WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.480
<v Speaker 1>And helping men overcome the perils of addiction in a

2
00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:09.759
<v Speaker 1>fashion that I enthusiastically support. I've had the opportunity to

3
00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:12.400
<v Speaker 1>go and tour the facility, and if you do that,

4
00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:14.640
<v Speaker 1>if you take the tour and you go and find

5
00:00:14.679 --> 00:00:17.559
<v Speaker 1>out how the program works, you will be blown away

6
00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:20.039
<v Speaker 1>as I was at everything required and joining me in

7
00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:22.839
<v Speaker 1>the studio. Now the executive director. Are you is that

8
00:00:22.839 --> 00:00:26.399
<v Speaker 1>your official title? Megan? Yes, Megan Shay. She's new to

9
00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:29.239
<v Speaker 1>that role, but not new to denver So. And we

10
00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:31.480
<v Speaker 1>also have Derek who has now are you where are

11
00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:32.280
<v Speaker 1>you in the program?

12
00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:34.479
<v Speaker 2>Derek, I'm a recovery support manager.

13
00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:38.399
<v Speaker 1>Recovery support manager? Are you a former addict or recovering addict? Okay,

14
00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:41.000
<v Speaker 1>I'm in recovery myself, and that is very common. It's

15
00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:41.560
<v Speaker 1>step Denver.

16
00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:45.159
<v Speaker 2>It is twenty of our twenty five staff members have

17
00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:48.359
<v Speaker 2>been through the program themselves or are actively in recovery.

18
00:00:48.439 --> 00:00:49.359
<v Speaker 1>What is the point of that.

19
00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:52.079
<v Speaker 2>I believe it's part of the peer to peer model

20
00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:56.399
<v Speaker 2>where we're not just people that got a degree in

21
00:00:56.520 --> 00:00:58.320
<v Speaker 2>something and have that on the wall and say hey,

22
00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:00.920
<v Speaker 2>I read this in a book, right, it might help you.

23
00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:03.520
<v Speaker 2>We get to with the residents that we work with

24
00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:05.799
<v Speaker 2>on a daily basis. We get to tell them, hey, look,

25
00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:08.319
<v Speaker 2>I've been where you're at. As a matter of fact,

26
00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:10.840
<v Speaker 2>I've been in this program myself. I'm not asking you

27
00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:13.079
<v Speaker 2>to do anything that I haven't done, but I'm going

28
00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:16.599
<v Speaker 2>to give you suggestions and experience through my lived experience

29
00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:19.719
<v Speaker 2>to help you get out of this cycle of addiction.

30
00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:22.599
<v Speaker 1>How did you end up in STEP in the first place.

31
00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:25.719
<v Speaker 2>I was homeless before I got to STEP, and I

32
00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:29.599
<v Speaker 2>went to a detox and the counselor that was there

33
00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:32.319
<v Speaker 2>when I was seeking treatment said you might want to

34
00:01:32.359 --> 00:01:35.000
<v Speaker 2>try this place called Step Denver, And I was out

35
00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:36.959
<v Speaker 2>of options, and so I was willing to do anything

36
00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:37.599
<v Speaker 2>at that point.

37
00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:40.200
<v Speaker 1>So you really were at rock bottom definitely when you

38
00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:42.120
<v Speaker 1>first came into the program. And when you enter the

39
00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:45.439
<v Speaker 1>program it's called STEP because there are steps that you

40
00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:49.159
<v Speaker 1>go through and they are physically manifested in where you sleep.

41
00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:51.079
<v Speaker 1>And when you first come into the program, you have

42
00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:53.640
<v Speaker 1>these barracks. You know, you're out with all the other guys.

43
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:56.159
<v Speaker 1>What was that like for you when you got there

44
00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:58.239
<v Speaker 1>and you realize like, okay, I'm going to do this.

45
00:01:58.439 --> 00:02:00.959
<v Speaker 1>Tell me what that part was like, Like, how you

46
00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:01.920
<v Speaker 1>made that first step.

