443 1,571 

2003 

701,437 1,472 

2004 

723,095 1,235 

2005 

753,828 1,106 

THE START-UP YEARS [ 2001–2005 ] 

22

(continued from previous page) 

At the helm of this ship was 

Dennis Parnell, who served as 

the organization’s founding 

director from January 

1999-March 2016. Dennis was 

instrumental in the successful 

replication of the Louisville 

model, and he was actively 

involved in the design phase of 

the men’s campus. 

Karen Parnell, wife of founding 

Executive Director, Dennis, during 

construction of Men’s Campus on 

July 25, 2001. 

While the success and impact 

of The Healing Place was 

being felt by the community, 

there remained a need to 

serve homeless, uninsured, 

and underserved women and 

children. Calls from women in 

need and letters from women 

who were in jail needing a place 

to recover had steadily streamed 

in since the first day. 

First Silver Chip class. 

“ The mission was simple: provide on-demand 

recovery services at no cost for homeless, 

uninsured, and underserved men.” 

In 2003, a $10 million capital 

campaign kicked off for a 

90-bed facility for women. 

Initial investments were made 

by some familiar supporters 

of the first capital campaign 

– The Wake County Board of 

Alcoholic Beverage Control, 

Wake County, Progress Energy, 

Capital Broadcasting, and the 

A.J. Fletcher Foundation. By 

late 2005, the fundraising goal 

had been completed and a new 

building providing recovery 

services to women in need was 

in its final stages of preparation. 

Healing Transitions’ women’s 

campus was a go. 


West 

MEET 

Silver Chipper #3 

“ The sense of community that was 

built in the program became a lifelong 

bond that can never be broken. I’m still 

touched when I hear from someone 

who I went through the program with.” 

Darryl “West” 


24

“ That was January 24, 

2001, the day that I was 

introduced to Healing 

Transitions. Since 

that day, my life has 

dramatically changed.” 

Before I came to Healing Transitions, I was living 

in a rooming house and was behind on the 

rent, facing eviction. The place was really a crack 

house because of all the drugs being used there. 

My last day using was January 23. I used that 

entire night and wound up going to Shepherd’s 

Table Soup Kitchen for lunch the next day. 

Unbeknownst to me, the 20 guys who were in the program 

at the recently-opened Healing Transitions (known then 

as The Healing Place of Wake County) would eat lunch at 


Past and present of Darryl (the photo 

of him in the blue suit is from the first 

Silver Chip ceremony in 2001). 

the soup kitchen. I ran into a guy 

while I was there that day who I 

knew on the streets. There was 

something different about him. 

He looked different. I asked him 

what he’d been up to, and he 

told me that he was at this new 

treatment place on the Dorothea 

Dix campus. He talked about how 

great it was and how they were 

fed each day and went to classes. 

So, I asked him how I could get 

into this program. He told me 

that there was a big bus that 

comes in the evening to pick a 

certain number of people up and 

take them over to The Healing 

Place. And at that point, I had a 

decision to make. Do I take the 

risk of going back to the rooming 

house and possibly using, or go 

wait for that bus to come? 

I decided to go over to where 

the bus stop was and sat in the 

woods for four or five hours 

while I waited for the bus. It 

was 28-degrees outside with a 

slight mist in the air. There I was 

– weighing about 127 pounds, 

wearing a thin jacket, some 

sweatpants, and girls’ sneakers 

– waiting in the woods. That 

was January 24, 2001, the day 


26

that I was introduced to Healing 

Transitions. Since that day, my life 

has dramatically changed. 

When I first got to Healing 

Transitions, it was just nine days 

after it had opened. At the time, 

there was no detox center. Just 

the overnight shelter and about 

20 guys in the first stage of the 

program. The courtyard was 

nothing but mud with the giant 

archway and wall sticking out 

of it. 90% of the staff were from 

Louisville, and they were actually 

living on campus in what would 

later be the CTR halls. 

I vividly remember the moment 

after I was dropped off, I was 

making my way down the 

walkway toward the overnight 

shelter and peered into one of 

the windows where the detox 

center would later be. They didn’t 

have any clients or staff in there 

yet, the only items they had in 

the room were the brown, steel 

bed frames. Having worked in the 

funeral business in the past, 

I thought it was their morgue. 

In those early days of Healing 

Transitions, when you got into the 

program, you didn’t really have a 

place to lay down and detox to get 

primed for the program. Plus, you 

really didn’t have anybody ahead 

of you in the program to believe 

in. I didn’t even really believe the 

staff from Louisville who kept 

telling me that this will work if I 

followed the process. The only 

evidence I had was knowing that 

what I was doing wasn’t working. 

So it was really a leap of faith to 

follow their process and listen to 

what I was told. 

One of the biggest aspects that 

made the program work for 

those first cohorts was how safe 

the facilities were. I had stayed 

in other shelters in the past, 

and I never felt safe at all. So 

having everyone feel safe and 

secure really helped us focus 

on what we needed to do in the 

program. On top of that, there 

weren’t any expectations that 

were unrealistic to achieve. All 

you had to do was go to class, 

remain substance free, refrain 

“ Congratulations to Healing Transitions for two 

decades of service to our community.” 

from saying offensive things, 

and never use violence. Those 

simple guidelines helped create 

a feeling of love and kindness 

for one other. The sense of 

community that was built in the 

program became a lifelong bond 

that can never be broken. I’m 

still touched when I hear from 

someone who I went through the 

program with. 

I was part of the first group of 10 

men who completed the recovery 

program – Silver Chipper #3. That 

was in August of 2001. It was that 

very first group that made the 

decision to dress up and celebrate 

our completion of the program. 

Nobody ever told us that we 

needed to wear suits or make it 

an occasion, but we wanted to do 

it because some of us had never 

completed anything but a jail 

sentence or a bottle of wine. 

After completing the program, 

my fellow peer, Jerome, and I 

were the first two alumni who 

were hired as staff members at 

Healing Transitions. We worked 

in the detox center and overnight 

shelter, which I did for more than 

three years. Even after leaving 

that job, I’ve continued to stay 

closely connected with Healing 

Transitions, doing whatever I can 

to help out. 

In 2011, I was elected onto the 

Board of Directors for Healing 

Transitions. So, I went from 

walking past what I thought 

was the morgue, to sitting 

in the boardroom. I still get 

chills when I think about that. 

Being on the board was a little 

intimidating, at first. There were 

lawyers, businesspeople, and 

other accomplished folks on the 

committee. I remember in the 

very first meeting, they needed to 

raise $8,000 to reach a fundraising 

goal they were working on, and 

one of the board members just 

reached in her pocket and wrote 

a check for $7,500. I didn’t even 

have $75 in the bank! I later talked 

to my mentor about it, and he 

told me that they’re just a bunch 

of human beings with briefcases. 


They have struggles just like I did, 

and they were no different. And 

they weren’t. 

As a past participant, I knew 

it could be intimidating to see 

the board members on campus. 

There was a bit of a disconnect 

between the folks who were in 

the program and the folks who 

were trying to grow the program. 

So, during my time on the board, 

I came up with the idea that 

we would eat dinner before the 

board meetings in the cafeteria 

with the participants. That way 

we could actually get to know 

one another, which would help 

the participants appreciate the 

board members more, and it 

would help the board understand 

the people and program better. 

It was a win-win. 

That connection between the 

program participants and board 

members was something I felt 

I brought to the board while 

serving on it. Whether it was 

eating with the participants, 

serving meals to them, or 

volunteering to help out in other 

ways, we worked on bridging that 

gap between the two groups. 

That way the board members 

weren’t viewed as objects to the 

participants, and vice versa. 

When I reflect on how Healing 

Transitions has grown over the 

past 20 years, I have really seen 

the growth of three different 

areas. First, it has helped grow 

the community. Sometimes there 

are things happening all around 

us that you can’t see – but you 

can feel something is different. 

When I first got into the program 

20 years ago, nobody knew what 

Healing Transitions was. It was 

just this new entity that nobody 

understood. But now, Healing 

Transitions is one of the most 

respected institutions in 


When Healing Transitions was 

founded, and when I got there, we 

were in the middle of the crack 

epidemic. Nobody knew that in 

10 years, the opioid epidemic was 

going to hit the community even 

harder. But Healing Transitions 

primed the community by helping 

it survive the crack epidemic. 

And because of that, all of the 

stakeholders in the community, 

whether they’re homeowners, law 

enforcement, healthcare workers, 

etc. now know that this is a place 

where someone in need of help 

can be sent to so they can live 

a better life. And so many folks 

in our community have come 

through the doors at Healing 

Transitions, like me. You might not 

see us, but we’re there. 

Second, Healing Transitions has 

helped me grow, personally. I 

have six grandsons – from ages 

4 to 20 – and none of them 

have seen or heard of me using 

drugs and alcohol. So, I’ve been 

reunited with my family. Healing 

Transitions also helped me 

achieve a professional career. And 

even in my career, I try to exude 

and promote a lot of the same 

principles the program taught me. 

Finally, Healing Transitions has 

helped the recovery community 

grow. This place gives those who 

have come through the program 

somewhere to go so we can 

recharge. For so many of us, that 

constant connection with the 

recovery community is vital. So, 

we’re able to go up to campus 

and talk, laugh, reminisce, and 

bond with those going through 

the exact same thing we went 

through. The growth of Healing 

Transitions over the last 20 years 

has been unlike anything I’ve 

ever experienced. And as long 

as the doors remain open, I hope 

to continually be of service to 

them. Congratulations to Healing 

Transitions for two decades of 

service to our community. 


28

Raeford 

MEET 


“ And on September 3, 2002, 

I became the 85th person 

to complete the program.” 


