Sacramento County Opioid Coalition

Susan riggs

Susan was exposed to drugs by her high school boyfriend. When she became a single mother, she wanted to be seen as the “cool mom” so she tried different drugs. This led to trauma and damage between her and her daughter. Eventually, her daughters distanced themselves from their mother and gave her a bit of tough love. The loss of her children in her life was more painful than the absence of drugs in her life which led her to check herself into rehab. After several recovery houses, she was able to stay sober, mend her relationships, and get her life back.

“The trauma that I went through that wasn’t dealt with put such big holes of pain inside me. I couldn’t find a way to soothe those any other way.”

Daniel Wright

When Daniel first started doing Meth, he felt like he was more capable than ever. After a while, it started affecting his relationships and his life. Before he knew it, he was living on the streets and lost a lot of his relationships with his family and friends. Having emotional support during his recovery was an extremely important factor that led him to a brighter future. The genuine support of his peers at N.A. made him want to strive for recovery and eventually help others seek the same kind of support.

"When I was using meth… it made me feel like I had more power. "

"I think having emotional support during the start and during recovery is extremely important."

"I think it’s important for people suffering with addiction to know they are not alone."

Noel Michienzie

Noel started doing drugs as a form of medicine. Her addiction took the next level, becoming a necessity so she could wake up and feel better. She eventually became so ill, she had to go to the hospital where she received news that terrified her. The next day she decided to get sober and she has been sober ever since. Now she lives a happy life with a beautiful family which wouldn’t have been possible without her sobriety.

“My addiction took to a next level. It wasn’t so much this fun party thing anymore that I just happened to do every day, it was ‘Oh I have to wake up and feel better now.’”

“After 10 plus years of using drugs, I didn’t know what up from down was and I had no support to actually get through what that looked like on the other side.”

Read a featured success story

Carlos Simpson Finds His True Path

Carlos Simpson has struggled with drug addiction since he was born. His first 14 days of life were spent in a hospital detoxing from heroin. Throughout his childhood, he witnessed his parents’ involvement in prostitution, drug abuse, domestic violence, and the revolving door of the penitentiary system.

With help from his great-grandmother, Simpson was able to attend good schools, eventually receiving a full-ride football scholarship to Sonoma State. But his past caught up with him. He began using and selling methamphetamine and ended up in prison. After his release, he made failed attempts to attend other colleges. Soon he had a family to support. He relapsed and ended up back in prison.

His turning point came behind bars. During a jail visit, he saw the disappointment in his son’s eyes. “At that point, I knew I had hit rock bottom, and enough was enough,” Simpson recalls. “I had to make a change.”

Simpson was facing 8 – 10 years of prison time when he was given the opportunity to participate in Re-Entry Court, Sacramento County’s multi-department effort to help prisoners at risk of re-offending. It was there that he was offered residential treatment from the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Services program of Sacramento County Behavioral Health Services.

Today, Simpson is a transformed man. He works as a Case Manager/Sentencing Planner for the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. He is a proud father and grandfather, serving as a football and baseball coach and volunteering throughout his community in south Sacramento.

As a teacher, counselor, and mentor, Carlos says his life now is about giving back.

“My experiences, treatment, and studies led me to believe that substance abuse is not only a disease but a mental health disorder at its highest level,” he says. “I want to provide people hope for the future… Something I did not have when growing up.”

Jahmi Radney

Jahmi saw his life unfold from being on drugs to now helping his family, friends and community. What helped him on his path to wellness was building a close relationship with God. He formed a relationship with his sponsor and worked hard to complete all 12 steps. He met many people in recovery who were going through the same struggles he was. Without this support system, he wouldn’t be where he is today.

"It’s time to wake up.

We can’t do this alone."

"What helped me on my path to wellness was building a close relationship with God."

Tommy Deluna

Tommy’s dad was the first true meth user that he was exposed to. He was able to see how drug use and meth use could really turn someone’s life upside down. As time has gone on, his dad has taken the proper steps towards recovery through the help of N.A. He is very thankful for their relationship and is proud of how their father-son relationship has grown over the years.

"The advice I would give to someone who has a family member addicted to meth is just be patient with them."

"I saw how much it affected his life. It was something that really turned his life upside down."

"I met my father when I was about 10 years old and when he first came into my life, he was a serious meth addict."

"The longer we’ve had to talk about things…it’s really given us the opportunity to have a better relationship. That’s really attributed to his sobriety."

Lori Durban

Lori started using Meth in her early 20’s, and was arrested right before her 40th birthday. She woke up in jail realizing that she was going to miss another holiday season with her family and realized something had to change. Once she came to this realization, she flushed her meth and took her first step towards recovery.

Since being sober, Lori has gone back to school at 42 years old, where she met her now husband. She currently works in the field of addiction recovery where she feels like she is able to give back some of the resources that she was given. She is also a Grandma and has repaired her relationship with her son.

"Since becoming sober… I got to repair my relationship with my son, and that’s just amazing."

"That was the first time in my life where I was like, I’ve gotta do something, something’s gotta change."

Nikki Nelson

Nikki was located in Sacramento when she hit her rock bottom. She was overwhelmed with the feeling of hopelessness and desperation. Sacramento County helped fund a lot of the steps needed during recovery that helped her turn her life around. She says, “If it wasn’t for Sacramento County, none of that would have been possible for me and I would probably still be out there using, or dead."

"The biggest piece I would like to share… is don’t give up… As hard as it is, raise your hand and ask for help."

Success Stories

Meet your community

Susan riggs

Daniel Wright

Noel Michienzie

Read a featured success story

Carlos Simpson Finds His True Path

Jahmi Radney

Levi Ferguson

Tommy Deluna

Lori Durban

Nikki Nelson

Success Stories

Meet your community

Susan riggs

Daniel Wright

Noel Michienzie

Read a featured success story

Carlos Simpson Finds His True Path

Jahmi Radney

Levi Ferguson

Tommy Deluna

Lori Durban

Nikki Nelson

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