- Alyssa Young started her recovery process through Tooele County Drug Court's recovery program at Valley Behavioral Health.
- Valley Behavioral Health hosts celebrations to support and destigmatize addiction recovery.
- CEO Jared Sanford emphasizes removing stigma and celebrating recovery to encourage seeking help.
TOOELE — Alyssa Young never thought she'd ever see her 33rd birthday. Her life was "spiraling out of control for 12 years," she said, and she wasn't sure how long she could last.
When she was 21, a boyfriend introduced her to drugs, and eventually, Young became addicted to fentanyl and methamphetamine. Her addiction led her down a road of crime, as she began stealing food, IDs and more. She was arrested and was spending time in jail.
After she was arrested for stealing in 2024, Young was given a choice to go to prison or to participate in a Tooele County drug court recovery program, with Valley Behavioral Health. She considered prison — people had told her prison is easier to deal with and she had heard horrible things about drug court.
Young decided, instead, to change her life. She chose the recovery program and is now 459 days sober. She has started college and hopes to get a degree in social work, with a focus on substance abuse work. Young hopes to support and celebrate others who are also struggling with addiction.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of asking for help," Young said. "When you celebrate people in recovery, other people can see that there really are people who want to help you. That can be life-changing for addicts. It was for me."
For the last couple of years, Valley Behavioral Health's Tooele branch has held a celebration for clients in recovery. Family and friends are invited, there is a petting zoo and games for kids and former clients share their stories and offer advice.
Clients who attended this year's celebration said the party was better than they expected, mostly because they did not think of recovery as something people celebrate, outside of 12-step programs.
Staff at Valley Behavioral Health in Tooele hear what the clients say, and this reaffirms the need to celebrate those in recovery. Not only does it make the addict feel good about getting clean, it helps remove the stigma about addiction and getting help.
"The stigmas have lessened, especially post-COVID, when more people started talking more about mental health, but it is still an issue," said Jared Sanford, CEO at Valley Behavioral Health. "This was led by young people. Let's remove all stigmas and biases ... let's get rid of it. We want people who need help to seek it out."
Sanford and some clients believe marking various months — recovery in September, mental health in May, for example — help inform the public that recovery and mental struggles are a reality for many people, and help is available.
Special commemorations also remind everyone that addiction is not a moral issue, which often prevents some people from seeking help for themselves or from supporting a loved one experiencing addiction, Sanford said.
Young agrees it is important to celebrate small victories as well as large ones, especially for addicts whose body, mind and social circle — and sometimes family — are telling them they should use as soon as possible.
She and other clients enjoy the celebrations because they are a reminder that recovery does not have to be dreary and lonely — other people are going through the same things. It also provide a network of like-minded people with whom to find support and camaraderie. Oftentimes, they are even interested in being a long-term friend.
Getting clean — and staying clean — is incredibly difficult, clients and counselors have said. The agency believes having a celebration to remind everyone that a clean life can be a fun life is incredibly important.
"What we do is we recognize them and celebrate them," said Nicole Herrera, clinical director at Valley Behavioral Health in Tooele. "It's not about us but our clients. It's humbling to be a part of someone's journey. They deserve to be acknowledged."