47
00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:06.200
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So my experience with STEP, like I should mention that,

48
00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:09.800
<v Speaker 2>like I chose to sleep on the street instead of

49
00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:14.000
<v Speaker 2>the shelters because it was safer and cleaner on the

50
00:02:14.039 --> 00:02:17.000
<v Speaker 2>street than in the shelters. And so I went into

51
00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:19.919
<v Speaker 2>STEP with the expectation with if it looks, smells, or

52
00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:22.360
<v Speaker 2>feels like a shelter, I'm not going to stay. And

53
00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:24.879
<v Speaker 2>so when I walked in and I saw how immaculately

54
00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:28.560
<v Speaker 2>clean it was twenty four to seven, and how kind

55
00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.719
<v Speaker 2>and comforting the staff members were. And then like I

56
00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:33.919
<v Speaker 2>get a bed to sleep on instead of like a bunk,

57
00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.280
<v Speaker 2>and it's like a really nice bed, and I get

58
00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:40.360
<v Speaker 2>a closet, and the living space was like beyond what

59
00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.639
<v Speaker 2>I was expecting, and it made me like immediately when

60
00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:45.639
<v Speaker 2>I walked in, it felt like home. It felt like

61
00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:48.560
<v Speaker 2>a brotherhood, and it felt comfortable and I felt welcome.

62
00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:50.759
<v Speaker 1>How did you fall into addiction in the first place.

63
00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:53.960
<v Speaker 2>I got introduced to drugs and alcohol at a very

64
00:02:54.039 --> 00:02:58.319
<v Speaker 2>young age, just being exposed to in the environment that

65
00:02:58.360 --> 00:02:59.080
<v Speaker 2>I grew up in.

66
00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:03.520
<v Speaker 1>So tell me about what has happened for you just

67
00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:06.919
<v Speaker 1>as a human since you became You got sober, and

68
00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:09.159
<v Speaker 1>then you committed to the program, and now you're actually

69
00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:12.840
<v Speaker 1>working for the program. How has that evolution been for Derek.

70
00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:16.360
<v Speaker 2>I mean, it's been life saving and life changing. To

71
00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:21.479
<v Speaker 2>be honest, I'm a completely different person to the selfish,

72
00:03:21.479 --> 00:03:25.520
<v Speaker 2>self centered, egotistical full of pride and guilt and shame

73
00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:29.520
<v Speaker 2>and fear before recovery, and now I'm the exact opposite

74
00:03:29.560 --> 00:03:32.599
<v Speaker 2>of all those things. I have a purpose in my

75
00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:34.759
<v Speaker 2>life to be of service to other people and to

76
00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:37.400
<v Speaker 2>help people, and to be a messenger of truth and

77
00:03:37.479 --> 00:03:40.879
<v Speaker 2>love and an advocate for recovery. And I'm very much

78
00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:44.879
<v Speaker 2>I'm very much a fan of recovering out loud. I'm

79
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:48.000
<v Speaker 2>not shy about my recovery and I don't shout it

80
00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:50.680
<v Speaker 2>from the rooftops like a preacher. But I'm definitely willing

81
00:03:50.759 --> 00:03:54.599
<v Speaker 2>to have the conversation and have the vulnerable conversations, and

82
00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:57.240
<v Speaker 2>I lean into discomforts and I lean into fear, and

83
00:03:57.639 --> 00:03:59.639
<v Speaker 2>I only know how to do these things and just

84
00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:03.280
<v Speaker 2>be a regular citizen in our community, like tax paying

85
00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:06.639
<v Speaker 2>member of our community, like a good member. I only

86
00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:09.159
<v Speaker 2>know how to do those things because Step and the

87
00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:11.319
<v Speaker 2>twelve Step fellowships that I got involved in.

88
00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:14.439
<v Speaker 1>Megan, You guys how many people do you think you've

89
00:04:14.439 --> 00:04:16.600
<v Speaker 1>actually helped over the years. I mean, you know, I've

90
00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:19.519
<v Speaker 1>sud asked me thousands. When did Bob Kote start this?

91
00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:19.959
<v Speaker 1>What year?

92
00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:23.680
<v Speaker 3>So we were founded in nineteen eighty three. We have

93
00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:27.279
<v Speaker 3>served thousands of men over the years, but last year

94
00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:29.920
<v Speaker 3>we served almost four hundred men. So we're now serving

95
00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:34.120
<v Speaker 3>about four hundred men per year. So, and the key

96
00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:37.439
<v Speaker 3>is it's not just servings, right, So we consider a

97
00:04:37.480 --> 00:04:40.079
<v Speaker 3>man served when they've been in our program five plus days.

98
00:04:40.279 --> 00:04:42.639
<v Speaker 3>We don't consider them served because they had a place

99
00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:45.839
<v Speaker 3>to stay for one night or we provided them with food.

100
00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:50.040
<v Speaker 3>To us, true service is they learned something they can

101
00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:52.160
<v Speaker 3>put into action in their life that is going to

102
00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:54.839
<v Speaker 3>have an impact in their quality of life, their ability

103
00:04:54.839 --> 00:04:56.560
<v Speaker 3>to recover, their ability.

