Up close with the HOPE recovery center

Special assistant for substance abuse & rehabilitation Yvette Sablan, SAR case manager Taylor Ada, Northern Marianas College instructor Jesse Pangelinan, along with students Amanda Mae G. Cruz, Elora Ann C. Masga, Austin S. Delos Santos, Daniel Isaac P. Brown, Yvonnalynn D. Salalila, Thia Celeste Seman, and Janine Del Rosario Perez pose after their tour of the HOPE Recovery Center. (Contributed Photo)

Students from the Northern Marianas College recently got an up-close look of the CNMI’s Hinemlu O’hala Para Enteramenti, or HOPE, Recovery Center and the extensive services it provides the community.

Yvette Sablan, the special assistant for Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, noted that since the inception of the center, the program has taken three NMC graduates under their wing to provide case management to a diverse set of clients dealing with addiction and other disorders.

“Our participants and our community are really pitching in to address these issues and we see each day as the true essence of resilience, faith, and hope. We are very pleased to see our young students filled with the passion to assist all those in recovery, and this will be a factor in the long-term success of the recovery center,” Sablan said.

One student, Austin S. Delos Santos, said that after being given the chance to visit the recovery center, he had a stronger appreciation for the helping profession.

“This has shown me that the CNMI as a whole has grown as a society. As part of the community, we should always reach out to those in need and never give up on any person. Our growth mindset on dealing with addiction has increased in the past couple of years and the HOPE Recovery Center is helping people reach success and overcome obstacles to lead better lives. Although the center is still in its first years, I know from the visit that they are doing the best to help the community and I wish them success,” he said.

Echoing similar sentiments from the beginning of her professional journey, NMC graduate and SAR case manager Taylor Ada added that the recovery center is a place of growth for everyone and not just clients in recovery.

Ada said the students were able to get a feel of what they were learning from courses in case management and in human service program management.

In her experience, she was able to relate and apply what case managers do for clients to what the students have been learning in their class.

“This tour was a time for me to really appreciate the opportunities that I have been given to grow and learn more in this field, and that this really is the field of work I am meant to be in. It takes a lot of time, heart, and dedication to want to genuinely help people, whether it’s school counseling, people on a journey to recovery, or just helping people in general, and seeing these students want to do that, especially as a career, is very heartwarming,” she said.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres underlined the importance of the center as a physical representation of collective efforts from community leaders and all branches of government.

“I have seen that recovery from any crises increases when we get our entire community involved. From every level, including education, all the elements involved keep me very hopeful in this journey. I’ve personally seen the resilience of these participants and cultivating this recovery mindset is definitely changing lives and families for the better. It is definitely not easy, but it is possible. I thank all the counselors, case managers, and the participants for pushing one day at a time,” Torres said. (PR)