When Anthony Grassi was 16 years old, he said, “Nobody could tell me what to do. I thought I knew it all. I was using and dealing. And my mother said I was either going to flush the drugs down the toilet or get out. So I left and lived in a Jeep.”

“From there, I was trapped in a vicious cycle of addiction. I went from abandos to institutions to jail. I was lost,” he shared.

It was in jail where Anthony said, “I met some people who connected me with how I could sell and make a couple of thousand dollars a week.” That led to a continuing downward spiral.

When he was 21, his girlfriend, who was also addicted, had his son. “Fortunately,” he said, “my mother took over the rights of my son, and she has raised him.”

“They say it takes hitting rock bottom to finally need to turn your life around,” Anthony sighed, then continued. “But I hit rock bottom several times. And I managed to keep digging myself deeper.”

Then the Recovery Courts of Passaic and Warren Counties provided him with the opportunity to come to The Mission’s Behavioral Health Center, where he was selected to participate in a premiere program called New Direction, where formerly incarcerated individuals learn to see their real potential, and to create a plan for their future – with an emphasis on training, educational and career opportunities.

“What I’ve learned from the counselors at The Mission,” Anthony said, “is how to believe in and love myself again. The counselors here really care about you. And this program teaches you self-worth.”

He added, “I now have a relationship with my mother and son again. I talk with them every day. I just saw my son last week for the first time since 2016.  I am getting my life back.”

Having completed the job prep program at The Mission, Anthony is now applying for jobs. His plans when he leaves include going to school, so he can apply for an electrical apprenticeship.

“I was lost. And I am finding myself again here,” he said. “I had a million chances before. This time is for real.”