104
00:04:56.120 --> 00:04:57.120
<v Speaker 1>To be self sufficient.

105
00:04:57.560 --> 00:05:01.120
<v Speaker 3>And so we consider men served after they actually received

106
00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:04.879
<v Speaker 3>career coaching and peer coaching from men like Derek and

107
00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:08.240
<v Speaker 3>gone through you know, some of our curriculum and meetings

108
00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:11.160
<v Speaker 3>and received things that they can actually apply. And so

109
00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:13.319
<v Speaker 3>I think that's the difference too. When you look at shelters,

110
00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:16.519
<v Speaker 3>it's like heads and beds, right, how many nights did

111
00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:20.079
<v Speaker 3>they stay for us? It's about them actually receiving the

112
00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:22.680
<v Speaker 3>tools that they need to become the people that they're

113
00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:25.759
<v Speaker 3>capable of being. You see what Derek is doing every

114
00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:28.079
<v Speaker 3>day in his life, the impact he's having on these men.

115
00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.120
<v Speaker 1>And we don't want lives to be wasted.

116
00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:34.040
<v Speaker 3>We don't want people on the street living in misery

117
00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:37.240
<v Speaker 3>and despair. We want them to have purpose and that's

118
00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:40.319
<v Speaker 3>our main goal, is that they can sustain where I

119
00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:43.240
<v Speaker 3>learn it step after they leave, not just oh great,

120
00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:45.000
<v Speaker 3>we served four hundred men.

121
00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:48.759
<v Speaker 1>This is a challenging population. Addiction is a real tough

122
00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.759
<v Speaker 1>thing and there's a lot of relapse and things of

123
00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:53.240
<v Speaker 1>that nature. Do you feel like because of the program?

124
00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:56.040
<v Speaker 1>And either of you can answer this, because this program

125
00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:58.160
<v Speaker 1>is and I never want to knock any kind of

126
00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:01.319
<v Speaker 1>rehab like there's a there's a form of rehab that's

127
00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:03.439
<v Speaker 1>going to help people. It may not help all people,

128
00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:05.720
<v Speaker 1>but I am all in favor of any program that

129
00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:07.439
<v Speaker 1>I want to be clear about that. But the thing

130
00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:10.639
<v Speaker 1>I like about STEP is that it does require that

131
00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:14.279
<v Speaker 1>accountability portion. It requires self sufficient It requires you to

132
00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:16.079
<v Speaker 1>go out and get a job, It requires you to

133
00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:19.800
<v Speaker 1>do these things that bring you back into society. Is

134
00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:22.759
<v Speaker 1>that do you think that's why it's so successful. I'm

135
00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:24.360
<v Speaker 1>gonna ask Derek that I.

136
00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:27.480
<v Speaker 2>Do believe that's why it's so successful. That I was

137
00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:30.439
<v Speaker 2>telling Megan the other day and spoke about it this morning,

138
00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:32.839
<v Speaker 2>as well as like we recover in real time. Life

139
00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:36.000
<v Speaker 2>isn't on pause. We're able to go do those life

140
00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:40.519
<v Speaker 2>things instead of just focusing just on one thing for

141
00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:42.480
<v Speaker 2>eight hours a day, which is my addiction and the

142
00:06:42.519 --> 00:06:46.160
<v Speaker 2>recovery from it. But like I actually get to save

143
00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:49.360
<v Speaker 2>my money, I get to be accountable for my actions

144
00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:52.120
<v Speaker 2>within this community. I get to go to the store

145
00:06:52.120 --> 00:06:54.480
<v Speaker 2>and cook my food. I need to be able to

146
00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:56.360
<v Speaker 2>learn how to make my bed in the right way

147
00:06:56.439 --> 00:06:58.360
<v Speaker 2>and be accountable for all those things.

148
00:06:58.360 --> 00:06:59.120
<v Speaker 1>But also like.

149
00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:02.959
<v Speaker 2>Really just build habits that are going to carry me

150
00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:05.759
<v Speaker 2>once I get out of said program, because it's going

151
00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:06.600
<v Speaker 2>to end eventually.

152
00:07:06.920 --> 00:07:08.759
<v Speaker 1>I love the way you just said I get to

153
00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:11.199
<v Speaker 1>do these things. I get to have a job, I

154
00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:14.240
<v Speaker 1>get to do these instead of I have to. That's

155
00:07:14.279 --> 00:07:19.000
<v Speaker 1>a pretty significant mindset situation there, you know. It's that

156
00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:20.800
<v Speaker 1>I get to do these things, not I have to.

