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Pathways To Spirit is hosted by Dr. Troy Melendez and Dr. Nate Velez of Journey to Recovery, offering an inside look at the people, practices, and purpose behind a culturally grounded approach to healing from addiction. Through conversations with the Journey to Recovery team, the podcast explores the program’s history, its new facility, and the clinical and cultural principles that guide their work. Pathways To Spirit provides a welcoming space to learn how Community, culture, and connection support the recovery journey, and how this program is shaping a path toward wellness and a deeper sense of spirit.
Welcome to Pathways to Spirit. Our journey today seeks to honor the sacred land, revered teachings, and ancestral wisdom that guide us through the path of mental health wellness and holistic recovery. Together we'll explore the stories of strength, healing and hope, embracing the clinical techniques and cultural foundations that remind us we are never alone on this sacred journey toward wellness and a strong personal connection to spirit. Welcome back to Pathways to Spirit. I am your host, Doctor.
Troy:Troy Melendez, and with me is my cohost, Doctor. Nathan Velez
Nate:Hey, Doctor. Troy. Good to be back. Good to see you again.
Troy:Doctor. Yes, sir. In the studio today with us, we've got Mr. Patrick James and Mr. Jordan Manuel.
Troy:You guys want to introduce yourselves? Say hi to the audience?
Patrick:Doctor. Of course. Doctor. V, thank you for having me. Doctor.
Patrick:Melendez, thank you for having me. Again, like Doctor. Troy said, my name is Patrick James, and I am the case manager for JTR's Transitional Housing Department.
Jordan:Hello, I'm Jordan. I'm a Peer Support Specialist at the Journey to Recovery. Awesome to be here, man.
Troy:Excellent. Thanks for joining us, guys. And Jordan, you're only a peer support for a few more days.
Nate:Is that right?
Troy:Yes. Yeah. He's moving into our PHP program.
Jordan:You got promoted? Yes, sir.\ He did.\ Congratulations.\
Troy:Well deserved.\ Well deserved.\
Jordan:Thank you.\ Thank you.\
Troy:So it was probably four years ago, maybe four and a half years ago, when you tasked me with pulling together this massive amount of information you had gathered on a peer support certification program.
Nate:Yeah, funny story. So when I came here five years ago, was like, Frank, at the time, I said, Frank, one of the first things I wanna I wanna make sure we have is our Peer Support Academy because I think you may have heard me say this, like, who's better to heal the people from the community than the people from the community? Absolutely. Absolutely. So that's been the the goal and the dream.
Nate:And I had built and designed a a peer support program in Flagstaff years ago for Blue Cross Blue Shield and of Northern Arizona. And so I told Troy and Frank, was like, I've done this before. Let me see if I can get my hands on my old curriculum. Mhmm. And so, anyways, a colleague said, hey.
Nate:We designed one. Let us send it to you. And so they sent it, and I was like, this is the one I designed. How did it get to you? And so so it came full circle, and that was like Man.
Nate:Eight years, nine years old curriculum. And so I was like, alright, Troy. Doctor Melendez, this is kinda here here's what we want. And I know you had a background. Not not a lot of people know this, but Doctor Melendez has many, many years in the university system.
Nate:So he has a knack and a background for education and organization, curriculum development, and all that. And I said, can you help us get this organized? And then boom, you did it.
Troy:We made it happen. Yeah.
Nate:It was awesome.
Troy:Yeah. It has been. It has been. We're we're currently working with our eleventh cohort. 11 cohorts.
Troy:Yeah. Over three years? Over the past three years. This is our fourth year coming into it, so we're about three and a half years into it. We have trained over 100 peer supports, and I think close to half of them have worked for us at one time or another.
Troy:Some of those folks like yourselves have been promoted through the program. That's crazy. Yeah. Jordan's going to be a BHT in our PHP program coming up here in just a few days. Patrick, were similarly promoted into a BHT position in our PHP program have since moved on to a case management role.
Patrick:Yes, sir. That is correct.
Nate:On your way to take one of our jobs. Exactly.
Jordan:That is the plan. Doctor. Green, that's all you I'm coming for your job.
Nate:I'm getting tired.
Troy:Hurry up you go.
Jordan:Man, it's amazing how much it's grown, though, since I went through the Academy. You know? Like, I think when I went through, there was, like, nine nine of us. Yeah. I went to the recent one and, man, it almost doubled.
Jordan:Yeah.
Troy:I think we graduated 14 last Yeah.
Jordan:That's that's crazy.