Before I came to Healing Transitions, my 

life was screwed up because of drugs 

and alcohol. My using caused me to go to 

prison for a little while. Then, even after I 

got out, I kept using. I just didn’t know how 

to stop. 

The night I went to Healing Transitions is one I’ll 

always remember. It was a cold, December night 

back in 2001, and I had made up my mind that I 

was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I called 

the Raleigh Police Department and told them that 

I couldn’t stop using and needed help. Thankfully, 

they came and picked me up, and took me to an 

alcohol treatment center near WakeMed. One of 

the on-duty staff members said they didn’t have an 

available bed that night. However, they told me that 

I could go to Healing Transitions, known then as 

The Healing Place, and that they’d take me in. 

Now, I’m a Raleigh-native, and I had no idea that this 

place existed. 

So, the RPD officer brought me to Healing 

Transitions and dropped me off at the detox center. 

That was on December 18th. Since it was so close 

to Christmas, I didn’t want to stay. I told the person 

working in detox that I wanted to be with my family 

Raeford came to Healing Transitions 

in December 2001. He began 

working December 16, 2002. 

30

“ One of the biggest impacts Healing Transitions 

has had is how it has helped keep people out 

of jails and hospitals. I’ve also noticed how the 

community has felt safer because of the work 

Healing Transitions and its partners have done.” 

and friends for the holidays. He 

replied that the best thing I could 

give my family for Christmas is 

the gift of being clean and sober. 

So I decided to stay for another 

night, but I told myself that the 

next day would be my last. 

My plan for the next day was to 

get up in the morning, trudge 

with the guys to attend a class, 

then leave after the class was 

over. But while I was sitting in 

that class, I had a realization. It 

felt like someone tapped me on 

the shoulder and said, “Where 

are you going? You’ve burnt every 

bridge that you have. Nobody 

wants you around because you 

cause problems every time 

you get to drinking. You have 

nowhere to go.” After the class 

was over, instead of leaving to be 

with my family, I decided to stay a 

little while longer. 

classes to the new participants. 

I was near the end of my second 

term as a peer mentor when 

Chris Budnick, now the Executive 

Director, asked if I would like to 

work at Healing Transitions. I 

said I would love to, and started 

working part-time before being 

hired on full-time. 

Ever since I made that decision 

during class to stay in the 

program, life in recovery has been 

incredible. I would never want to 

live my life any other way. What I 

learned while going through the 

program are lessons that I’ll take 

with me for the rest of my life. I’m 

so grateful for the classes where 

I learned that because of this 

disease, if I go back out and use 

again even once, I’ll wind up right 

back where I was 19 years ago. 

The recovery program also taught 

me how to help other people. 

Because before I came here, 

I wasn’t interested in helping 

another person unless I was 

getting something out of it. But 

now I know how to truly care for 

another person. 

What I didn’t realize as I stepped 

onto the men’s campus on 

After about three months of 

being in the recovery program, 

I made my mind up that this 

was something I was going to 

do. I’ve never finished anything 

in my life, but I decided that I 

would complete this recovery 

program. And on September 3, 

2002, I became the 85th person 

to complete the program. After 

finishing, I signed up to be a 

peer mentor and helped teach 

Raeford during check-in. 


December 18, 2001 is that I 

would be a part of this place for 

decades to come. For the last 

13 years, I have been working 

full-time in the overnight shelter. 

The guys in the shelter know 

that they can come up and ask 

me about recovery. We can talk 

about recovery all night long if 

they want to. I love giving back 

and helping the next person the 

same way I was helped when I 

was here. 

My favorite part of working 

in the shelter is getting to see 

people transform right in front 

of my eyes. I love watching 

how people grow as they go 

through the program and learn 

about this disease. Many times, 

when a person first gets here, 

they aren’t intending to stay 

here. They see the shelter as a 

place that will keep them warm 

through the night. But then 

something happens. They might 

see someone they used to run 

on the streets with, and see the 

change that person has made 

through the program. Or they 

might talk to an alumni about 

their experience in recovery, and 

it makes them want to give this 

program a try. 

I’ve been at Healing Transitions 

from its early days, and the 

impact that I’ve seen this place 

make in the community over the 

last 20 years has been huge. One 

of the biggest impacts Healing 

Transitions has had is how it has 

helped keep people out of jails 

and hospitals. I’ve also noticed 

how the community has felt safer 

because of the work Healing 

Transitions and its partners 

have done. 

When people go through this 

recovery program, their lives 

are completely turned around. 

Healing Transitions has saved my 

life, and in my 20 years of service 

here, I’ve seen the program save 

so many more lives. When I’m at a 

Transition Ceremony and a Silver 

Chipper mentions how I helped 

them through the program, it’s 

a wonderful feeling. I hope I 

can touch more lives and help 

everyone who comes here. 

2001 - 2005 MILESTONES 

2001 Jan. 15 Men’s Campus opens 

2001 July 24 Official DOT adoption of Lake Wheeler Road 

2002 Nov. 26 Silver Chipper #100 completes men’s program 

2003 Feb. 6 Provided 100,000th bed of shelter 

2003 May 17 1,000th client admitted to SUC (now known as Detox Center) 

2003 July $10M capital campaign kicks off for women’s facility 

2004 Nov. 25 Surpassed 200,000 beds of shelter provided 

2004 Dec. 16 Silver Chipper #200 completes men’s program 

2005 Oct. 21 Surpassed 250,000 beds of shelter provided 

2005 Dec. Women’s Campus capital campaign finishes 


32

the 

Star£-Up 

YEARS 

2001-2005 

Thomas Sayre’s canvas for the future Men’s Courtyard. 

David and Henry with new trees. 

Dennis Parnell finding empty beer bottles at site of future 

Men’s Campus. 

Georg’Ellen Betts, Dr. Wilmer Betts, and Jay Davidson at 

2001 Dedication Ceremony. 


Gloria Johnson at 2001 Dedication Ceremony. 

Wake County Medical Society check presentation. 

Evelyn Barber serving food. 

Courtyard wall Steps 1 through 6. 

Courtyard trees. 

Celebrate recovery. 


34

Men’s Courtyard construction. 

Men’s Campus construction. 

Thomas Sayre archway earthcast. 

Raising of archway earthcast. 

Wake Tech’s Tom Nugent with Men’s Campus Life 

Skills students. 

Transition Ceremony. 


Transition Ceremony. 

Jim getting a trim during a Durham Bulls game. 

Typical monthly Lake Wheeler Rd. clean up. 

Durham Bulls game in the Capitol Broadcasting suite. 

Counter Culture collaboration for "Healing Blend" coffee 

at Whole Foods. 

Cinder (2005-2020). 


36

Robert, Silver Chip #165, getting car in recovery. 

Kat Thomas in the new Healthcare Self-Care Clinic. 

August 21, 2002 - Silver Chip Ceremony. 

Durham Bulls baseball game outing. 

William Dickens and Chris Budnick painting a neighbor’s 

home in 2003. 


2004 Detox staff with Dr. Wilmer Betts. 

Help people find their way back. 

Recovery Month walk on September 17, 2004. 

"Phase" the cat (2002-2020). 

Preparing women’s campus. 


38

IN 

THE 

News 

(2001-2005) 

The News & Observer, September 11, 2003 


Healing 

Transitions’ 

Impact 

(2001-2005) 

6,088 

MEN SERVED 

The News & Observer, September, 2000 

329,495 

BEDS PROVIDED 

262 

SILVER CHIPPERS 

The News & Observer, July 17, 2003 

670,000 

MEALS SERVED 

$24.80 

AVERAGE DAILY COST 

PER PERSON 

142.92 

AVERAGE DAILY 

PARTICIPANT CENSUS 

Herald Sun, July 9, 2003 


40

Artspace Community Outreach Program. 

Under the guidance of Artspace sculptor 

Paris Alexander, the men carved 30 

limestone relief sculptures for the new 

Women’s Campus. 


Expansion 

the 

YEARS 

2006-2010 

On January 16, 2006, Healing Transitions’ women’s campus opened, taking 

in 14 women on the very first night. The next day, 10 women entered the first 

stage of the long-term recovery program. Within the first year of operation, the 

women’s campus provided services to 956 women, three of whom completed 

the full recovery program. 

With both campuses fully-operational, Wake County now had a place that 

could serve homeless and underserved men and women struggling with 

addiction that was free to the participant, open 24 hours a day, and would 

serve them as many times as it took to find lasting recovery. The peer-to-peer 

model and connection to local organizations in Wake County allowed each 

person to build a network of support to help them even after they left, no 

matter if it was before or after they completed the recovery program. 

Wake County 

Facts (2006-2010) 

Population 16% increase 

Homelessness 14.6% increase 


2006 792,940 981 

2007 

831,746 1,043 

2008 

866,068 1,144 

2009 

897,214 1,152 

2010 

919,938 1,124 

THE EXPANSION YEARS [ 2006–2010 ] 

42

A.J. 

MEET 


My name is A.J. and I 

am Silver Chipper #10 

at Healing Transitions. I 

completed the program 

in 2007, and if it wasn’t 

for Healing Transitions, I 

wouldn’t be where I am 

today. I was in a very dark 

spot, and the program gave 

me a way to find healing 

and recovery. 

I am the oldest of seven children. 

When I was a child, my mother 

was an alcoholic. So that was 

never one of my demons. I knew 

what would happen if I started 

drinking. Early on, I wanted to 

move out, get my own place, and 

make my own way. Both of my 

grandmothers were nurses, so I 

graduated from high school, got 

my own apartment, and went 

into nursing too. 

My addiction began after my 

marriage started to fall apart. 

