Janice's Story

"When Janice came in, her self-esteem was zero; she was very angry, fearful and fragile," says Janice's case manager.

Janice was lucky to have been assigned to Judge Ferdinand's Brooklyn Drug Court. "I have a special interest in women because they face multiple barriers and achieving a lasting recovery is harder for women then men," says Judge Ferdinand.

"I first met Janice while she was being held in the at Rikers," explains Ron McManus, Treatment Specialist at CCA. "I prepared a treatment plan that met Judge Ferdinand's requirements.

"When I first got to Crossroads," said Janice, "I couldn't handle someone touching me on my shoulder. I was that tense. I had a fear of talking and trusting anyone.... After a couple of months I started to like the programs at Crossroads. Ron pushed me to talk and I started to make friends with Rosemary who is my age and lived in the same house with me."

Now Janice is attending a two-year college program in Visual Communications and working part-time. She is looking forward to getting her own apartment and helping other Crossroads women express themselves. "I love art," says Janice.