'People, Places, and Dreams' recovery center opens doors to new Warren facility

"People, Places, and Dreams" opened their doors to the Warren community Friday with an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony.
The centers mission is to help those struggling with mental health disorders, addiction, domestic abuse, sexual violence and trauma.
The support center focuses on marginalized population like minorities, women and children, and LGBTQ plus.
The center is taking a collaborative effort at recovery utilizing both clinical and peer support services.
Those in treatment are partnered with a certified peer supporter to help them through recovery. Nafisah Alim, PPD Executive Director, describes a peer supporter as someone who, "can walk the walk with you as a support." Peer supporters have gone through similar circumstances and come out the other end successfully. These peer supporters receive a 40 hour certification from the state of Ohio and are available 24 hours a day.
Alim says peer support is pivotal to how behavioral health is moving in the future. "Counselors and Case Managers get off at 5 o'clock on Friday, and the party starts at 5:01 p.m. Then they come back Monday, and then what?"
People, Places and Dreams offers support groups on a variety of topics like substance abuse, mental health, and LGBTQ+ issues.
The group offers single gender housing while in treatment, with an option to stay in the house after treatment is completed. This provides 24 hour support and a safe environment to stay clean.
Alim created PPD because of her own experiences in a traumatic childhood situation. She says that her whole life she dreamed of starting something that would help those who 'slip through the cracks' of the system.
The group already has locations in Cleveland and Columbus, and is hoping to continue to open more centers across the state of Ohio.