Everything I thought I knew 

about my husband was a lie, and 

I began to self-medicate. I had 

always had a place of my own 

since I was 18 years old, but for 

the first time in my life, I didn’t 

have a home. I was too proud 

to say that I was homeless, but 

I was living at my sister’s house 

or my parents’ house. But I was 

really homeless. 

Things were really difficult 

back then. I couldn’t figure out 

why Social Services was always 

showing up at my door, but I was 

struggling. My husband couldn’t 

keep a regular job. I always had 

a job. And by then, I had four 

children to raise. 

I grew up in New York, so I 

decided to go back to my family. 

I knew they’d always take care 

of me, but sometimes, though I 


didn’t realize it at the time, they 

were enabling my addiction 

too. My oldest daughter stayed 

in North Carolina to finish her 

last year of high school. My next 

daughter was already living in 

New York, so I took my youngest 

two children, packed the car, 

and drove back home to my 

parents’ house. 

That summer, I thought my son 

would enjoy sleepaway camp, 

so while he was there for two 

weeks, I drove back to North 

Carolina with my baby to help 

my daughter find a dress for 

prom. One day, a man rode past 

me on a bicycle, and I realized 

it was my bike. I went to my 

storage unit and discovered that 

someone had broken in and 

stolen everything except the 

clothes on the floor of the unit. 

I was devastated. My marriage 

had fallen apart. My children 

were struggling. That night, 

I went and got high. I hadn’t 

been high for a long time. The 

next morning, Social Services 

called me. 

My in-laws had contacted 

them and told them I was using 

drugs and living in my car with 

my baby. They took away my 

daughter that day and told me I 

needed to choose an addiction 

treatment program immediately. 

They showed me a pamphlet, 

and I saw the words “The 

Healing Place of Wake County.” 

I had a sister in Raleigh, so I 

decided to go there. 

I wish you could’ve seen me 

the day I walked into Healing 

Transitions. I was smug, entitled 

and selfish, and I rolled in there 

with my Louis Vuitton purse like 

the Queen of Sheba. There were 

about 20 other women in the 

program when I was there, and 

I remember crying at one of 

my first meetings. I missed my 

children. I wanted to be healthy 

for them. And Miss Ann, the 

family reunification specialist, 

told me that she was willing 

to help me if I was willing to 

help myself. I did everything 

exactly like they told me, 

and I completed the program 

in 2007. 

At Healing Transitions, I 

learned how to respond to 

things differently. That’s been 

the greatest thing for me. I 

make better decisions. I take 

responsibility for my actions. 

Healing Transitions allowed me 

to focus on me so I could take 

the time to identify my behaviors 

(and why I behaved that way) so I 

never have to repeat it. Because 

I was given this opportunity to 

learn about my diseases, I am in 

recovery today. I love Healing 

Transitions. It has been my 

stepping stone to a new life. 

Today, my life is completely 

different. I’m proud of myself. 

I’m a leader and a manager at 

my job. I raised four wonderful 

children and have two precious 

grandchildren. I mentor and 

encourage other people who 

are pursuing their own recovery. 

I still talk to many of my sisters 

who came through the program 

with me. 

Last Christmas, I was visiting my 

daughter at her job, and a young 

lady walked up to me. I couldn’t 

see her face very well because 

she was wearing a facemask, 

but she looked at me and said, 

“Oh my gosh! It’s Miss A.J.! You 

helped me get my children 

back!” It was such a beautiful 

moment. I had been working at 

Healing Transitions shortly after 

I completed the program, and I’d 

helped her pursue her recovery 

and reunite with her children. 

That’s what it’s all about. 


44

Herb 

MEET 


grew up in Cary, NC, in a close-knit family 

I and had the most splendid childhood 

imaginable. But when I was 12, one of the 

guys in our neighborhood who I looked up 

to accidentally shot himself in the head 

while playing a game of Russian Roulette 

with his friends. I was playing outside at 

the time, and when I ran in to see what 

happened, I saw his dead body on the floor. 

After that, I was never quite the same and I 

started drinking to help cope. 

Herb 

High school was just one big party for me, and 

college was an even bigger one. I was 24 credit 

hours shy of graduating when I decided to join the 

Navy. The Navy was amazing until I was honorably 

discharged after getting caught with marijuana. By 

far, one of my biggest regrets in life. 

“ I’m so grateful for Healing 

Transitions and I never want 

to go back to being the guy 

I was before going through 

the recovery program.” 

For the next nearly 25 years, I was using heavily. It 

started with freebasing, then moved to crack. The 

last three of those years, I was homeless and living 

on the streets of Cary. I remember the last time I 

used. I was smoking crack for a good 10 hours and 

just couldn’t get high. I started crying after breaking 

into my parents’ house to steal a beer out of the 

refrigerator, and realized I couldn’t do it anymore. I 

knew something needed to change. 

The very next day, I was at the unemployment office 

trying to find a job, when the employee who I was 

working with told me about Healing Transitions and 

that’s when my life started to turn around. I very 

quickly became my old self again, and as I went 

through the program, I started to experience tough 

love for the first time by my community of fellow 


2001 Silver Chip class with 

Fred Barber in 2010. 

peers. I never knew something 

like that existed and I needed it 

so badly. You see, when you’re 

out on the streets using, it’s a 

cold, hard world. So, going from 

that to having someone actually 

care about me enough to tell me 

the things I needed to work on 

was amazing! 

Toward the end of my time 

at Healing Transitions, I was 

hired to help build the women’s 

campus. They had us come over 

to strip and wax the floors and do 

security detail, and that’s what 

I did until I saved up enough 

money to move out on my own. 

The women’s campus will always 

hold a special place in my heart 

as it helped me move on from 

Healing Transitions, which is 

pretty awesome. 

One of my biggest struggles 

after completing the program 

was that my mom passed away 

before I ever got clean. For as 

long as I can remember, all she 

wanted was for me to graduate 

from college. So, after Healing 

Transitions, I went back to school 

and got my associate degree in 

substance abuse from Wake Tech. 

I dedicated my degree to my mom 

and today, I have a relationship 

with my 88-year-old dad that I 

never had growing up. I live with 

him and take care of him, which is 

such a blessing and honor. 

I’m so grateful for Healing 

Transitions and I never want 

to go back to being the guy 

I was before going through 

the recovery program. Drugs 

and alcohol no longer serve a 

purpose in my life. I’m so stoked 

to have 15 years clean and 

sober and I want to keep it 

going forever. 


46


2006 Jan. 10 2,000th client admitted to Detox Center 

2006 Jan. 16 Women’s Campus opens with 14 women 

2007 Jan. 11 The Healing Place Alumni Association bylaws officially approved 

2007 Sept. 26 Men’s Campus surpasses 350,000 beds of shelter provided 

2008 Aug. 15 Job's Journey opens 

2008 Sept. 9 Men’s campus surpasses 400,000 beds of shelter provided 

2009 Aug. 2 Silver Chipper #400 completes men’s program 

2009 Nov. 2 

First Silver Chipper becomes Certified Substance Abuse Counselor 

(Darryl West) 

2010 June 7 Men’s campus surpasses 500,000 beds of shelter provided 

2010 June 28 Women’s campus surpasses 100,000 beds of shelter provided 

Fred Barber with Barbara Goodmon in December 2006. 

Jo Lawson and Kat Thomas volunteering at the 

NC State Fair. 


the 

Expansion 

YEARS 

2006-2010 

Housing partnership with Passage Home. 

Shelter at Men’s Campus. 

Phase I room at Men’s Campus. Building Meditation Trail at the Women’s Campus in 2007. 


48

Volunteer group at the Women’s Campus. 

Jo Lawson (left) receiving a check. 

Volunteering at State Capitol in 2006. 

Volunteers moving rostrum back into Capitol. 

Men’s choir. 

Durham Bulls baseball game outing. 


Board Chair, Michael Painter, in 2009. 

Drumming Circle at Women’s Campus in 2009. 

Summer event at Women’s Campus. 

Women’s spa day in 2009. 

2009 dedication of courtyard with Thomas Sayre . 


50

Softball game. 

Community Room event at Women’s Campus. 

2010 Hoopsfest with NCSU Men’s Basketball team. 

2010 Christmas. 

Alumni Association car wash fundraiser in 2010. 


Alumni Association collecting stories for book project. Amanda Blue in 2010. 

AARP volunteer day. 

Food truck at the NC State Fair in 2010. 

Larry Gatlin and Kat in 2007. 

Courtyard flowers and arch. 


52

IN 

THE 

News 

(2006-2010) 

Raleigh South Connection, September 20, 2007 




Impact 

(2006-2010) 

8,952 

INDIVIDUALS SERVED 

384,149 

BEDS PROVIDED 

276 


The News & Observer, September 25, 2006 

1,223,609 

MEALS SERVED 

$31.60 


PER PERSON 

210.6 

AVERAGE DAILY 


(Men: 149.1 / Women: 61.5) 

Micromass HP advertisement, January 31, 2010 


54

55 Garden CELEBRATING at Men’s Campus. YEARS OF RECOVERY HEALING-TRANSITIONS.ORG

Sustainability 

the 

YEARS 

2011-2015 

In 2013, the country experienced a shift in the opioid epidemic that had been 

perpetuating since the late-1990s and early-2000s, with opioid overdose deaths 

increasing sharply over the next five years. In Wake County alone, there was a 

197% increase in overdose deaths between 2013-2017. 

This escalation of the opioid epidemic led to an increase in the number of 

people who needed Healing Transitions’ recovery services. Between 2011- 

2015, the average daily census and total number of beds Healing Transitions 

provided grew by 21% compared to the previous five years. One positive 

outcome of this growth was that the number of people who completed the 

long-term recovery program also increased by 36% – meaning recovery was 

thriving at Healing Transitions. 

