A second chance for Traci Lott

After struggling with drug addiction for years, Traci was arrested and sentenced to an 11-month prison term.

Her parents Cheryl and Tom stepped in to care for her nine-year-old son James. As the time came for their daughter to be released from prison, the couple worried about how Traci would handle the challenges of parenting.

They knew there was a good chance she could have a relapse and fall back into drug use, and they also worried how James would accept his mother. Fortunately, a friend referred them to DePelchin, and before Traci’s release, a Family Connections counselor visited her family at their home and launched a six-month counseling and intervention program to address all of these concerns and more.

Family Connections Program

Family Connections is a child neglect prevention program of DePelchin for families in the Dickinson, Texas area. Counselors and family service professionals work one-on-one with clients to help strengthen parenting skills, improve relationships between parents and their children, and help families meet basic needs. The program also offers drug counseling, a service that was essential for Traci and her family.

After Traci’s release from prison, counselors held weekly in-home sessions with the family for six months. Traci learned positive parenting skills and began to practice them with James, who in turn, gained a new respect for his mother. They took part in group and individual sessions with their DePelchin counselors.

The family blossomed, but their journey was often hard. Although Traci is a skilled plumber—a trade she learned in prison—it was difficult for her to find work. She was well qualified, but many employers were not willing to overlook her criminal record. Being unemployed was stressful for Traci and put her sobriety to the test.

One day after being turned down for a job, Traci got in her car and drove past one of her former hangouts. It was a place where she had used drugs. She was tempted, but remembered the words of her DePelchin drug counselor, who often reminded her that the “high” only lasts a few hours, but the consequences of her drug use could last a lifetime.

“I knew if I did this, I might get away with it, but I would be undoing all the good I had accomplished,” Traci explained. “I thought about my parents, who had just started to trust me again. And I thought about my son, who was finally beginning to feel safe around me. I was able to resist my urge, and that was a real turning point for me.”

Living a Great Life

Traci eventually found full-time employment as a plumber and is on her way to being financially independent. She and her family completed their DePelchin program and look back on it with great appreciation for the help they’ve received.

“Had we not received this help, I don’t know where our family would be right now,” said Cheryl. “Traci had a lot of guilt about her past, but through counseling she was able to overcome it. The sessions built up her self-confidence and helped her see that she could be a success as a mother and as a person.”

Traci now leads a full and productive life. She works, cares for her son and is involved with church activities, including a drug rehabilitation support group that she attends weekly. James, now a fourth grader, is thriving, and Cheryl and Tom are happy to be back in their rightful roles as doting grandparents. They are very proud of their daughter’s accomplishments and are looking forward to helping her celebrate two years of sobriety next spring.

“I never imagined that my life could be so great,” Traci said. “I thank God for DePelchin, my counselors, my family and everyone who believed in me and helped me.”

By providing the opportunity to learn, grow and change for the better, the staff of DePelchin’s Family Connections program gave Traci Lott and her family a second chance to lead happier, healthier lives.