God & Serendipity

After a year of planning and groundwork, TLC outpatient clinic is taking in its first client this coming Monday.

It’s almost overwhelming to think that in January 1992 we had five beds for clients in a broken down house in Mesa. Today we have over 750 beds in two states and employ some 60 recovering addicts, a few who've been with TLC since the early days. And this was accomplished without government funding or grants.

This is an example of what addicts can do when they turn their lives toward positive endeavors. Even though our organization has made many missteps along the way, we've never given up. We've faced government lawsuits. We've suffered serious financial setbacks. We've lost managers over and over.  But we we’ve always showed up next morning and continued to carry out our mission of helping recovering substance abusers rebuild their lives.

The TLC outpatient clinic seems almost an example of divine intervention.

• Advisors with long experience in running treatment programs appeared.

• A chance conversation with someone who knew about health insurance was a factor. This person came on board as a consultant.

• We happened to have an available space, 1800 square feet at our downtown Mesa property. And we had open space in another of our properties in Phoenix.

• An key manager at another treatment program, who was being treated badly, was looking for a new opportunity.

• We were fortunate to find a young doctor who would serve as our medical director.

There are other factors that came into play – too many to list here. But the point is if we keep moving forward in faith we can do most anything.

God – and serendipity – also help...