‘Team Rob’ Supports Client in Recovery

“On May 26, 2021, I was broken.”

Rob C’s father traveled 14 hours from New Jersey to pick up his son and drive to Rockford, Illinois to support Rob in enrolling in residential treatment for substance use disorder at the Rosecrance Harrison Campus.

“It wasn’t my first or second time in treatment,” he explains, “but something changed in me that day. I was ready to listen and take suggestions.” After several weeks in treatment, Rob’s father drove once again from New Jersey to bring him to his next destination: the Rosecrance Lakeview recovery home in Chicago.

“When we met Rob C., he was about 34 days sober and coming to the finish of his residential stay at Rosecrance Harrison,” says Paul Gilmet, Regional Director of Chicago Services at Rosecrance. “He’d been beat up and bruised badly by drug addiction, but still had hope, and the always present love from his parents.

He chose to come to Rosecrance Lakeview to continue his journey. Over the next six months, he took part in group, life coaching, 12-step meetings, and really turned his life around.”

“That day I was dropped off,” explains Rob, “[Rosecrance] said they wanted to help me and appointed a diverse and supportive team of family, therapists, and colleagues around me—‘Team Rob’. Team Rob is part of Rosecrance, and Rosecrance helped me change my life.

“Since then I’ve been setting goals. Every time I hit one, I’d move goal posts and set another. I decided I needed to get my health back in order. With help of Rosecrance and their team, I began to set some fitness goals. First it was a couple miles, then 10, then a half marathon, then a marathon.

“A few weeks ago I ran the Chicago marathon, my 4th this year. It’s amazing. When I look back in retrospect over past 16 months, it’s amazing how my life changed. It’s a direct result of everybody in this room, all your support, and the Rosecrance staff.”