PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Three individuals were celebrated for their strides in recovery and successes in life at the Pittsfield Community Justice Support Center on Friday.

 

Lakarra Williams, Luis Ramirez, and William "Billy" Guzzo beamed with pride as they were applauded by friends, family members, and staff who help them along the journey.

 

"This program has made me feel welcome right from walking in and it's everybody from the staff security guy to the gentleman that watches me pee in a cup," Guzzo said.

 

"The support is phenomenal, and I don't think I would be where I am without you guys."

 

Guzzo entered the center in January for pretrial treatment through central Berkshire District Court probation.  In March, he was placed on probation and was conditioned to do intense treatment with PCJSC.

 

Upon his enrollment, he was assessed as a high risk for re-offending and after 98 hours of cognitive behavioral therapy, now scores as a medium risk.  Guzzo has also tested clean for substances since his first week in the program.

 

"I have worked with Billy in another capacity and see the growth in him has been astounding in just a short amount of time," Clinician Brooke Bridagan said.

 

"Most recently, he was able to secure housing for himself and his two daughters. Even though there are obstacles along the way that he faced, he did that with dignity and didn't let those get in the way of him being able to achieve this accomplishment. He also enrolled into BCC for the fall semester to begin earning an addiction recovery assistant certificate. He was able to pick his classes yesterday and he has been meeting with his advisor regularly to prepare himself for classes to begin in the fall so him and his girls will be going to school at the same time."

 

There is no doubt in Bridagan's mind that Guzzo will achieve this goal because he has proven that when he sets a goal he will make it happen, she said.

 

Luke Fitzgerald, an outreach substance abuse counselor at Berkshire County Sherriff's Office, explained that Guzzo's intake photo from the jail is such a glaring difference from the person he is today only months later.

 

"In such a short time, it's such a drastic change," he said. "I've gotten to know Billy really well from the time he was in with us, which was short, to his immediate release into treatment and continued recovery at home.  He has done some really amazing things."

 

The Berkshire support center is one of 18 Support Centers across the state that offer services for over 500 individuals in the criminal justice system each week by providing cognitive behavioral treatment for Substance Use Disorder and decision-making, education, employment services, community service opportunities, and clinical case management.

 

"It's moments like this that us, as practitioners, relish and live for," Program Manager Kyle Schadler said.

 

"We get to recognize three amazing human beings that are either currently in or have come through the center and recognize their accomplishments and the hard work that they put in."

 

Schadler is proud of the center's relationship with probation and parole, explaining that it is essential for participants' success.

 

Regional Manager of the Office of Community Corrections Kevin Kearney said he has a tremendous amount of pride when he attends these events.

 

"The moments of pride, it comes from hard work, right? We wouldn't feel pride unless we put in a lot of work into something," he said.

 

"The person who climbs up a mountain top, when you see a picture of them standing there, they're not looking at the beautiful scenery, right? But they've got a sense of pride in the work they put in getting to that place and, you guys, you're climbing the mountain and your mountain."

 

Williams came to the center in October of 2021, scoring high on the risk needs assessment.  She completed 172 hours of CBT and now scores at low risk for re-offending.

 

"With us, Lakkara was consistently willing and able to identify and address potential triggers and solutions to substance use relapse and to return to antisocial activities as part of her treatment," Treatment Manager Paul Perry explained.

 

"Here Lakkara, with the help of her clinician, developed individualized relapse prevention and aftercare plans. On discharge, she was enrolled in Suboxone-assisted therapy and substance use counseling in the city of North Adams."

 

Senior Clinician Jennifer Mercier explained that Williams came in as a self-described "hot mess" and could not even show up for a virtual assessment.  She was homeless, unemployed, and estranged from her children.

 

"There was nothing functional in her life. Nothing. Nothing," Mercier said. "And I just want to tell you all about Lakkara now because that's the woman who I know and respect and this makes working at the center so meaningful."

 

Today, Williams is successfully employed with two jobs, has a license and a car, has rebuilt her credit, is unified with her children, and is in a healthy relationship.

 

"Oftentimes we get comfortable in chaos.  We get comfortable and in things that we know, things that may seem unacceptable to other people, they become familiar and comfortable," Mercier said.

 

"So anytime we put ourselves in an uncomfortable situation, every step these participants made, every step you take Lakkara is uncomfortable but you did it."

 

William's former probation officer Christian Filkins said that he has a difficult time at the start of her probation but has embraced her time at the center, completed with "flying colors," and continues to stay involved.

 

"The one thing I want to say about Lukkara is she always asked for help from probation, which is difficult for a lot of people to do, and from everybody here at the Pittsfield Support Center," she said. "You were open, receptive of feedback even when that feedback was really difficult for you to hear."

 

After being honored, Williams left to sponsor another person in getting a license.

 

Ramirez came to the center on New Year's Eve of 2021 from federal probation and was with the center on intensive supervision for five months when his probation expired.

 

He elected to stay in the program to work with the center's educator and receive case management services.

 

Perry explained that, for a lot of folks who stay on case management, there is about one phone call a week and eventually they fall off but Ramirez continued to come in.

 

Since March of last year, he has been connected to the Goodwill, the Department of Transitional Assistance, Clinical Support Options, Community Health Partners, MassHealth, and the Massachusettes Rehabilitation Commission.

 

"Really, since March of 2022, completely on his own volition coming in regularly, getting support in a whole wide range of things from case management, to help clinically, and recovery-based stuff," Perry explained.

 

"So he's really become sort of a mascot for us and it's always good to see.  He's usually always got a smile when he comes in and he always has one when he leaves as do the rest of us."

 

Ramirez was highly determined to get his own living space, as he was sleeping on a chair in his mother's home upon entering the program.  He was able to secure a place of his own and a full-time job at Berkshire Medical Center as a custodian after receiving a custodial training certification through Goodwill.

 

"Luis is determined and when he fails, it's immediately ‘Let's try it again.  Let's do it over,'" the center's educator said, adding that he is always open to something new and expanding his learning.

 

Ramirez is said to be the center's mayor, always popping his head into the staff members' offices to ask how they are doing.

 

"This is a part of your journey," Schadler said.

 

"We cannot want to be a part of, to hear your continued success in all your areas that you want to strive towards."

 

He urged the three to keep doing what works for them and if they stop doing what works, to come and get a reality check from himself.