Wake County 

Facts (2011-2015) 




2011 947,459 1,150 

2012 

952,151 1,132 

2013 

974,289 1,113 

2014 

1,000,000 1,170 

2015 

1,007,551 904 

THE SUSTAINABILITY YEARS [ 2011–2015 ] 

56


Men helping move The Women’s 

Center of Wake County. 

With numbers on the rise 

indicating that they would 

only increase further, and 

with both campuses already 

nearing capacity, Healing 

Transitions leadership identified 

a need to expand to help with 

program sustainability. In 2012, 

Founding Executive Director, 

Dennis Parnell and the Board 

of Directors began discussion 

about a capital campaign for 

expansion. The aim would be 

to provide the infrastructure 

needed to accommodate the 

growing number of folks Healing 

Transitions was serving. And with 

the opioid epidemic accelerating 

in 2013, the expansion discussion 

would soon turn into action. 

Volunteers at the 

2nd Women's Center 

“ This escalation of the opioid epidemic led to an 

increase in the number of people who needed 

Healing Transitions’ recovery services.” 

Another challenge leadership 

faced was financial sustainability. 

At the time, 50-60% of funding 

for The Healing Place of Wake 

County came primarily from 

government entities such as 

the Alcohol Beverage Control 

Commission. In order to diversify 

funding sources and expand 

recovery services, Healing 

Transitions leadership made the 

difficult decision to break away 

from its original model. And in 

2015, The Healing Place of Wake 

County rebranded, changing its 

name to Healing Transitions. 


Jamie 

MEET 


“ I learned how to take responsibility for 

my own recovery at Healing Transitions.” 

Jamie 


58

I 

grew up in New York before moving to 

North Carolina when I was in my early 

teens. Not too long after moving here, I 

had my first experience with drugs and 

alcohol. I was probably about 14 or 15 

years old at the time. It wasn’t really 

something that I had the desire to keep 

doing, but with the crowd that I hung out 

with, it became our lifestyle. 

When I turned 17 or 18, I began 

working in bars and clubs where 

drinking and doing drugs just kind 

of came with the job. For the next 

few years I drank heavily and 

did drugs. When I was 21, I was 

introduced to meth for the first 

time. The experience was awful, 

and I said that I would never do 

it again. Five years later, I was at 

a party when a guy came up to 

me with some meth. So, I tried it 

again, and it was a completely 

different experience. 

Everything changed. When I 

started using, I stopped drinking 

completely and just depended on 

the meth. I began to isolate myself 

from my family. My family tried 

to get me some help early on, but 

I didn’t want that at the time, so 

they just stepped back and let life 

happen for me. At the time, I was 

in a good relationship with a man 

who treated me very well. But 

once I started using meth, I pulled 

away until we were no longer 

together. I found myself getting 

into a relationship with someone 

that was the complete opposite. 

It was an abusive, horrible 

relationship, but I was okay with it. 

I had completely changed. 

A few years later, I found out 

that I was pregnant with my 

daughter. I thought having a 

child was going to change 

everything, and I would be able 

to walk away from that selfish 

lifestyle, but that wasn’t the 

case. After my daughter was 

born, I was right back at it. 

I kept getting in trouble over 

and over again. Every time I 

would go to jail, I would tell 

myself that I wouldn’t do it 

again, but it kept happening. 

One time, I had gotten out of 

jail after being locked up for 45 

days. My mom was watching my 

daughter, who was a year old at 

this point, and kept her awake so 

she could see me when I came 

home. I had been in jail for so 

long that by the time I got home, 

she barely even knew who I was. 

I was heartbroken. 


program. I wasn’t ready for it at 

the time, so she kept that piece of 

paper and waited until I was. 

was small, but doing that every 

single day showed me that it 

was possible. 

Jamie 

I woke up the next morning and 

had so much pain inside of me 

because I didn’t know what to 

do. I had been using and drinking 

for so many years; I didn’t have 

any other way to deal with it. It 

was so uncomfortable sitting on 

my mom’s couch and watching 

my daughter run around. I 

remember crying on my way to 

go get more drugs. 

On my birthday, my sister told me 

that she had a present for me, but 

she wasn’t going to give it to me 

until I was ready for it. She wound 

up showing me that it was the 

number to Healing Transitions – 

she had gotten it from a young 

lady who came through the 

After getting pulled over for 

the third time in a span of a few 

months, I was put on probation. 

I had asked my court-appointed 

attorney if I could pay money to 

be taken off of probation, but the 

day before I was to meet with the 

probation officer to pay that fee, 

I got pulled over. I had no tags on 

my car, no license, and drugs on 

me. I was sent to jail. 

While I was there, I came to the 

conclusion that it was going to 

go one of two ways. If I continued 

the lifestyle that I was living, 

I was going to end up in prison. 

But if God saw fit for me to live 

a different life, He would get me 

into a recovery program. 

I can honestly say that I was over 

my lifestyle. It just wasn’t me. 

I had forgotten all my morals, all 

my values. I was isolating and 

leaving my daughter with my 

mom all the time. So I spoke with 

my lawyer, and was released to 

come to Healing Transitions. 

Before I came to Healing 

Transitions, I didn’t think I was 

ever going to get up in the 

morning and function without 

some sort of substance. I didn’t 

have any motivation to do 

anything, but I just jumped in 

and started doing what they told 

me to do. I would wake up and 

get breakfast, then come back 

to my room and make my bed. It 

As I made my way through the 

program, I began to regain 

important aspects of my life. 

I started working and found a 

job, something that I hadn’t had 

in a long time. I also began to 

reconnect with my daughter. She 

would visit me on the weekends 

where I was able to spend time 

with her. Not long after I left 

Healing Transitions, I was able to 

have her live with me again. 

Recovery for me today is so much 

more than I ever thought. I never 

thought I would be paying my 

own bills. I never thought that 

I would be living successfully 

as a mother. I get to watch my 

daughter go to school every 

single day. She’s doing things that 

I wish I would have done when I 

was a child. I can be there for my 

family today. 

I was driven by drugs for so long 

that I had lost the ability to live, 

or to even know how to live. It 

was by watching and listening to 

the people in the program that I 

learned how to live the life that I 

live today. I learned how to take 

responsibility for my own recovery 

at Healing Transitions. I built a 

network of peers who hold me 

accountable and steer me back on 

course when I need to be. I have 

my daughter and my family back. 

And I’ve found a new family and a 

whole new way of living. 


60

Paul 

MEET 


Paul 

lot of my drinking 

A was based on my 

childhood. My parents 

were divorced when I 

was an infant. My mom 

remarried and I was 

abused physically and 

mentally. When I turned 

six, my mom was just going 

to give me up for foster 

care and get rid of me, so 

my aunt and uncle picked 

me up. From then on, they 

were my parents and I 

lived with them. 

Life was pretty normal after that. 

I went to school, had brothers 

and sisters, and played sports. 

My favorite sport was hockey, 

which became a big part of my 

life. I had my first drink when I 

was eight, but didn’t really start 

drinking until I was about 13. 

Everyone drank back then, so it 

wasn’t that big of a deal. 

We moved to North Carolina a 

little while later, which is where 

I began to get serious about 

playing hockey. Hockey gave me 

some incredible opportunities. 

I ended up playing in the minor 

leagues, but unfortunately that’s 

also when I started to drink 

heavily. I would eventually drink 

all those opportunities away. By 

this time, my parents had moved 

back to New York, but I stayed in 

NC because I had met my wife. 

My wife and I had our first 

daughter, and at the time I wasn’t 

drinking as much. Two years later, 

we had triplets and I couldn’t 

handle the stress of it all, so I 

started drinking a lot heavier. I 

wound up losing my mind and 


was sent to a psychiatric hospital. 

When I came back, my wife said 

she wanted a divorce. 

I lived on my bartender’s couch 

for the next three to four years. I 

drank everything away and went 

through everything I had. I gave 

up the sport I loved, and even 

gave up my vehicle so I could buy 

more alcohol. I didn’t see my kids 

for over four years because I was 

too caught up in trying to drink 

myself to death. 

One night I was in my apartment, 

drinking as usual, and I just yelled 

out, “If there’s a God, show me 

something! Anything!” Then, 

out of nowhere, a commercial 

for Healing Transitions came on 

TV and started playing. It was 

nonstop, every 15-20 minutes, all 

day long. That’s when I decided to 

give this place a shot. So I went. 

The hardest part of being here 

was actually looking at myself 

and seeing all the damage I’d 

done to everyone around me, 

including myself. For the first 

eight months, I didn’t contact my 

kids. When I finally did call them, 

my wife and her parents didn’t 

buy it. They had seen this song 

and dance before. So they started 

with allowing me to call my kids 

and talk to them on the phone. 

Eventually, I earned their trust 

back and was able to see them for 

a couple of hours here and there. 

This turned into me getting to 

see them on the weekends until 

finally having them over at my 

house for weekend sleepovers! 

When I left Healing Transitions, 

I knew that I still needed the 

structure in my life, so I moved 

into a recovery house for two 

and a half years. I maintained 

the relationships with my family 

during this time, and eventually 

they graciously asked me to 

come back home. 

Today, I’m back with my wife and 

kids. I get to coach my sons in 

hockey, and my daughter figure 

skates. I’m a part of my kids’ lives 

from morning to night, which is 

something I would have never 

imagined six years ago. Because 

“ Each year that I get a 

new sobriety chip, I give 

it to my wife. She’s the 

one who deserves the 

recognition.” 

of my recovery, hockey has come 

back into my life and I’ve again 

been given so many opportunities 

through that – employment, 

meeting professional players and 

the chance to be happy and proud 

of myself again. The church I was 

active with during my time at 

Healing Transitions was St. Mark’s 

United Methodist Church. They do 

so much for the guys at Healing 

Transitions. Believe it or not, they 

actually offered me a job and 

I have the privilege of working 

there full-time today. 