157
00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:24.279
<v Speaker 3>Megan, how much does it cost to per man Yeah,

158
00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:27.160
<v Speaker 3>it's five It's just over five thousand, fifty two. Hundred

159
00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:29.959
<v Speaker 3>dollars per man, and that's for the entire stay. So

160
00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:32.240
<v Speaker 3>most men are staying with us for four to six months,

161
00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:34.399
<v Speaker 3>some up to two years. But if we look at

162
00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:35.759
<v Speaker 3>how many men we serve in a year in our

163
00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:38.560
<v Speaker 3>total expenses, it's about fifty two hundred dollars per man,

164
00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:41.399
<v Speaker 3>which by the way, is one sixth of the cost

165
00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:43.959
<v Speaker 3>I did the math on one of these hotels, one

166
00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:46.240
<v Speaker 3>sixth of the cost of just putting someone in a

167
00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:50.040
<v Speaker 3>hotel room. And so for a fraction we are able

168
00:07:50.120 --> 00:07:54.000
<v Speaker 3>to help men become self sufficient, get out of that

169
00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:57.800
<v Speaker 3>cycle of dependency, and be able to contribute because they

170
00:07:57.800 --> 00:07:59.959
<v Speaker 3>have a lot to contribute, by the way, to their

171
00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:01.519
<v Speaker 3>community and to their families.

172
00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:03.600
<v Speaker 1>And just for the person on the text line who

173
00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:06.319
<v Speaker 1>asked if Mayor Mike had done the tour of step

174
00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:08.240
<v Speaker 1>Denver yet, that is a big fat no. I asked

175
00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:10.600
<v Speaker 1>Megan that when he came in, if you would like

176
00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:14.079
<v Speaker 1>to help out step Denver, and if you're like me,

177
00:08:14.279 --> 00:08:17.079
<v Speaker 1>I love a hand up program. They could use your donation.

178
00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:19.360
<v Speaker 1>Today I put a link on the blog today where

179
00:08:19.399 --> 00:08:21.720
<v Speaker 1>you can go straight to the Colorado Gives page. What

180
00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:24.240
<v Speaker 1>is the benefit of working through Colorado gives instead of

181
00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:26.279
<v Speaker 1>a direct donation. Well, there are a couple.

182
00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:29.319
<v Speaker 3>One is the Colorado Gives Foundation does an incentive fund match,

183
00:08:29.480 --> 00:08:33.279
<v Speaker 3>so we will have a larger percentage of that incentive

184
00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:35.720
<v Speaker 3>fund at the end of the day based on how

185
00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:38.600
<v Speaker 3>many people are supporting step Denver among all of the

186
00:08:38.600 --> 00:08:41.279
<v Speaker 3>other charities that they're supporting today. We also have a

187
00:08:41.320 --> 00:08:44.200
<v Speaker 3>twenty five thousand dollars match. We have an individual who

188
00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:46.559
<v Speaker 3>has stepped up and said I will match dollar for

189
00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:49.000
<v Speaker 3>dollar up to twenty five thousand dollars gifts that are

190
00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:49.759
<v Speaker 3>received on this show.

191
00:08:49.799 --> 00:08:51.799
<v Speaker 1>If you just need to hit twenty five thousand dollars,

192
00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:53.000
<v Speaker 1>then you hit another twenty five.

193
00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:54.960
<v Speaker 3>I about five thousand dollars from that last I was

194
00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:55.799
<v Speaker 3>going to look on.

195
00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:59.639
<v Speaker 1>This right now. It doesn't have the thing on there.

196
00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:03.279
<v Speaker 3>Getting updates from our director of development. And right before

197
00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:05.360
<v Speaker 3>we left Step to come here, we were about five

198
00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:07.240
<v Speaker 3>thousand away from lat so here we go.

199
00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:11.919
<v Speaker 1>It is yeah, well, no, it's that's a different match. Okay,

200
00:09:12.519 --> 00:09:12.960
<v Speaker 1>it's weird.

201
00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:16.320
<v Speaker 3>There's another cool thing that's happening is Colorado Gives Foundation.