Nate:You know what I love is the ceremonies, the graduation ceremonies where he brings out community, family. It's like a sense of another sense of accomplishment and, like, another phase of celebration in someone's life. Right? Even some of these folks have been sober for many years, but it's just like this reaffirmation of, like, you're still doing it. It's like this whole I love the celebration.
Patrick:Definitely. Not just that, you know, when we have these celebrations, you know, I guess a lot of these clients that we have in the program now, they see it, and it motivates them. Like, I want that. I can do that. And so I love that aspect of it.
Patrick:Yes, definitely.
Nate:Yeah. What you're talking about is what we design inside the system, right? We call that scientifically, like, contingency management. Right? Clients want what they see in others that are growing.
Nate:And so if you notice, like, in our design, right, from PHP to tech to even in the clinical system, oh, I wanna go to PHP. Oh, I want a sober living house. Oh, I want a tiny home.
Patrick:Mhmm.
Nate:And so when they see that, there's some modification in their behavior to move towards that. So what you're talking about is real, man. Like Yes. And then I think we've even brought some people from the treatment center to see a graduation before, right, or PHP? Yes.
Patrick:No. We actually, when we were here on campus, or here on the McDowell campus, not McDowell, Osborne campus, we would bring the residential clients to watch as well. So residential would come, PHP would come, and so they got to participate in the celebration.
Nate:Do we do that? We need to get back to that if we don't do that still. We should do that.
Troy:Yeah, we haven't done it since we moved to McDowell campus, mostly just transportation issues.
Nate:Maybe our transition folks, we should get them.
Troy:Yeah, definitely. I remember one of our early ones, early graduations, and there were patients that came in and there was one patient was on his first day with us, and he was brought over to the peer support graduation and said immediately, he's like, I want to do that. I want to do that. About a year and a half later, he went through the program, and, yeah, he he graduated. Yeah.
Troy:It's awesome.
Patrick:Outstanding. Outstanding.
Troy:Yeah. It's good stuff.
Nate:And I will say it's been a a privilege to watch you both develop and grow. Know? Your test your testimony to if it works, you work it. You know? And it's awesome to see you both just continuing to flourish and keep balance in your life.
Nate:Right? And Mhmm. And watch you be the role models, and I can always depend on you both. You're valuable. You're reliable, consistent, and that's so powerful, not only for your lives, but just the people around you. Some folks you grew up with or came up with, right, or went to school with when you were young or hung out with, and I know what that's like. I think Doctor. Melendez knows what that's like growing up in a small town neighborhood. Like, you know, it's something different, right?
Jordan:Everyone knows everyone's a curse and a blessing, right? Yes. Yeah. It's really something to be a part of, man.
Jordan:Like, at times it's really, like, surreal, you know, because, like, two years prior, like, none of this was even a thought of working anywhere or much less holding down the job for, what, a week. Right. You know, it's but now it's like, man, I'm actually progressing at a job that my past life helped me get to. You know what I mean? Like, it's a really, really unbelievable feeling.
Jordan:And at times, I guess that's why I'm always, like, in this centering, like, on a day to day basis so I can realize where I'm at most of the times. Yeah. Yeah. Because if not, I'll forget, man. I'll just kind of get into default and start not really knowing what's going on, you know, kind of being like in autopilot.
Troy:Sure.
Jordan:Yeah. So, yeah, I really got to put intent with how I go about things now. Uh-huh. Yeah. It's nice, man.
Jordan:And learned that going through the residence, you know, the residential Like, it may seem like it's common sense to most people, but, you know, I never would have known these things if somebody hadn't taught me these things. And now I use them in my day to day life, you know? And it really helps me, man. It helps.
Nate:And then you're teaching others that,
Jordan:Yes, sir. Sir.
Nate:The gift that keeps on giving?
Jordan:Yes, sir.
Troy:I like that you mentioned that because there's In my own recovery, was maybe about two years ago where I really got to a point where I was able to look back on the past and be grateful for that experience. As awful as it was, as misled as it was, I can now see that, well, if I wouldn't have gone through all of that, I wouldn't be here. And this is just such a great place to be. Yes, sir. Just in general, but then you add to it our growth in JTR and new facilities and expanding the amount of people that we can handle at one time and bring in and help to change lives and possibly then train as peer supports and bring them in.