Each year that I get a new 

sobriety chip, I give it to my wife. 

She’s the one who deserves the 

recognition. She’s the woman 

who raised four kids on her own 

while her deadbeat husband 

was getting drunk and living 

on a guy’s couch. All I’m doing 

is living the life that I was 

supposed to live. Healing 

Transitions is a place that never 

gives up on you. My goal was to 

drink myself to death, but this 

place saved my life. 

62


2011 Jan. 15 Men’s Campus 10th anniversary 

2011 Jan. 16 Women’s Campus 5th anniversary 

2012 Oct. 14 Family Support Group begins at Women’s Campus 

2012 Oct. 30 Silver Chipper #500 completes men’s program 

2012 Dec. 16 Silver Chipper #100 completes women’s program 

2013 Aug. 9 Men’s Campus surpasses 700,000 beds of shelter 

2014 May 1 Women’s Campus surpasses 200,000 beds of shelter 

2014 May 25 Founding Board Member Fred Barber passes away at the age of 76 

2014 Nov. 8 Healing Transitions surpasses 1,000,000 beds of shelter provided 

2015 Sept. 24 

The Healing Place of Wake County officially becomes Healing 

Transitions 

Senator Richard Burr and Andy in 2011. 

Bill and Chanda. 


the 

Sustainability 

YEARS 

2011-2015 

Open class at Men’s Campus. 

Betsy Johnson. 

Shelter at Men’s Campus. 

Volunteering during Greenlee Dental Clinic. 


64

NCSU Homeless Night. 

Volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. 

Healing Place. 

Gina, Jarvis and Anna. 

Red Hat volunteers at Men’s Campus. 


Tower Co. group upon completion of Women's gazebo. 

First Capital Area Rally for Recovery Women’s Campus. 

Dennis Parnell Waste Industries donation. 

At Ghanaian Embassy for Recovery Africa. 

Phoenix Motorcycle Club Big Book donation. 


66

Chris with retired RPD Police Chief, Cassandra Deck-Brown. 

Bill Borchert, Al Mooney and Chris at book signing in 2013. 

2011 tornado clean up community service. 

Staff lunch. 

Second Capital Area Rally for Recovery. 

A.J. Fletcher Foundation volunteers painting 

community room. 


Staff, interns, and Edwin from Ghana (center front row). 

Second Capital Area Rally for Recovery in 2013. 

Will Roach, Chris Corchiani, and Chris Poole from 

Hoopsfest. 

Corporal Sharpe and William Dickens. 


68

2014 Ice Bucket Challenge. 

First F3 "The Arena" workout in September 2014. 

Certificate of Appreciation from UNC School of Social Work. 

Women’s Silver Chip #8, Julie. 

Garden volunteers. 


Volunteers painting kids' overnight visitation room. 

Alumnus getting car from Wheels for Hope. 

Garden volunteers. 

Chi Rho Omega Chapter with Terri Edwards in 2016. 

The Healing Place model presentation in Yokohama, Japan. 


70

IN 

THE 

News 

(2011-2015) 

Addiction Professional, March/April 2014 




Impact 

(2011-2015) 

8,512 


Mock Interview sessions, November 30, 2011 

463,334 

BEDS PROVIDED 

375 


1,565,244 

MEALS SERVED 

$41.19 


PER PERSON 

253.9 

AVERAGE DAILY 


(Men: 176.9 / Women: 77) 

The News & Observer, December 4, 2012 


72

73 Jarvis, CELEBRATING Silver Chip #420 YEARS OF RECOVERY HEALING-TRANSITIONS.ORG

Małuration 

the 

YEARS 

2016-2020 

Between 2016 and 2020, Healing Transitions saw another 32% increase in 

the number of individuals served. In fact, between 2017 and 2019, Healing 

Transitions had consecutive record-breaking years with the highest number 

of individuals served and average daily census – each year eclipsing the next. 

With the growing population in Wake County and the opioid crisis in full-swing, 

these historic program numbers increased the demands on the alreadyovercrowded 

campuses. 

At the same time, Healing Transitions experienced record totals in private 

donations. In 2018, the number of individual donors doubled from the previous 

year. And in 2019, Healing Transitions eclipsed the $1M mark in donations for 

the first time in its 20-year history. This was tangible proof that the community 

believed in Healing Transitions’ mission. 

Wake County 

Facts (2016-2020) 


Homelessness 19.1% increase 


2016 1,070,000 818 

2017 

1,072,203 884 

2018 

1,092,305 983 

2019 

1,111,761 970 

2020 

1,132,271 974 

THE MATURATION YEARS [ 2016–2020 ] 

74



Local government was also passionate about being a helping hand 

in the mission. And thanks to a partnership with Wake County Public 

Health and Wake County EMS, the Rapid Response initiative was 

launched. This project sends Rapid Responders – Healing Transitions 

staff who are in recovery – out to connect with folks who have 

experienced an overdose in the past 24 hours. 

In 2018, after years of planning and consulting, Healing Transitions 

launched its Recovery Can’t Wait capital campaign to expand both 

campuses, with the goal of raising $16.75M. The wave of support for this 

campaign was tremendous. Within three years, Healing Transitions had 

raised nearly 100% of the target amount thanks to the nonstop efforts 

of campaign leadership, committees, and Healing Transitions staff and 

board members. Massive support came from the City of Raleigh, Wake 

County, A.J. Fletcher Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, The 

SECU Foundation and so many more. 

In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. For the 

first time in its 19-year history, Healing Transitions, with guidance 

from Wake County Public Health, decided to temporarily suspend 

new program admissions. However, within weeks, thanks to the help 

of Alliance Health, Wake County, NCDHHS, WakeMed, RelyMD and 

Southeastern Healthcare of NC, Healing Transitions opened an offsite 

detox center to serve those in immediate need. And in June, new 

admissions were accepted on-site at a limited capacity. 

The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the community’s strong support 

for its mission and capital campaign, though. And on March 24, 2021, 

Healing Transitions celebrated the groundbreaking of the expansion 

(virtually). Nine years after the first discussions of a capital campaign 

took place, Healing Transitions could finally expand to accommodate 

the growing demand for recovery services. 

Women’s Transition Ceremony. 


76

Maya 

MEET 


started drinking at 18, which is kind of a “late bloomer” 

I for a drinker. I had been smoking pot and dropping acid 

before that, but when I started drinking I drank heavily. 

I’d drink as much as I could until I would black out because 

that was the cool thing to do. That’s how you knew you 

were really a part of the party. 

When I was in school, I was a firm 

member of the D.A.R.E. program. 

I truly believed that drugs and 

alcohol were bad, and was 

brought up to be honest, caring, 

and loving toward other people. 

But when I started partying, 

drinking and doing drugs, all of 

those values and morals that I 

learned went out the window. 

I always drank in excess and 

couldn’t conduct myself like 

a lady. No matter how many 

clothes I wore, they always came 

off and I would wake up next to a 

stranger feeling really ashamed 

in the morning. 

When I was 21, I got into a bad 

car accident that broke my neck 

in five places and gave me a 

traumatic brain injury that wound 

up paralyzing my right side. 

When I woke up in the hospital, 

they had me sedated and I vividly 

remember the feeling of being 

on the pain medication. It made 

everything okay. I would be lying 

in the hospital asking myself all 

these questions – Who am I going 

to be? What is going to happen 

to me? Will I ever feel normal 

again? Am I ever going to be 

able to walk again? Am I going 

to be a freak? – But the second 

the doctors gave me the pain 

medication, it would all go away. 

Life would be okay again. So that 

became my solution, and as soon 

as I got out of the hospital – the 

search was on. 

Although I was prescribed two 

months of pain meds, it just 

wasn’t enough and I started 

seeking drugs. One day, I couldn’t 

find pills anymore and heroin 

was available and cheaper, so I 

graduated to heroin. Everything 

just kind of spiraled out of control 

from there. I would take any drug 

that I could get my hands on 

whether it was smoking crack, 

shooting coke or heroin, popping 

Xanax, or drinking until I couldn’t 

stand anymore. 

I sacrificed a lot for drugs and 

alcohol. I chose them over my 

friends, family, education, health, 

even my children. I couldn’t stay 

sober during my first pregnancy 

and had to watch my first child 

in the NICU go through opioid 

withdrawals. I would watch her 

as she was hooked up to all of 

these tubes and monitors, and it 

just hit me. I realized that I am 

affecting somebody other than 

myself. I vowed I was going to do 

better, but when I was pregnant 

with my second child, I still 

couldn’t stay clean. Somehow by 

the grace and mercy of God, he 

was born healthy. 

I continued living an unhealthy 

life with really unhealthy people 

and toxic relationships. When 

my daughter was two, her father 

died of a heroin overdose. A little 

while later, I got into an accident 

with my son in the back seat 

when I completely nodded out 

while driving and totaled the car. 

“ Who am I going to be? What is going to happen to me? Will I ever feel normal 

again? Am I ever going to be able to walk again? Am I going to be a freak?” 


Maya 


78

Luckily, everyone was okay, but 

I was given my first DUI and was 

sent to jail. A few weeks after 

getting out, it happened again. 

My dad had given me his vehicle 

so my children could get around; 

I was leaving my dope lady’s 

house, nodded off, and slammed 

into the back of another car. 

This time, as I was waiting while 

my son was being checked out at 

the hospital, a couple of people 

asked me to come with them and 

took me down to a cop car. They 

let me know that they were from 

CPS and that I was a danger to 

my children and that they were 

taking them away from me. They 

“ Healing Transitions 

has given me a second 

chance in life.” 

let me go upstairs to give my son 

a quick hug and kiss goodbye, 

and they took me to jail again. 

