As mother and daughter, we’re close. But we came to Outside In years apart. Now, amazingly, we’re both Medical Assistants in the clinic—and we each thank Outside In for saving our lives. 

We want to share our story because we see first-hand the difference we make every day. Especially now, when so many people are facing new hardships, the kind of social service and healthcare Outside In has been providing since 1968 is more important than ever. We need to keep our doors open. 

BEVERLEY

In 2013, I was an Outside In patient. I felt safe here, treated without judgment. I couldn’t go to my own doctor—I was so scared he would find out I was a heroin addict. 

In my 20s, I was in nursing school. I had married my high school sweetheart and started raising a family. Then my dad died suddenly and not long after I tragically lost my brother. It did something to me. I’d always been addicted to sugar, but at that point I started going from one more serious addiction to another.  

By the time my daughter Becca was in her teens, she was having severe drug-induced psychosis, seeing things that weren’t there, throwing things. Her behavior was why I stayed loaded. 

BECCA

I was out of control at that time, more than 10 years ago. Growing up, I had sports injuries and chronic shoulder pain and started self-medicating at age 13 when I lost my grandma unexpectedly. There’s a pattern in our family of grief, loss, and addiction. I had my first IV drug use of heroin at 16.  

With mental health issues, I was hospitalized multiple times. I felt like the only way out was to die. 

I didn’t think of my mom as an addict until I started using hard substances and saw in her what I saw in myself. 

We were a chaotic pair. One minute our relationship was stormy, and the next we were friends. We started using together.  

BECCA 

I came to the Outside In clinic around the time my mom started volunteering, after I was clean about a year and a half. Beverley kept egging me on, “I promise you it’s not like any other clinic.” I have severe medical trauma, white coat syndrome. 

But my provider here listened deeply to my concerns about traditional medication and invited me to explain why I was afraid I might take the whole bottle. I felt like I could be honest. She didn’t look at me like I had four heads, but like a human being. That’s all I really needed at the time, a little validation. I could trust these people. I realized this was a place where I was going to be able to get real help without judgment. 

And that planted the seed: Maybe I could do something like that.  

Because of my experience and love for Outside In, I wanted to be able to prove myself. I applied to the Medical Assistant apprentice program. Although there were 60 other applicants and my relation to Beverley was unknown to my interview panel, I landed it! Recently, I graduated from the apprenticeship program and became a full M.A. Outside In is where I plan to have my career.