I entered the Grace House in October of 2020, literally on the brink of losing my three beautiful daughters forever. I was born into a very dysfunctional family, was a victim of domestic violence almost my entire life, and eventually became a substance abuser. I barely survived two unintentional overdoses during the summer and still my life continued to spiral further down than it ever had before. Finally, I accepted the fact that I needed to enter treatment not only for the chance to get my children back but also just to stay alive. When I walked in the door I felt completely defeated, overwhelmed, and anxious yet I knew I was in the right place. Slowly, with the help of the caring staff and hard work from all involved, each day became a little bit easier. They advocated for me when it came to having my children placed with me in the program. The support and encouragement my girls and I received was second to none. We were given the tools wed always needed to live a better life. The staff as well as the other women and children in the program became our family. Because of the work I was able to do on myself and the insight i gained from therapy and daily groups I was able to take my voice back and set clear boundaries, something I had never successfully done throughout my life. My girls also learned so many important things such as its okay to feel, you can restart your day at any point, you are unique, communication is key, laughter is the best medicine, help others, be grateful, and so many more. I graduated in June and moved into my own apartment in July with my three girls. Life is still life, there are still good days and bad days but thanks to this program I am better equipped to handle those not so good days. This program is a life changer if you are willing to put in the work,

Im currently at the grace house things have changed over the years. we have great staff and a great director. The staff really cares about the woman in recovery as well reunification with they kids. The staff and director as well as the clinical and children worker help and have your back in many ways. good place to be with you child...

This place is full of poorly trained and educated staff doing the bare minimum to ensure their funding and therefore lively hood isnt terminated. I see many women from this program doing things which reflect poorly upon the program and house and yet I personally know a woman there who is working an active program of recovery, yet she is constantly targeted by staff and singled out. You see their star pupils on their phones during AA meetings theyre not even supposed to have at the specific phase theyre in, you see them smoking within 6 feet of their children which is outlined in the programs handbook as a violation and is clearly not something you would if you took into consideration the welfare of your child. Yet when these same women divulge false information to the staff in an attempt to take the heat off of themselves they are often praised. Any 12 step program is an active program, having a sponsor and working the steps is a requirement at this specific program. There are numerous women there who have no program what so ever and have led staff to believe the lies they tell so they can continue to advance in the program. In all reality this is only hurting themselves. Over 15,000 people died of drug over doses in this country last year. Programs like this are meant to provide a foundation for the rest of their lives. It they had multiple staff members who were actively involved in recovery and the recovery community they would be able to easily pick out those who are working a program and those who arent. Ask any alcoholic or drug addict in recovery and they can tell you once you surrender and start working an active program there are numerous changes both inwardly and outwardly. I personally have been disrespected by the staff there when I have been there visiting, Im not a man who isnt familiar with sober houses and half way houses. I have been involved in the local recovery community for years and the oversight, theft, lack of direction and overall experience of this program is something which needs to be throughly investigated.

Idk where to begin, this place is horrible. The staff are uneducated and rude. They put on a real good show though, but I was there for 7 months and it was hell. I have been to over 10 other programs and this is by far the worst. Staff were running groups that they had NO IDEA what they were even talking about. Its all about the paper work. Making things look good for the state..But not buying milk when we had ran out 2 days before. They are too busy turning the residents food stamps into cash and doing who knows what with it, cause their was never enough food for 15 families. Plus most of the staff eat all the food and scream at us in front of our children and needed more help then most residents that come through those doors. Also residents are barely allowed to leave, only for appointments, and once in a while NA meetings. Worst program ever!!! Please dont go there. Its so sad. Wish the state would fire everyone there and reopen a whole new program there cause that place is doing some illegal, messed up stuff. If you cant help an addict dont hurt one!!!

Hello So I am a graduate of the program from 2001. When I first got to the program I thought it was horrible and staff sucked. Well after sticking out and going thru it I realized what a great place it was. It taught me how to be a mother to my daughter it taught me how to budget money it taught me life skills that i didnt have. I faught every rule and I even broke them. However I realized after thd fact I was being a stubborn girl from the city of Lowell. And so we are clear I was court ordered to there So that made it worst. However after being there and getting the help i needed I realized it wasnt the program it was me. Because as any good addict we know whats best for us. All these years later I wish I could go back in there. It was a safe nurturing place. I thought they stole food stamps and turned them in to cash some how. They didnt they used it for the house and food. I think the reviews on here are sad and isnt accurate. I think some of these people were like me and just ended up getting kicked out and got mad. If you need to do this for whatever reasons please please stick it out. It saved my life! And my daughters. It also taught me how to stay sober witch is a great huge challenge all in its self. Just like anything if you work it it will be worth it!

If you are serious about your recovery and serious about reuinication with your child/children...it is an amazingly safe place to achieve these goals. YES I WILL SAY IT ISNT EASY and its very strict and scheduled. But when DCF took custody of my first baby...I never got her back... Then my second only because of the first case (because both from the same father only a 16 months apart)...I knew that if I could just buckle down and follow there program regardless of how it was staffed and how difficult the required work etc... Was demanding and exhausting...to say the least.. I graduated even though I wasnt mandated to do so....that was 3.5 years ago... And I now have my daughter own apartment a good quality of life and a good sense of self. I know I can at any time reach out to them for help and they would be there. Brianne Swanson. I recommend that if you want to regain custody of your baby or children or especially if youre pregnant that will save your kids and life. Please dont listen to the negative.