When I got to get out and go 

home again, the house was just 

so quiet and empty. All of my 

kids’ toys were scattered about, 

but no one was playing with 

them. That’s when reality hit me. I 

needed to do something. 

I knew about Healing Transitions 

because my sister went there a 

few years back, so I called them. 

A woman named Audra answered 

the phone – we are still close 

to this very day. Even though 

detoxing was rough, it was 

probably the easiest detox I have 

ever been through. I had a history 

of having seizures when detoxing 

off of opiates and benzos. At one 

point I had to be on epilepsy 

medication because of all the 

seizures I was having. But when 

I was coming off of them coldturkey 

at Healing Transitions, I 

didn’t have any. I could actually 

sleep at night. I know that God 

exists in those walls. 

At first, I didn’t want anything 

to do with the actual recovery 

program. I was a very prideful, 

stubborn person at the time and 

did what I wanted to do. I had all 

of these unhealthy feelings and 

the only way I knew how to deal 

with them was through drugs and 

alcohol, so that’s what I did and 

I wound up having to restart the 

program several times. 

Eventually, I started working with 

a mentor who suggested that I 

get honest with myself and the 

recovery program. That was the 

point where I began to realize 

that I could no longer live a life 

of lies. My spiritual condition 

wouldn’t allow me to do that. 

So I started being honest, and 

dealt with the consequences of 

my actions. And honestly, they 

weren’t as bad as I thought they 

were going to be. 

In the 16 months it took me 

to finish the program, Healing 

Transitions taught me a lot of 

life lessons. Most importantly, 

they taught me how to be a good 

mother. I had never parented 

sober before Healing Transitions. 

Parenting is the hardest thing 

I’ve ever done in my life, 

especially sober. Today, all of my 

relationships with my family have 

been restored and the family 

dynamics are better than they 

have ever been. 

Healing Transitions has given me 

a second chance in life. It’s given 

me the opportunity to live one 

day at a time and be of service to 

other people. I get to help other 

women the same way another 

woman did for me. She saved 

my life. She brought me out of 

the depths of hell and despair. 

I don’t know where I would be 

without her. And for me, to be 

able to do that for someone else 

is a real honor. 

I remember the first month I 

was at Healing Transitions, I 

was in tears all the time. But 

one day, someone looked at me 

and said, “You’re going to help 

a lot of people one day”. I told 

her that I don’t have anything to 

give anybody. I don’t know what 

exactly that person saw in me, or 

why they decided to say that to 

me, but I’ll never forget it. 

Recovery isn’t easy, but it’s 

doable. I worked really, really 

hard to stay drunk and stay 

high and the result was that I 

was constantly miserable. I only 

have to work half as hard to stay 

sober, and I have more peace and 

happiness in my life than 

I ever had before. So the work – 

it’s worth it! 


Courtni 

MEET 


Courtni 


80

W 

here I came from, drinking and using drugs was a 

very normal thing for people to do. Everybody did it, 

which is why I started drinking and smoking weed at age 14. 

I would smoke every day and then drink on the weekends. 

I was always a good kid and an honor roll student with As 

and Bs in my classes. But, there came a point where I was 

just tired of being the ‘good’ child. 

at Healing Transitions, I could 

finally sweep and mop a floor 

without getting high first. I was 

so grateful for that feeling 

because for years, I wouldn’t do 

anything without being under 

the influence. 

When I was 19, I tried pills for the 

first time, and that’s where things 

started taking a turn. My life was 

unmanageable long before I 

started taking pills, but that was 

when I started to see the change 

in myself. I had a three-year-old 

son at the time and could see the 

change in him as well. He went 

from a very happy, outgoing little 

boy to very quiet and reserved. 

When I crossed that line and 

turned into a different person, I 

saw him cross that line and turn 

into a different child. 

A year before I came to Healing 

Transitions, I lost everything in 

one week. On the day my mother 

passed away, I was evicted from 

my house. That same week, I had 

a case opened up on me with my 

kids by Social Services. Two more 

cases would come later on that 

same year. In just one week, I lost 

my mom, my house, and was in 

the process of losing my kids. 

I started to lose my mind. I 

found myself not wanting to 

live anymore but was too afraid 

to die. That’s when I knew 

that I needed to do something 

different. I didn’t realize it at the 

time, but the caseworker I was 

working with turned out to be 

an angel. She told me the steps 

that I needed to take before she 

would allow me to be around 

my children again by myself. She 

set me up to go to a treatment 

place in Charlotte, but I had to 

wait three weeks before they’d 

let me in. I knew I was going to 

die waiting. People were dying 

around me and it was too much 

for me to handle. 

I had a friend who used to talk 

about this homeless shelter he 

went to. He was an alcoholic 

who said he had lived at the 

shelter for a while and got 

better. That shelter was Healing 

Transitions. He called Healing 

Transitions for me and they took 

me in immediately. 

When I first arrived, I wouldn’t 

admit that I was homeless. I 

denied it. But the folks at Healing 

Transitions explained to me that 

since I didn’t have a lease in my 

name, I was essentially homeless. 

As I processed my situation, I 

started seeing people who were 

happy all of the time. At first, I 

thought it was fake, but the more 

I observed them, I realized their 

happiness was genuine. And 

that was something I wanted 

desperately. After my first week 

When I began the recovery 

program, I wasn’t planning 

on quitting everything that I 

was using. I didn’t think I had a 

“problem” and I truly believed I 

could go out and drink or smoke 

here or there and still be okay. 

But as I watched people who 

had accrued years of sobriety 

wind up right back in detox 

after trying to have one drink, 

I realized I was no different 

from them. I would get mad 

when people would go out 

and get high then come back 

to detox. I didn’t understand 

why I’d get mad, but one of my 

mentors asked me if I was mad 

at the person, or mad because I 

couldn’t go out and get high like 

them. That’s when I realized that 

I was mad because I couldn’t do 

it – because if I got high, I knew I 

wouldn’t come back. 

I was at Healing Transitions for 

16 months before I completed 

the program and moved into 

an Oxford House. That was 

the best thing I ever did in my 

recovery because right after I 

left the program, I wasn’t going 

to meetings or practicing any of 

the principals Healing Transitions 

taught me. I was working thirdshift 

at a chain restaurant, so I 


an into a lot of drug users and 

dealers. I was still fantasizing 

about that lifestyle, but I 

continued to stay sober. 

Six months after moving into 

the Oxford House, my daughter 

came to live with me. That was 

a huge change in my life. From 

the beginning, all I wanted was 

to get my kids back, go to school, 

get a job, and have a new life. 

But when my daughter came to 

live with me, it was much more 

difficult than expected. I was 

depressed for nearly a year. But 

thankfully my roommates, Jamie 

and Jasmine, were there to help. 

We all lived together, and they 

showed me how to be a mother. 

A few months later, Healing 

Transitions connected me with 

Passage Home who helped 

me finally get a house with 

my name on the lease. My son 

came to live with me after that, 

which was another adjustment 

period as I tried to balance life, 

work, my kids, and my sobriety. 

Plus, during this time, I met my 

fiancé. All of these things kept 

happening, but I continued 

to practice what Healing 

Transitions taught me and I 

kept my sobriety. 

Life today is great! There are 

still hard days, but throughout 

this recovery journey, I haven’t 

wanted to take my life. Every day, 

I want to live. Every day, there 

is a new obstacle in front of me 

that I try to face with grace. When 

I get challenged by life, I try to 

remember that God has already 

worked it all out. 

We just moved into our new 

home, and I get to pay rent. I have 

my kids, who are beautiful human 

beings and amazing children. 

I’m engaged, in school, and am 

working again. The whole time 

I was in the recovery program, 

I didn’t take it with grace. I had 

a lot of resentment toward 

everything and everyone. But 

in the end, Healing Transitions 

helped save my life and turn me 

into the woman I am today. 

“ Every day, there is a new obstacle in front of me that I try to face with 

grace. When I get challenged by life, I try to remember that God has 

already worked it all out.” 


2016 July 1 Healing Transitions becomes a living wage employer 

2017 July 7 Women’s Campus increases capacity from 99 to 119 beds 

2018 Apr. 5 Rapid Responder Post-Opioid Overdose Team launches with EMS 

2018 June 14 First opioid overdose drill at Men’s Campus 

2019 May 8 Recovery Can’t Wait capital campaign quiet phase launches 

2019 Nov. 19 

2020 Apr. 6 

2020 June 15 

Wake County Board of Commissioners approves $1M grant for 

Women’s Campus expansion 

Temporary off-site detox facility opens for men and women due to 

COVID-19 pandemic 

On-site detox services resume after temporarily closing in March 

due to COVID-19 


82

the 

Maturation 

YEARS 

2016-2020 

2016 Staff Holiday Luncheon. 

Volunteers in the Brightspaces room at the 

Women’s Campus. 

Overcrowding at the Men’s Campus. 


Women’s Silver Chip #100, Kristin. 

Ann with Santa. 

Raleigh Independent 5k. 

F3 9/11 Stair Climb 

Kirk tending to the bee hives at the Men’s Campus. 


84

2017 Fred Barber Legacy of Service award winners. 




Healing Transitions. Recovery Month. You are not alone. 

Men’s CTR I Community. 

At Dr. Bob’s House. 

Justin, Gina, Secretary Cohen and Rusty. 


86

Sign from 2020 Reverse Parade. 

Volunteers from Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC. 

Bob and Carol Bilbro, Chris Budnick, Congressman David Price, Amanda Blue and Tracy Freeman-Hines. 

FiA: Females in Action. 

