Project Recovery So. In., Inc. was established in 2022 with a vision that evolved from one of lived experience. Tracy Skaggs, founder and Executive Director of Project Recovery So. IN., Inc. wrestled with her own addictions and witnessed the devastation and heartbreak of loss. As a result, she desires to conquer the disease and desperately fight to overcome the inner war that comes with addiction and mental health instability.

Jeff, Tracy’s husband of 30 years, struggled with untreated childhood trauma and faced many systemic challenges. There is an ongoing stigma with men engaging in mental health treatment and he was a convicted felon with only a 7th-grade education. Jeff experimented with various substances as an adolescent which led to his self-medicating with illicit substances as an adult, as did Tracy. As a couple, they were victims of the crack cocaine and opioid epidemics.

Tracy and Jeff faced different barriers and challenges. Tracy, an educated white female, navigated the world of social services and obtained the necessary physical and mental healthcare to address her childhood trauma. Once Tracy began her recovery journey, Jeff’s substance use began to spiral. After his first overdose in 2016, he began searching for treatment options. Jeff’s first treatment facility was in Florida. After his initial assessment, we found that he could not be treated there because he also had a preexisting ulcer requiring medical treatment. Jeff was sent home and made his first attempt at medication-assisted treatment. The medication eliminated his withdrawal symptoms but did nothing to stop his cravings, and as a result, Jeff relapsed.

The pressure of watching Tracy flourish in recovery while fighting his own addiction, became too much for Jeff. His mental health symptoms worsened, and his drug abuse increased. Jeff again sought help, this time for suicidal ideations. Instead of being admitted for a 72-hour psychiatric evaluation, Jeff was denied care because of his heroin addiction. They prescribed medications to help with opioid withdrawal and sent him away. Jeff’s hope for a future was stripped away and he returned to the life and people who never denied him, the drug user community, and the suppliers. Jeff was in and out of jail for minor crimes as he was labeled a “user”. He also faced charges of failure to pay child support for his oldest son from a previous relationship because of his inability to obtain or hold a job.

Jeff’s past challenges made obtaining employment and housing basically impossible. Their only source of income was Tracy’s social security disability, and the two of them endured homelessness and food insecurity. With these kinds of external factors and Jeff’s personal challenges, the pressure was too much for Jeff to again humble himself and ask for help.

This time, Jeff’s treatment consisted of mental health coupled with medication assistance treatment for withdrawal and control. Jeff’s progress appeared promising as he found employment and was improving. Tracy enrolled in community college, purchased a vehicle and found housing. Life seemed great! There were still many barriers to navigate as Jeff did not have a driver’s license and they were sharing one vehicle. Managing schedules became difficult and Jeff was discharged from his mental health treatment due to failure to make it to appointments and non-compliance. It was also determined that Jeff was living a lie, pretending to follow the medication-assisted treatment while secretly using illicit substances. He was taking the prescribed opioid antagonist medication (Methadone), and still taking other drugs. Tracy (Jeff’s only source of positive support) was thriving, and Jeff was trying to protect her by pretending that everything was working. When discovered, all of Jeff’s treatment was terminated and he returned to the streets.

Jeff sought help several times and he craved love and acceptance. Like so many others, Jeff was labeled as a “drug addict” and deemed a societal eyesore, unworthy, and unable to be more. Jeff was a warrior battling a war unseen and unlike any other, the disease of addiction. He was a kind, caring, compassionate, and intelligent family man who had a lot to offer the world and he was loved beyond measure.

Observing Jeff being ostracized and stripped of his dignity and hope is what sparked the concept of establishing a non-profit organization that has become known as Project Recovery So. IN, Inc. Tracy knew that no matter how much she loved Jeff, she alone could not help him, so she vowed to make a way. She continued her education journey, and enrolled in a Social Work Program so she would be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to make a difference. She vowed to make the world a better place by establishing and providing alternative treatments for those struggling with mental health and substance use disorders.

Tracy’s goal for establishing Project Recovery is to help break down the barriers that people with face and to reduce the stigma of mental health and substance use treatment.

Jeff, who was a good man with much to offer and who loved his family, lost his life because of a broken mental health and addiction treatment systems. He is deeply loved and missed by Tracy and all who knew him. As a result of Jeff’s struggle and Tracy’s loss, Tracy continues to pursue social justice by advancing the human rights of others like him, in his honor and memory. Jeff’s story lives on through us and our work at Project Recovery So. IN., Inc.