HOPE 4 Moms LifeLine
Community Non-profit Profile

Santa Maria provides help for women and their children living in the greater Houston area.
Before you read this, be aware that this could be your neighbor, friend, or loved one. It’s closer
 to home than you think.
Are you aware that alcohol and substance abuse are higher in Houston than in Texas as a whole?
That substance abuse treatment options are limited in Harris County, particularly for pregnant women
and women seeking custody of their children? This problem is especially hard for women with
abuse problems because they typically have fewer economic resources than men, and are often
responsible for more dependents.
For more than 50 years, Santa Maria has been helping Houston women, many with children and no
where to turn, with the recovery process. The organization knows that drug and alcohol addiction can
have disastrous and irreversible physical and emotional effects, not only on women, but on their
children, as well. Women with substance abuse problems have more barriers to treatment due to the
lack of economic resources, transportation, housing and child care. Santa Maria has been very
successful in preventing and reversing the effects of substance abuse on women and their children
by providing “continuum of care”.

Here’s a real-life story about success through recovery. Meet Traci, a young women struggling to
survive life.
At the age of 20 Traci didn’t want to continue living. She had been kicked out of her home by her
family, had no job, no transportation, had dropped out of high school before graduating, and had
already been to three substance abuse treatment centers.                                                                                                                                      
And then she brought herself to Santa Maria’s doorstep and asked for help. Upon admittance to the
intensive specialized female residential program, Traci was assessed by a medical doctor and a
psychologist within the first 72 hours, met with her counselor in private sessions to plan her
 “recovery” and set off on changing her life. The first few weeks were very hard. She was ashamed
of the many choices she had made in her life, but she was most ashamed because she was so
different and didn’t know why.
In addition to being addicted to drugs and alcohol, Traci was fighting a mental illness that had gone
undiagnosed until she came to Santa Maria. During the original assessment it was identified,
medication was prescribed, and a treatment plan put together to help Traci “rediscover” who she
really was and begin her life again. She was counseled in individual and group sessions by her
primary counselor and by her COPSD counselor (co-occurring disorders). She became part of the
Santa Maria healing community and was actively involved in utilizing all the resources for treatment
and life change. Traci enrolled in Santa Maria’s High School Diploma class and worked hard for
weeks to accomplish what she thought would never be within her reach – actually graduating from
high school! She succeeded and became a member of our 2007 graduating class!
She completed her intensive and supportive residential treatment and went on to be part of
Santa Maria’s outpatient treatment program, with services for up to a year. It was during outpatient
treatment that Traci shared with her counselors and fellow clients that she had applied to college
and had been accepted! Traci is now enrolled at Houston Community College, is employed part time,
 shares an apartment with friends, and is drug and alcohol free.
Traci is now living the life she had dreamed about but had almost given up on –
before she came to Santa Maria.

About Santa Maria
Our Mission and Goals:
The mission of Santa Maria is to empower women and their children to become alcohol and drug free.
We achieve this by redefining our clients’ life skills through a continuum of care which facilitates
their ultimate self sufficiency.  The goals are that the women and their families learn to remain in
recovery and this is sustained over time. It is also the goal of Santa Maria that this is accomplished
in the most cost effective manner.

 Needs
Rocking chairs, baby blankets, toys, diapers,
formula, twin sheets, pillow cases, comforters,
blankets, towels, children’s books and videos
 
Volunteer Opportunities
Cuddles Program
Life Skills Project
Adopt-a-Daughter
Baby Massage
Group Project Activities
 
For more information on
volunteer opportunities please contact:
Zoe Strock, Volunteer Coordinator
(832) 630-2859

Services for Women:
· Intensive residential treatment for women and their children or for those seeking reunification
· Supportive residential care for transitioning to self-sufficiency
· Outpatient care for up to 6 months
· Co-occurring therapy to address psychiatric and substance abuse issues
· Follow-up monitoring after clients and their children complete all services
· Childcare during periods in which women are engaged in residential or outpatient treatment
· Referral for medical, dental, physical health care services, prenatal and postnatal healthcare

                                Santa Maria is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization

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