SouthLight’s Residential Treatment Program Helps Single Mother Get a New Start

After 10 years of substance use, a single mother gains life skills and a new job through SouthLight’s Residential Treatment Program   

“Ten years of drug abuse, an abusive husband, and three innocent children later, I discovered the Southlight Program for women and children. Southlight saved me from myself.”  

Our clients are resilient. Every client has a story: their own recovery journey, their own treatment plan, and their own new beginnings. This single mother of three shared her story (but not her name) in hopes of encouraging others to seek help.  

This is her story:  

“SouthLight helped me to become the woman I am right now, and the woman I will be for the rest of my life. Thanks to the program, I have learned to live happy, sober, and with great appreciation every single day.  

The Women and Children’s Residential Program brought back my very existence that I had lost for so long. It brought me back to this beautifully created world–much different than the world that I lived in for 10 years. I’ve accomplished so much in just 3 years. I never thought I could. But I did!”

“I will be forever grateful for Southlight, their staff, and the rest of the women who played a part to restoring my life to brand new, so I can be the mother my children know, love, and deserve.”

Frances Parker, the Operations Manager in our Women and Children’s Program, shares that this client successfully completed our nine-month Residential Program.  She was an active participant in four of SouthLight’s counseling programs: Substance Abuse Comprehensive Treatment, Intensive Outpatient Program, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Outpatient therapy. 

During her stay in one of SouthLight’s 16 apartments for expectant mothers and mothers of young children, she learned daily living skills, parenting skills and life skills.  She took advantage of our case management program that connected her with community services such as childcare, parenting and job readiness.  We were able to link her with a Primary Care provider to ensure both the mother and her children had access to healthcare.  

And here’s the best part: while in our program, our client was awarded a scholarship in the healthcare field, and completed the program one week after graduating from the program!  She is now working and has a new career.   

Today, our client is a hard-working mother who is able to provide a roof over her children’s heads, shoes on their little feet, and food on the table. We know since she keeps in touch with us. Frances said, “I still smile whenever she calls us to let us know how she is doing.” 

About our Women and Children’s Residential Treatment Program 

SouthLight’s Women and Children’s Program is a licensed treatment facility providing a safe and sober environment to aid pregnant women or women with young children in their recovery journey. 

About SouthLight Healthcare 

Our Women and Children’s Program is just one of 14 outpatient and community-based programs that SouthLight Healthcare provides to more than 9,000 clients each year. Founded in 1970, SouthLight is one of the area’s largest nonprofit providers of substance use treatment and mental health services. SouthLight provides prevention, education, and treatment services in the Triangle and beyond. Call 919-787-6131 to make an appointment or for more information.