Rebuilding Burgaw after hurricane. 


Men’s "COVID-19 Lock Down" group photo. 

March 24, 2020: when COVID got real. 

Silver Chip #360 giving back. 

COVID-19 Reverse Parade. 

Sheree’ Klepchick during COVID-19 lockdown. 


88

IN 

THE 

News 

(2016-2020) 

WNCN, July 1, 2018 




Impact 

(2016-2020) 

NC Health News, May 20, 2020 

11,204 


504,538 

BEDS PROVIDED 

360 


1,286,836 

MEALS SERVED 

Walter Magazine, February 1, 2017 

$40.59 


PER PERSON 

The Business Journal, April 4, 2020 

276.2 

AVERAGE DAILY CENSUS 

(Men: 177.3 / Women: 98.9) 

348 - January 2020 

average (all-time high) 


90

Forward 

LOOKING 


Future 

the 

YEARS 

2021-ONWARD 

The need has never been greater for Healing Transitions to expand. In the throes 

of a national opioid crisis – and with Wake County’s population increasing 72% 

since we opened 20 years ago – the demand for Healing Transitions’ life-saving 

recovery services has far outweighed the supply for years. And because we 

don’t turn people away, knowing their only other options are jails, emergency 

departments, or the streets, the overcrowding has become unsustainable, and 

the risks to individuals, families, and our community are increasing. 

Men’s Campus courtyard garden 

THE FUTURE YEARS [ 2021–ONWARD ] 

92


Currently, Healing Transitions 

participants are sleeping 

on shelter and classroom 

floors, impacting our ability 

to provide safe services to 

those who need it. In addition, 

our recovery spaces are 

inadequate. Community areas 

are overflowing, with peermentoring 

meetings held in 

hallways – straining privacy 

and compromising dignity. And 

finally, our on-demand service 

model is in jeopardy. If we can’t 

take someone in, they could die 

waiting for help. 

For these reasons, Healing 

Transitions is undergoing 

a historic $16.75M capital 

campaign to add more beds 

and expand recovery services 

at both our men’s and women’s 

campuses. We’re grateful for 

the many ways our community 

has responded to the urgency. 

Because of key funding 

champions from our city, county, 

and corporate community who 

have joined a lead group of 

generous donors, we plan to 

exceed our $16.75M capital 

campaign goal and break ground 

by fall 2021! We thank these 

champions who have given so 

generously to ensure that more 

people can find and sustain 

recovery in our community. 

Because recovery can’t wait – 

and we can’t wait to see more 

people experience the power 

of recovery. 

“ We’re grateful for the many ways our community 

has responded to the urgency.” 

2021 RCW VIRTUAL GROUNDBREAKING 



94

EXPANSION DETAILS 

4 

1 3 

2 

Men’s Campus 

$10.08 MILLION 

We are expanding and renovating one of our three buildings to 

add additional detox and shelter capacity, enlarge kitchen and 

dining space, and add classrooms. A new free-standing workshop 

expands opportunities for skills training. All spaces will be more 

suitable for peer mentoring, recovery programs, and outreach to 

community partners and families. 


6 

1 Residential Expansion and 

Renovation 

2 Kitchen Renovation and 

Dining Expansion 

3 Classroom 

4 Vocational Skills and Training 

5 Parking (not shown) 

6 Future Buildings 

Capacity for 290 beds 

23,000 new square feet 

5,800 renovated square feet 

5 


96

EXPANSION DETAILS 

2 

3 

1 

Women’s Campus 

$6.67 MILLION 

We are adding a new career and community center, and 

renovating the existing building to reconfigure sleeping, bathing, 

laundry, kitchen, dining, classroom, and storage spaces. We’ll 

also remediate foundation issues that have caused maintenance 

problems. The expanded campus will give more women 

opportunities to gain skills and support while in recovery. 


4 

5 

1 Shelter Expansion and 

Renovation 

2 Kitchen Expansion and 

Renovation 

3 Dining Expansion 

4 Interior Renovations 

5 Community Building 

Capacity for 210 beds 

14,000 new square feet 

3,600 renovated square feet 

5 


98

2021 MILESTONES 

Mar. 25 

May 20 

July 19 

Oct. 16 

Fall 

Recovery Can’t Wait Virtual Public Groundbreaking 

A.J. Fletcher Foundation match secured 3 months ahead of schedule 

(with 100 new donors and $437,095 raised) 

Official groundbreaking at Women’s Campus 

Inaugural Art of Recovery event 

Official groundbreaking at Men’s Campus 


Thanks 

SPECIAL 

100

MEET THE Bilbros 

THE CHANGEMAKERS 

Carol and Bob 



“ The work Dr. Bilbro and 

his colleagues did on 

the task force led to 

the creation of a 

new department, 

Wake County 

Human Services...” 

We had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Bob Bilbro 

and his wife, Carol, to dig deeper into the why behind 

their twenty years of giving. And even though it was more 

than 20 years ago, the two shared stories of the early days of 

building Healing Transitions like it was yesterday. 

“At the time, I was the president of the Wake County Medical Society, 

and they asked me to go downtown to speak with the Wake County 

Commissioners about their healthcare strategies,” recalled Dr. Bilbro. 

“After a few meetings with them, the Commissioners decided to 

form a task force to restructure human services in the county. I was 

asked to be the chair, and I was as busy as could be with my medical 

practice. I couldn’t see myself doing it, but it turned out to be one of 

the best things I did.” 

The work Dr. Bilbro and his colleagues did on the task force led to 

the creation of a new department, Wake County Human Services, 

that would oversee all human services in the county. That’s when Dr. 

Bilbro met Maria Spaulding, the then Executive Director of the new 

department and one of the women who would make up the so-called 

“Dynamic Trio” of individuals who founded Healing Transitions. 


102

“I was too busy practicing 

medicine and couldn’t go on that 

first trip, but I was interested in 

everything they told me when 

they came back. That’s when we 

agreed – we’ve got to bring that 

program to Wake County,” added 

Dr. Bilbro. 

Soon after, Maria appointed a 

taskforce to research solutions 

to the growing problem of 

homelessness in Raleigh. The 

team knew a majority of homeless 

individuals also struggled 

with addiction, and they were 

determined to find a program that 

addressed both of those issues. 

Linda Strother, a member of the 

task force, found The Healing 

Dr. Bob Bilbro 

“ You can’t learn the history of Healing Transitions 

without hearing the names ’Bob and Carol Bilbro’ 

come up over and over again.” 

Place in Louisville, Kentucky, 

a program known for working 

directly – and successfully – with 

people who are homeless and 

struggling with addiction. 

A delegation of community 

leaders from Raleigh visited The 

Healing Place and came back 

determined to replicate the 

program in Wake County. 

He stopped reflecting for a 

moment and popped back to 

today, adding, “Since Healing 

Transitions opened, the 

population of Raleigh has grown 

tremendously, but the homeless 

population has decreased 

significantly. I think that’s in part 

because of the work of Healing 

Transitions in our community. 

It’s been a great benefit to the 

community and exciting for us to 

be a part of it.” 

You can’t learn the history of 

Healing Transitions without 

hearing the names “Bob and 

Carol Bilbro” come up over and 

over again. From health clinic 

volunteers to campus gardeners, 

board members and now capital 

campaign co-chairs, there’s little 

in the organization that hasn’t 

seen their fingerprints or 

tender care. 

In the early days, Bob joined the 

Dynamic Trio of Maria Spaulding, 

Barbara Goodmon, and Fred 


Barber to hold donor meetings, 

call local and state officials, and 

dream of the day when they would 

open this incredible program to 

the public. Every last detail of 

the program was discussed and 

reviewed with great thought. 

Carol laughed as she remembered 

the time they debated which 

type of trees to plant in the men’s 

campus courtyard. 

“We had raised the money to 

bring the program to life, but we 

wanted to be intentional about 

this decision,” she shared. “We 

were trying to figure out what 

kind of trees would be the best 

trees in the courtyard. They 

couldn’t grow to be 60-feet tall. 

They couldn’t have too many 

leaves or burrs or pinecones. 

I remember going to various 

nurseries and asking them what 

they thought. And we brought in 

some local master gardeners to 

help us too.” 

campus borders Dix Park and 

the women’s campus backs up 

to Umstead Park,” said Carol. 

“It’s a fabulous haven, and I think 

all along, with the approach to 

addiction and recovery, we’ve 

realized it needs to include an 

environment that is reflective, 

meditative, and close to nature.” 

“When you come into the shelter 

space, and you’re sleeping with 

more than 100 people around 

you, sometimes sleeping on the 

floor, you have very little time 

to reflect on what’s happened 

to you or how you want to make 

“ I’ve always been inspired 

to see these people 

come from totally down 

and out to becoming 

new people with a 

wonderful attitude.” 

changes in your life. Being near 

nature is very helpful,” she said. 

Like so many gracious leaders, 

the Bilbros are quick to deflect 

when it comes to honoring their 

legacy with the organization, 

but they both acknowledged the 

impact Healing Transitions has 

had in their own lives. 

“For me, it’s been wonderfully 

“Just don’t ask me what tree 

we ended up planting; I can’t 

remember!” she laughed. 

The memory of the trees sparked 

another poignant thought from 

both of them, and they continued. 

“Both campuses ended up near 

beautiful parks. The men’s 

Mrs. Carol Bilbro 


104

The Bilbro’s virtual 

groundbreaking 

photo submission 

for capital campaign 

public launch on 

March 25, 2021. 

gratifying,” said Dr. Bilbro. 

“Gratifying and inspiring. This 

past year, I’ve really missed being 

able to walk down the hallways, 

give the men a hug, and follow 

their progress through the 

program. I look forward to that 

day returning. I’ve always been 

inspired to see these people 

come from totally down and out 

to becoming new people with a 

wonderful attitude. Just watching 

it unfold is so meaningful.” 

