by Karen Harris Brooks

The Program Manager of POWER New Day is an amazing young woman who is passionate about the mission of the Pennsylvania Organization for Women in Early Recovery. When she began her educational quest, Rachael Perlick never planned to work in the field of substance use disorder treatment. Obtaining her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, the Psychology major continued her graduate studies at Slippery Rock University, majoring in Counseling.

It is evident that positive motivation is a huge part of Rachael’s life as she talks about a journey where the “pieces fell into place.” While working at Gateway Rehab as a Therapist, it was her compassion and strong desire to help others that brought her to the realization that she was in love with the work she was doing. “Intrigued by the POWER program, working with women, and the supportive trauma environment,” Perlick decided to take a step into a “different kind of role.” The beginning of a new year in 2017 brought that change to fruition when she accepted the position of Clinical Supervisor of POWER New Day.

The clinician knew “this is what I am supposed to be doing and where I am supposed to be doing this work.” Two years later, expecting her second child, the young mother made a conscious decision to “step down” to the part time position as the Perinatal Hope Therapist. By doing so, she was able to spend more time with her young family. Working with pregnant and post-partum women with substance abuse was a challenge, but she knew it placed her in a position to help change the lives of women who hold the future of their children in their own hands. In the 16th year of her own recovery, she acknowledges that POWER’s mission plays a huge impact” in the life of Rachael Perlick. “In particular, the mission to decrease the incidence of future generations is personal. My children have not seen me in active addiction,” she states. “That is so impactful in their development.” That commitment is the foundation of her relationship with her family. It also impacts her role in assisting those in recovery, ultimately affecting the development of ongoing generations.

Therapy requires courage and the PND Manager owns it without hesitation. There is a seriousness about her that embraces a sense of humor that she willingly shares in the midst of a stressful day. “When I am having a difficult day, I can go to certain people without a filter. We do very serious work, but what is more important is to take care of myself. At work, I do the best I can, but when I close that office door, I’m going home to take care of myself and my family. At the end of the day, the genuine part is finding my sense of humor and keeping it.” It is the support of her husband Jeff, daughter Harper (5) and son Hudson (3), who remind her of the joy when the light dims.

The changes within her department have also been challenging. However, with sincerity, she gives credit to her hard-working staff and also the support she receives from her direct supervisor. “That’s what makes the difference.”

It is that belief, confidence and strength within herself, as well as the women she serves, that proves she is a force that will touch ongoing generations of children. That is possible because of her dedication to women going through a struggle that was once so real for her. It is Rachael’s appreciation and love for her work that helps women reach for stars they thought they could never touch. Her heart is open, her personality is real, and her commitment is admirable.

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Nettie moved from prescription drugs to cheaper and more easily-accessible street drugs. For 15 years, she used heroin daily. She spent almost 10 cumulative years in jail for crimes such as theft and drug sales, and her son was put into foster care. Nettie tried many times to overcome her addiction. She went through several programs but was never successful – until, that is, she went to POWER.

“For the first time in 20 years,” Nettie says, “there were people who truly believed I could recover from addiction. Everyone on the POWER House staff seemed to believe in me – even the maintenance man.”

Other women in the House who were making progress in their recovery inspired Nettie. “There was one woman there – I really looked up to her, and I wanted that happiness. I wanted to have that level of serenity and calm. So I started mimicking her behavior, and as I did, wonderful things began to happen.”

“I did big things,” Nettie says of her time at POWER House. “I thought I was going to lose my son. CYF [Children, Youth and Families] was in the process of changing the goal to adoption.” With POWER supporting her, she worked very hard and retained custody.

“POWER gave me the tools to be able to look outward from the House to the things that I needed,” including additional therapy for trauma, and treatment for health issues. “I loved it at POWER,” she says. She worked very hard to complete all four phases of the House’s treatment program and graduated a month early.

That was three years ago, and Nettie has been in recovery ever since. She lives with her boyfriend and son and goes to community college part time. She works full-time helping women who are leaving prison, and she volunteers to take POWER House residents to 12-step meetings. “I can’t emphasize enough,” Nettie says, “how important it is to me to work with women in recovery.”

She’s also taking classes to be a Certified Recovery Specialist, “so I can be a Miss Kathy,” a POWER staff person who had a big influence on Nettie. “She can relate to me; she’s been there, she’s lived the life, and she pulled herself out. I want to be that person for another woman.”

“I never thought I could get three years clean after losing my daughter. I’ve re-built connections with my family that I’d lost completely. I spend every day trying to better myself. I learned to do all that at POWER.”