DROP-IN SERVICES
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Second Chance, Inc. has been providing services to the Tri-cities communities (Newark, Fremont, Union City) since 1971, and to the Hayward area since 1991. Our referrals are mostly from word of mouth. There are many people who have substance abuse problems that know friends or family members who have came to Second Chance and have successfully remained clean and sober. Sometimes a person struggling with drugs and/or alcohol will decide to try to quit. For example, we have had people come to us who knew about us and were just walking by one of our centers. They will decide it’s time for them to get help and drop in and inquire about our services. Occasionally the person is in crisis. Perhaps they have been ‘kicked out’ of their place to live, they’ve suffered a drug medical crisis, they’re in a battering relationship, they may have been unemployed for a long period of time, or they may be having troubles with the courts and know that there is a warrant out for their arrest. Whatever the reason is that a person stops by one of our centers, there is a counselor available to help them. We refer them to temporary housing, help them get immediate medical care (even if it means us calling 911 due to present serious medical problems). We may refer them to battered women’s shelters or to our own homeless shelter. We encourage them to stay in counseling at Second Chance in order to work with the court system, and attend groups to get the skills to get and stay clean and sober. We have years of experience that helps us realize that not everybody plans a date and time to change their life around. Sometimes it’s just knowing that help is available and being able to finally walk into one of our centers and talk to a counselor. Of course, everything is confidential and sometimes it takes a person several times before they accept the help we offer. We encourage people to continue to come to Second Chance when they know they need help, even if they’ve dropped in before. If we can’t help at Second Chance, we will give a referral to the appropriate place that can help. We never turn anybody away. We understand that most people need help with their day to day living problems. If substance abuse is part of the problem counselors at Second Chance will see a person on an on-going basis and refer them to our Abstinence Support Groups for group counseling. Many people are clean and sober today because they walked by (sometimes several times) one of our centers and finally made the decision to just drop in and talk to a counselor.
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