202
00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:20.519
<v Speaker 3>Any new monthly donation that's made today through Colorado gives

203
00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:23.200
<v Speaker 3>dot org slash step Denver. People who sign up for

204
00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:26.240
<v Speaker 3>a monthly gift Colorado Gives Foundation will match their first

205
00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:28.519
<v Speaker 3>donation okay, dollar for dollars, so there are a couple

206
00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:31.600
<v Speaker 3>of different matches. There's one other benefit which is new,

207
00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:34.799
<v Speaker 3>the Homeless Contribution tax credit, So people who give one

208
00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.879
<v Speaker 3>thousand dollars or more to STEP Denver are eligible for

209
00:09:37.879 --> 00:09:40.279
<v Speaker 3>a twenty five percent tax credit on that gift, So

210
00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:42.120
<v Speaker 3>twenty five percent of their gift they'll get back in

211
00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:44.720
<v Speaker 3>a tax credit on their federal or state TAXI state

212
00:09:44.759 --> 00:09:45.600
<v Speaker 3>state of Colorado.

213
00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:48.679
<v Speaker 1>All right, my friends, there you go. How long is

214
00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:52.279
<v Speaker 1>the waitlist for STEP Denver. We never have a waitlist, okay.

215
00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:55.720
<v Speaker 3>We were actually an overflow two weeks ago for the

216
00:09:55.720 --> 00:09:57.960
<v Speaker 3>first time, so I've been there six years and I've

217
00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:00.720
<v Speaker 3>never seen us full. And a couple weeks ago we

218
00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:04.360
<v Speaker 3>hit sixty one or sixty two and the sixty.

219
00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:05.440
<v Speaker 1>Three bed capacity.

220
00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:07.440
<v Speaker 3>We actually say we're a sixty bed facility, but we

221
00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:11.440
<v Speaker 3>have three overflow beds, okay, and we had one overflow

222
00:10:11.480 --> 00:10:13.799
<v Speaker 3>bed open. So we're very grateful that right now the

223
00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:16.639
<v Speaker 3>demand is actually leading men to our doors. Men are

224
00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:18.919
<v Speaker 3>making that choice. But the fact of the matter is,

225
00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:21.200
<v Speaker 3>at any given time, there are over one hundred and

226
00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:23.879
<v Speaker 3>fifty beds open in this community. We do not have

227
00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:26.080
<v Speaker 3>a shortage of beds for people to have.

228
00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:29.360
<v Speaker 1>A shortage of people taking them. Correct. I do want

229
00:10:29.399 --> 00:10:31.919
<v Speaker 1>to say you do have to go to the program sober, yes,

230
00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:35.919
<v Speaker 1>meaning if you are intoxicated on anything, you have to

231
00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:37.759
<v Speaker 1>sober up before you can come through the door, which

232
00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:39.919
<v Speaker 1>I think is reasonable because all of the other men

233
00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:42.440
<v Speaker 1>there are trying to maintain their sobriety and they don't

234
00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:45.360
<v Speaker 1>need to be around someone who is not sober. But

235
00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:47.720
<v Speaker 1>you can go to detox and then go straight to

236
00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:51.840
<v Speaker 1>step Denver and that is something that's what you did. Derek. Absolutely, Yeah, guys,

237
00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:54.639
<v Speaker 1>I really appreciate you coming in. I love the program.

238
00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:57.639
<v Speaker 1>I'm so excited you're expanding into Colorado Springs. When is

239
00:10:57.639 --> 00:10:58.039
<v Speaker 1>that open?

240
00:10:58.159 --> 00:10:59.919
<v Speaker 3>We are this time next year we hope to have

241
00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:02.960
<v Speaker 3>our doors open fifty bed facility in Colorado Springs. It'll

242
00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.320
<v Speaker 3>be called STEP Springs. It is our first replication of

243
00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:07.919
<v Speaker 3>this program. We've now got a forty plus year history,

244
00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:11.679
<v Speaker 3>we have proof ten years of data proving this works,

245
00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:14.000
<v Speaker 3>and so now our mission is to take this model

246
00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:16.519
<v Speaker 3>into communities and reach more men in need of this

247
00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:19.679
<v Speaker 3>program men like Derek give them that opportunity. So Derek

248
00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:21.919
<v Speaker 3>will be moving to Colorado Springs to help us launch

249
00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:24.840
<v Speaker 3>that and give other men the same opportunity he was given.

250
00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:26.120
<v Speaker 1>They're lucky to have you, Derek.

251
00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:27.720
<v Speaker 2>I'm blessed to be a part of it.

252
00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:30.759
<v Speaker 1>Megan shay From an executive director of step Denver and Derek,

253
00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:31.559
<v Speaker 1>thank you so much.