Hello my name is Megan novaco, this place was absolutely awful, I am a graduate of this program due to my strength and desire to be clean and involved in my daughters life, I have watched woman get targeted over stuff that had nothing to do with them, iv watched the whole house get shut down and introuble over one persons mistake, the directer is very racist to white woman, even some whom are staff, rude, uneducated, woman whom never cared to offend you, punish you ,target you and treated every woman very disrespectfully. The directer had very uneducated staff working there, staff whom were very arrogant to girls, including myself. Im a woman who graduated, because I wanted my life, my child,a healthy pregnancy but it was the hardest thing I ever went through in my life and I felt targeted, tormented, put down, offended, scared and helpless every second of my time there. There is a specific staff EMILY whom is awful, she calls girls junkies, she watched Netflix movies on her phone while transporting woman and their children places in the company van, and yes she did it to me and I reported it and instead of it being on her as a staff, I got reprimanded for talking about my feeling towards the incident with clients as if I had done something wrong, following the report Emily treating me with utmost disrespect and I was told by Lisa the directer she is human. Haha shes a staff.Emily refers to us as junkies, screams, slams doors on a day to day basis, punches gates, she sleeps on shift and refused to give medication on many occasions. That place needs to be investigated without them being told your comeing because every time you have given them a heads up they turned us into slaves, girls get to scared to tell the truth when they are residents on how the program truly is because if they report something bad the director most deff would find any reason to throw her out.. That place is filthy ,bad staff, uneducated, staff who act trashy and talk about their drug and alcohol use on the weekends.. IF I HAD ALL THE MONEY IN THO WORLD I WOULD PAY ANY AMOUNT TO HAVE THE GRACE HOUSE SHUT DOWN.I do not recommend any woman to attend tilt program, again if your sobriety is everything to you and your strong then of coarse you can get through it like I did, but I cried every single day. I walked everywere ,to appointments at nine months pregnant,iv had passes taken away due to other womans actions.. We get screamed at instead of talked to and nothing is ever tho staffs fault and if it is, there is absolutely no way they will take responsibility for it. They have giveing out my liveing arrangements and private info to people they did NOT HAVE RELEASES TO DO SO. please look for anywere else but here, but if its your only option just keep your chin up, mine your business, take every action and word with a grain of salt and keep it moveing,even staff leave because its so hard to be an employee there,Two of my favorite left, due to many reasons in the house and personal in sure.I WANT IT TO BE KNOWS THAT THERE ARE SOME SOME SOME AMAZING STAFF.JESSICA THE CHILD CAREJENN SHES MY FAVORITEROSACLARASUZETTEMELANIEAND I PROMISE YOU THOES ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CARE ABOUT FORCE AND DONT LIE ARE NOT RACIST THEY TREAT US WITH RESPECT AND ARE AMAZING AND HELPFUL PEOPLE.THE REST ARE AWFUL PEOPLE.. EMILY IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST STAFF SHE IS JUST ALL AROUND A TERRIBLE PERSON AND IS IMMATURE, RUDE, RACIST, VIOLENT, JUDGMENTAL, ANGY, DOES NOT DO HER JOB AND WHEN SHE DOES ITS ON HER TERMS AND SAME GOES FOR THE DIRECTER. THEY ARE TWO PEAS IN A POD AND SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO WORK IN SUCH A PLACE WERE ITS ABOUT PEOPLES LIFE. ITS LIFE OR DEATH FOR US. AND THEY JUST DO NOT CARE

Im the fiancé hes talking about. Grace house is the most poorlu run program and needs to be shut down

OKAY! This program is the most poorly run program I have witnessed. I am a substance abuse counselor and I just had a visit with my fiancé at the Grace House. I was absolutely appalled by the way my fiancé was treated. First of all my fiancé just got custody of her 5 year old and her daughter was with her foster mom for a year and these last couple days have been so hard for her daughter and her. So when I arrived my fiancé was helping her elderely father and handicapped mother get out of their car for their 1 visit a week. And immediatky a very angry woman came out yelling at her and belittling her in front of my mother her mother her fathrt as well as her 5 year old daughter using foul language. So after all of that we went on with our visit and when my fiancé finally started to have a good time with us and her daughter her comes the same angry woman named Suraya screaming again and belittling my fiancé in front of all of us and other familys. This was an absolutely disgusting way to act in front of a 5 year old for one and to treat a client like she was beneath her. This place needs to be shut down investigated and restaffed. There are so many other things I have seen in this short time. This place is absolutely wrong AMD if u are a mother in early recovery please think twice b4 YOU COME HERE ITS AN EMBARASSMENT to THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY!

I am deeply concerned about the director I would rate the quality of care of the grace house staff very poorly and unqualified to handle women in early recovery the women there live in fear of being targeted by the director or staff . Afraid of being kicked out and losing thier children they feel helpless. I am deeply saddened and concerned that the director is not qualified to run a nurturing environment for the women and children that reside there.they should not live in fear the women there are trying thier best to my a better life for their self and thier children an investigation needs to be done and the women should be able to report thier experience without being afraid of repercussions

I was a child living here and I wasnt allowed to be outside anytime without staff knowing also staff member yelled at me and my friend to leave the property where I lived