JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Rose Crocker, 36, recently returned to Jones Memorial Health Center in Jamestown for the first since she left five years ago.

"It brought me back to the place where I began to actually heal and recover so I could have the life I have today," said Crocker.

What You Need To Know

  • Thousands of people across the state have entered into some sort of drug addiction recovery program

  • There are a number of programs available in New York, including residential treatment

  • In Jamestown, the average length of stay is about three months 

Crocker is a peer advocate at Safe Point Lighthouse in Dunkirk, which is part of a network, funded through the state's opioid settlement grant. She provides support to people in recovery, as well as to the homeless looking for permanent shelter. 

"Helping people who've have been in the same place I've been in," said Crocker.

Crocker spent about five months in Jones Memorial's residential addiction medicine services unit.

"I really, really wanted it and was willing to go to any length to get it," she said.

Her recovery included group therapy sessions and recovery meetings, as she started using heroin at 18. 

"I lost my job, I had to drop out of college, lost my apartment, everything basically," said Crocker.

During recovery, she also spent time focused on her love for knitting and art, and away from the time she also did meth.

"A lot of it. I'd been to rehab probably like 17 times. And I have a son and I had a reason to keep going but I'm really grateful that I didn't give up because I really wanted to when things got really hard," she said.

After hitting rock bottom, she entered residential recovery, mostly because of her son.

"He was about 6 years old and I was about to lose all my rights to him. I couldn't keep watching myself go in and out of psych wards, go to jail, be homeless, staying in abandoned houses or couch surfing. Digging out of dumpsters at Little Caesars, you know, like to get food, like it was just no way to live," said Crocker.

“People can self-select and self-refer into drug and alcohol treatment and a lot of people, just, they just don’t know that,” said Dr. Mandy Fauble, director of clinical care services, UPMC Western Behavioral Health.

Up to 20 people can live in the unit at a time.

“Where there 24 hours a day is about promoting their wellness. So, everyone in our residential unit can take care of themselves,” said Dr. Fauble.

The average length of stay is about three months.

“We know that this is a significant community concern. We’ve planted a flag on this public health issue, and said we’re really invested in doing something to support the community,” said Dr. Fauble.

Leaders also credit the peer movement for a first-hand account to help people understand.

“But there are also programs all over New York state where people are employed as peers who part of their very role is actually to share that story,” said Dr. Fauble.

Like Crocker, who says she’s doing well since checking out in January 2020. 

“I’m really happy. I feel like I’m a good mom now. I’m there for my son,” she said.

And encourage others who really want help to go after it.

“It gets you away from the streets and from the outside world so that you can focus on yourself and what you need to do to heal so that you can have a good life or the life that you don’t feel you need to escape from,” said Crocker.