The nonprofit Nexus Recovery Center is marking North Texas Giving Day by getting ready to start construction on a new medical facility on its campus in East Dallas. The center works with women to overcome substance use disorder.
Nexus Recovery Center covers 11 acres in East Dallas. The organization said substance use is the leading cause of children being removed from a home by the Department of Family and Protective Services, so they work to keep families together.
"What makes Nexus really unique, besides the fact we only serve women, is we allow women to bring up to three children with them into therapy and treatment," Chief Philanthropy Officer Cameron Hernholm said. "We provide a family-centered treatment environment."
Hernholm said the organization provides more than just detox. They also provide psychiatric help to find the root causes a woman might start abusing drugs. Hernholm said many have a past trauma or abuse that might have led them to drugs as an escape from anxiety or depression.
"It's not like they sought out a substance use disorder," she said. "We've found if you can't treat the other traumas, you're not going to be successful in your recovery."
Over the past year, Nexus Recovery Center has worked with more than 2,500 women and children. The organization will break ground next month on a medical building.
"If we can get the mom into recovery, then they're going to have a better life expectancy, and her children will," Hernholm said.
When people leave the center, they are paired with a "recover coach" who keeps in touch with them long-term. Hernholm said almost all employees are female, and more than half of staff are in recovery.
"That makes it really unique and more of a sister-bond and recovery situation," she said. "All of our eight recovery coaches are Nexus alumni themselves."
Nexus Recovery Center hopes to raise $150,000 on North Texas Giving Day. The organization does not charge for its services. Hernholm said it uses private support, corporate donations and government assistance to cover its costs, which are about $1 million a month.
More information is available at https://nexusrecovery.org/ .
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