Overcoming Addiction
On May 3, 2026, TROSA staff, residents, and guests celebrated our newest group of graduates! TROSA graduates are individuals who have completed two years of TROSA’s multi-year treatment program. TROSA holds formal graduation several times a year to celebrate our newest graduates.
TROSA Graduate Ronnie
TROSA graduate Ronnie never thought to ask for help. “I was using on and off for about twenty-five or thirty years,” he shared.
“I always had a job and was never homeless, but when I wanted help I didn’t think I could afford it because I thought treatment programs were always expensive.”
One day, Ronnie decided he’d had enough. He searched for treatment programs online and found TROSA.
He read more about TROSA, saw that it was comprehensive and cost-free for participants, and applied.
“I told my daughter I was ready, and she picked me up and drove me to TROSA the next morning. I left my house, left my job, left everything…I was ready to go. She dropped me off, and when I turned around and she was gone, I knew it was real. And I wake up every day today with no regrets about this choice.”
TROSA gives program participants the time, tools, and opportunities to make sustained changes for long-term recovery. Our structure, services, and support were appealing to Ronnie, who truly wanted a different way of living.
A Safe Place to Learn
“I had made up my mind that I was going to work on myself. TROSA gives me a place to think and work on getting myself together. I can think about things I have learned here to help me maintain being drug-free. I have people to talk to, and I have counseling to deal with things that really get on my mind. And I have also taken a lot of classes here to help better myself.”
Ronnie says he found classes that focused on emotional regulation, such as Rational Behavior Therapy [RBT] and Anger Management, most helpful.
“I came here to work on staying off drugs, but learned that what I needed was more than that. Addiction affects your mind and how you are reacting to things. I’m so thankful to have a place to learn and reflect on this.”
Ronnie has also been able to take care of his physical health at TROSA. “In my addiction, my body was hurting, but I was using drugs, so I didn’t feel anything. TROSA’s medical team has helped me get the screenings and care I need.”
Gaining Skills and Building Trust
An important therapeutic component of TROSA is our daily community assignments. When participating in community assignments, residents can utilize the life skills and lessons learned and can apply these new skills and behaviors to real-life situations they encounter in a safe and supportive environment.
In his community assignments, Ronnie has been able to identify thoughts, feelings, and behaviors he wants to change and practices making those changes safely through his day-to-day activities with peer mentors and staff.
Ronnie has participated in several community assignments throughout his treatment program, including departments in Medical, Security, Men’s Program, and our award-winning TROSA Moving & Storage social enterprise.
“I learned something at every department and every situation was new and different…I got to interact with different people…I learned new skills, like patience and communication. I’ve learned the importance of accountability and boundaries, and I protect those boundaries.
“My current community assignment is TROSA’s Transportation department. Transportation helped me conquer my fears of working on computers. I had taken a computer class and completed it and I have used computers for other classes, but Transportation has me using the computer all the time.
“I’m thankful that TROSA asked me to participate in Transportation because it means TROSA trusts me. It involves a lot of responsibility. I’m helping residents get to their jobs on time, and I’m handling keys and gas cards for vehicles.”
Leading and Living for Long-Term Recovery
Ronnie celebrated completing his two-year treatment program and decided to stay longer as a program participant. As a TROSA Post-Graduate, Ronnie continues to receive cost-free services and benefits as an active member of our residential treatment facility. In turn, he is a leader and mentor on the campus. Ronnie is enjoying this role.
“I wake up, and I just love the environment and the people around me. I know everyone is here looking to get that better life. I get enjoyment out of seeing new people come in and then see them work on themselves and start changing. It’s exciting to see people reach their milestones.
“My daughter and my fiancée support me and say I can take as long as I need to stay. I want to make sure I feel very prepared to leave. Every day, when I’m out riding around town, I see people needing help and looking lost. I want to be sure that I am as prepared as I can be when I leave so that I am truly successful”.
Looking forward to the future, Ronnie is also reflective on his past. He shares that he can now realize the person he knew he was meant to be…and can obtain the future he always wanted.
“I get emotional thinking about where I came from and where I am now and how different and better life is today. I can see the person that I really am when I look in the mirror. Before, it sometimes didn’t look like me. I really like who I am now. Everything is so much better.”