Carol agreed. “Inspiring is a great 

word. The other word that comes 

to my mind is enlightening. I 

really didn’t know much about 

addiction and recovery before 

we started getting involved, and 

as I learned more about it, I just 

became awed by the people who 

can completely change their lives 

and turn around. I don’t think the 

public realizes how difficult that 

really is.” 

With more than 20 years of 

memories between the two 

of them, it’s hard to narrow 

down their Healing Transitions 

experiences to a few favorite 

memories, but when they started 

thinking about their hopes for the 

organization’s next twenty years, 

they were both quick to chime in. 

“I anticipate that healthcare 

providers will develop new 

techniques and tools to help with 

the battle of addiction,” said Dr. 

Bilbro. “The beauty of Healing 

Transitions’ program is that it’s not 

only about stopping substance 

abuse. It also focuses on a 

change in attitude and behavior, 

combined with a different way of 

living. It’s just miraculous to see 

that happen over and over again.” 

Carol added, “It’s very difficult to 

do something alone, but if you 

have a supportive community 

around you, holding you, 

embracing you, keeping you 

close, lifting you up in your 

distress, Healing Transitions 

proves you can transition yourself 

to a new way of thinking and 

a whole new life.” 

And what could be better 

than that? 

“ Healing Transitions proves you can transition 

yourself to a new way of thinking and a whole 

new life.” 



THE Village THAT SUPPORTS US 

YOU MAKE RECOVERY POSSIBLE! 

Together, our donors, employers, individual volunteers, 

mentors, alumni, participants, staff, and village partners 

listed above serve as individual puzzle pieces that, 

when combined, move our mission forward. We rely on 

each one of you to keep us and our community strong. 


106

2018 Gratitude 

Month recognition 

of Counter Culture 

Coffee. 

2018 “We Are Your Village” 

Recovery Month photoshoot. 

Nonprofit Partners 

So many of our nonprofit partners play an 

intimate role in the lives of our participants. 

Whether they’re providing food or clothing 

to keep them nourished and safe while in 

our recovery program, or allowing them to 

volunteer and give back to the community, 

or even giving them employment again, 

our nonprofit partners are always there 

to continue giving back to those who we 

serve before, during, and after they come 

through our doors. 

Volunteers 

In many ways, our volunteers are at the very 

core of our mission. Whether they’re volunteer 

clinicians, serving on the board, handing out 

meals in our kitchens, or providing a boost 

in a multitude of other capacities, volunteers 

are there serving as crucial helpers and role 

models for our participants. 

Healthcare Providers 

Healing Transitions is grateful for the many 

healthcare providers who generously give 

their time to help the men and women we 

serve. They provide critical, life-saving care 

to help our men and women get back into 

good physical and mental health. 

First Responders and 

Criminal Justice Partners 

First responders, in many cases, are the 

initial point of contact between Healing 

Transitions and a person who is in need of 

our services. They are critical to our impact 

in the community. Once they bring someone 

through our doors, our wonderful criminal 

justice partners play an important role in 

assisting with any legal issues a participant 

may have so they can leave our program in 

recovery prepared to be a productive member 

of society once more. 

Faith Community 

Partners 

Healing Transitions is thankful for the 

multitude of faith organizations whose 

members give so much to our men and 

women. Not only are they donating time and 

resources every day, but they provide the 

folks who we serve an inviting and welcoming 

community that will stick by their side for a 

lifetime after they finish our recovery program. 


2018 Gratitude Month recognition of the Food 

Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. 

2018 Gratitude 

Month recognition 

of the Wake 

County ABC 

Board. 

Recovery Community 

Our mission is not possible without the vast 

recovery community of North Carolina. 

This incredible collection of people and 

organizations provides resources, tools, 

and lifelong support to help the folks who 

we serve thrive in recovery long after they 

complete our program. 

Educational Programs 

Healing Transitions is fortunate to partner 

with multiple educational programs to 

provide valuable, long-lasting tools for our 

participants. Whether it’s educating them on 

finances, teaching them how to read in an 

engaging way to their children, or helping 

them build a resume to gain meaningful 

employment, these organizations help 

rebuild the men and women who we serve 

from the inside-out. 

Fitness Community 

The fitness community in Raleigh is strong, 

inclusive, and passionately gives back to their 

community. They help build healthy habits 

for our participants, and give relentless 

support in their recovery. 

Housing Organizations 

When someone walks through our doors, they 

do so homeless, uninsured, and struggling 

with substance use. But when they are ready 

to leave to be a part of the larger community 

as a person in recovery, they are greeted by 

numerous housing organizations ready to 

give them a place to call “home” again. Our 

mission would not be possible without these 

entities willing to give our alumni a place to 

thrive in recovery. 

Other Community 

Partners 

There are so many incredible leaders 

and organizations in our community who 

generously give back in so many meaningful 

ways. They are how we can serve the unique 

needs of well over 300 men and women 

every single day. Without all of these entities 

with whom we partner, we would not have 

the success that we do. And for that, we are 

eternally grateful. 

FOR A FULL LISTING OF THE ORGANIZATIONS 

THAT MAKE UP OUR VILLAGE, VISIT 

HEALING-TRANSITIONS.ORG/OUR-VILLAGE. 


108

2018 Staff Holiday Luncheon at 

Prestonwood Country Club. 



OUR Cornerstone 

A cornerstone is defined as an important quality or feature on which a particular 

thing depends or is based. Simply put, Healing Transitions would not be here 

today if not for our foundational stakeholders, key players, and early committee 

members who believed in the overwhelming need for our services in Wake County 

at the turn of the millennium and for the 17 donors who have given every year 

since we opened our doors in 2001 for a combined total of $1,553,463. 

Foundational Stakeholders 

These are the people and organizations who paved the way to make our mission possible by being 

the initial investors in either our men’s campus in 2001, women’s campus in 2006, or both. 

WakeMed 

ABC Commission of North Carolina 

Wake County 

Duke Energy Progress 

Capital Broadcasting Company 

A.J. Fletcher Foundation 

City of Raleigh 

WakeMed Staff Foundation 

Ray Goodmon 

NC Housing Finance Agency 

GlaxoSmithKline 

Triangle Community Foundation 

UNC Rex 

Kate B. Reynolds Foundation 

Szulik Family Foundation 

White Memorial Presbyterian Church 

Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina 

Mary Ann Poole 

The John Rex Endowment 


110

Key Players * 

These leaders were the sparkplug of the movement to bring The Healing Place to Wake County. 

They were the strongest advocates who understood the importance of having our program and 

community and took action to bring it to life. 

Fred Barber 

Capitol Broadcasting Company 

Dr. Wilmer Betts 

Wake County Mental Health Clinic 

Dr. Bob H. Bilbro 

Wake County Medical Society 

Ray Champ 

WakeMed 


Wake County Human Services, Board Member 

Benson Kirkman 

Raleigh City Council 

Dennis Parnell 

Healing Transitions, Founding Executive Director 

(1999-2016) 





Key Player Special Mentions 

Jay Davidson 

The Healing Place Louisville, Executive Director 

Chris Fajardo 

The Healing Place Louisville, Program Director 

Joe McQuany 

Developer of the Recovery Dynamics curriculum 

Lacy Reaves 

Smith Anderson Law Firm 

The Recovery Community of Wake 

County, North Carolina and abroad 

Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen 

The Healing Place Delegation 

Those who traveled to The Healing Place in Louisville on 6/21/1998 - 6/23/1998 

to learn more about the program model. 

Fred Barber 

Gerald Brown 

Wake County EMS 

Lonnie Bunn 

WakeMed Emergency Department Operations 

Rev. Richard Fitzgerald 

Raleigh Rescue Mission 

Rev. Sam Foster 

Raleigh Rescue Mission 

Dr. Sally Fuller 

WakeMed Emergency Department 


Franklin Ingram 

Southlight 

Benson Kirkman 

Janet Laing 

East Raleigh Community Action Council 

Mayor Fred Musgrave 

Salvation Army 

Captain Dan Nagle 

Wake County Sheriff Department 

Roy Nickell 



Mary Jean Seyda 




Charlotte Terwilliger 

WakeMed 

*The above individuals made up one or more of the following committees between the years of 1993-1999: Community Forum 

Planning Committee; Community Forum Substance Abuse Treatment Committee; Substance Abuse Non-Hospital Medical Detox 

Committee (SANHMD); The Healing Place Delegation Committee; Wake County Housing and Homeless Working Group (HHWG). 


Community Forum Substance Abuse 

Treatment Committee 

Those who came together in August of 1998 to implement The Healing Place 

program model and develop the business plan. 

Fred Barber 

Dr. Wilmer Betts 

Carolyn Crowder 

Triangle Family Services 

Shiela Frye 


Franklin Ingram 

Roy Nickell 

Jamie Norton 

Keys to Recovery 


Tammy Strickland 


David Turpin 

Southlight 

Bob Sorrels 



For your unwavering support over the past two 

decades, we salute you and are forever grateful! 

Dennis Parnell (R) receiving a donation. 

Chris Budnick receiving a check from CBS-17. 

Dennis Parnell receiving donation. 

Allstate Foundation $20k donation. 


112


Thank you! 

114

Thank you! 

Jamie 


Raeford 

West

(919) 838-9800 

philanthrophy@healing-transitions.org 

healing-transitions.org 

MEN’S CAMPUS / 

ADMINISTRATION 

1251 Goode St. 

Raleigh, NC 27603 

WOMEN’S CAMPUS 

3304 Glen Royal Rd. 

Raleigh, NC 27617 

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