By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
The collaborative effort between the Adams County Health Department, Sheriff’s Department, and the Court System is significant. Tierra Sroufe from Brown County is interning with the Peer Supporters at ACHD. She shares her appreciation for the caring community in Adams County. She said, “They want to watch people succeed and become what they’re supposed to be. We all genuinely love these people. We want them to have the life we have because we know they can. We’ve been in the dark, dark places – we’ve had the devil take hold of us.”
Sroufe came to the Health Department with the Ohio Means Jobs work experience program after the tragic loss of her baby son, Atlas, in January of this year. Tara England, Certified Peer Supporter for the Adams County Health Department, is Tierra’s cousin and provided her with care and support. England and Tierra knew that Tierra needed healing and thought by helping others; she could help herself in the restoration process. England reached out to Edna Staten at OMJ to inquire about the program. England said of Tierra, “I wasn’t afraid that she would relapse. I thought her being able to help somebody else would help heal her. I think sometimes helping others helps heal ourselves.” Danielle Poe, Director of Behavioral Health at ACHD, interviewed Tierra and knew she would be a good fit for peer support. England continued, “She has a purpose and has done wonderful in this field.”
Sroufe has completed her peer support classes and will start peer support training next month. England said, “She’s helped so many other people. Every struggle gives you a great purpose to help somebody else with that struggle.” England believes Adams County has a drive going with each person who changes their life and, in turn, helps someone else. She continued, “There is so much good. There’s such a movement that’s happening. It’s the Sheriff’s Office, to Probation, Judge Spencer, and Judge Gabbert – everybody working as one. It’s very exciting – I’ve never seen anything like it.”
It was an emotional interview but the kind of conversation that gives one unrelenting hope. Tierra has been clean since 2013 following a heroin addiction. She experienced childhood trauma, and at the age of 10, her parents divorced. Tierra relayed that she did well in high school but started hanging out with the “wrong” crowd and dating the “wrong” guy. Tierra explains that addiction doesn’t discriminate as she came from a decent family and was expected to uphold a good family name. She stated, “I ended up getting into a lot of trouble and lost support, but my mom never left me. She always stayed by my side. I let many people down because they expected more from me.”
Tierra explains that to deal with her traumas, she “numbed the pain.” She lived in active heroin addiction for approximately four years, and then she got into trouble in Brown County and was put on probation. She didn’t stop using. She recalls when her dad told her that she needed to pick out a headstone because he was sure he would have to bury her. She stated, “I just kept going, and I finally got a probation violation in 2013.” Tierra shared that the last two weeks of her addiction left her in desperation, and she didn’t want to live anymore. She said, “I swear not even a week later, I was in jail. They put me in Brown County jail, and I sat there for a month and a half until I had my court date.” She was sentenced to Star, an in-treatment program and was there for 120 days.
Tierra was 23 years old when released on December 3, 2013. A couple of months later, she met a man she later married, and they had a son, Wyatt, together. The marriage ended a few years later, and they parted friends. Tierra met her fiancé Tanner in 2018, and they have been together ever since.
After her release from rehab, Tierra stayed clean. She shared, “Wyatt probably saved me from ever relapsing. I was headstrong about staying sober, going to my meetings, and doing this and that, but I struggled with the emotional part. When I got pregnant, I had all the more reason to stay sober.”
When Atlas passed, many folks were concerned that Tierra would relapse. She stated, “Instead, we turned our eyes to God – we found our faith.” Tierra explained that although she believed in God, she and Tanner had not been churchgoers. She shared, “Finding God and finding this (the internship) has helped me heal with a lot of my anger. Why take, my son? I don’t understand. It’s opened my eyes and helped me heal in many ways. It’s been rough, but here I am, clean, sober, and off heroin since June 19, 2013.”
Talking about helping others, Tierra explains that when folks look at her, they would never guess she’s been in a lockdown treatment facility or that England served time in prison. She tells them, “This is what happened to me, and I understand. With God, there’s nothing impossible – nothing. Try not to listen to all the noise around you and focus on the bigger picture.” She explained, “Most people understand what I’m saying.”
Of her time interning at the Health Department Tierra said, “It’s been amazing working here – Oh my gosh – I love it! Everyone is amazing,” She shared. “We’re all fighting against one thing – addiction – because we’ve all been there.” And concludes, “This place has given me my purpose and independence. It’s crazy how things work. I love this place. I was broken into pieces. It has helped me in so many ways – it really has.”