Troy:You spoke to it a little bit that yeah, that was something you're able to look back on the past of, Hey, if I hadn't done that, how about Patrick, have you gotten to that place where you're able to see the past and how it contributes to where you are here? Oh, definitely, Troy. I think to your point, I'm right there with you. Now that I look back on my life, I see the struggle as
Patrick:a blessing. To your point, if I didn't go through these struggles and these things, I wouldn't be the man I am today, and I wouldn't be able to help people the way I'm helping people today. Had to go through these things to become the person I was meant to be and to find my purpose, which is working for JTR and healing our community. You know, recovery's in in our community these days and, you know, everyone wants it and, you know, we got it and they want what we have.
Troy:They certainly do.
Nate:Yeah. Is contagious, you know. And today, like, last night I was up late, I usually am, sending out emails. And I was like, you know, it's midnight. The nurses are awake.
Troy:Right.
Nate:I often just call the unit and say, how's things going? And I knew when I left, like, this place never leaves you. No. Right? And and it's not a bad thing.
Nate:I I I try to find balance, but I also am always thinking about the people who keep taking care of our people. So and when I'm up, I call the center and, hey, it's Doctor. V. What's up? Oh, hey.
Nate:And they don't feel alone when they're doing that, the nurses or the techs in the unit, you know, and we had 11 people when I left yesterday, right? Detox only has 10 beds, so we used our CSU as an overflow yesterday. Right. So we're helping a lot of people to your point. Yes.
Nate:It's okay to want help these days. Yes. Kinda cool.
Troy:Mhmm.
Jordan:I think, you know, most people don't understand what's going on over there at JTR, you know what
Jordan:I mean? Because what's happening with the addiction, it's not new, but recovery process to that is new. So, you know, like when people look at rehab, you know, they look at it as a negative thing, but the thing that's happening there is connecting so many people to family, to resources, and to to an overall growth, and you guys are contributing to that. All of us are involved in some type of in this growth of healing in mass quantities. Like, it's crazy.
Troy:In mass quantities is the key word, right? Yeah.
Nate:This transformation, it's transformative.
Jordan:Yes.
Nate:It's happening all the time. And I in fact, Troy and I were texting last night because, you know, in my new role as a chief, but I've been kinda stepping back into to JTR. I've never felt more connected. Like, back to the work, just being walking in the halls and saying hi to you guys, and it gives me a lot of purpose in life again. Right?
Nate:So, you know, what you're talking about is real. Mhmm. It is so penetrable. It's like there. Right?
Nate:Mhmm. It's good stuff, man.
Troy:Yeah. Well, think a lot of what we do is help people to kind of understand where they're at in their recovery, and I think a peer support is uniquely equipped to be able to do that. One of the things I think about a lot is that pink cloud phenomena. When I was running PHP, we get a lot of folks that are there. They're in that pink cloud.
Troy:I just did ninety days in an inpatient treatment I got this. Ready to go. And they just don't know what's in front of them. I found the peer support's been instrumental in helping me as a therapist help the patients to see like, Hey, hold on, slow down. Yeah.
Troy:I'm wondering about your own experiences with the pink cloud and what helped you to realize the reality of the situation. As well, how are you addressing that with the folks you're working with? Because I know it continues. For me,
Patrick:the pink cloud you're talking about, I think, I was blessed to have Mike McDaniels, who was one of our counselors here at JTR. Oh, No longer works with us. And I got to know him pretty well, and I was on that pink cloud for a while, but he explained to me, Patrick, just because we're sober now doesn't mean life changes. Life still goes on. It's still going to have ups and downs.
Patrick:You're still going to hit this wall. Eventually everyone in recovery hits this wall. And so he just told me, When you hit that wall, that's when you really need that connection and that support. That's when you need to surround yourself even more. And it didn't make sense to me at the time, like, Well, if I'm hitting this wall, why to put myself even deeper into it?
Patrick:But it makes sense now because having that support around me, having staff around me to kind of help me navigate through these things definitely made it a lot easier. What I tell our clients today is, this first year is probably going be the hardest year of your recovery. I'm not going to lie to you, there's going be ups and downs. You're feeling all these feelings for the first time. Yeah.
Patrick:It takes about year for your mind and things to start calming down. So, this first year is definitely going be a test, but if you can make it through this first year, I'm not saying life's going to be gravy 100% of the time. No, life's still life. But I'm saying things are going to start to progress and get easier and easier for you. You're going to be stronger in your recovery.
Patrick:I think that's the way I navigated the pink cloud.
Troy:Yeah. I see that with the patients we're working with now. They maybe don't see the need for all these strategies and skills and coping mechanisms because they're in such a great environment. Everything's kind of taken care of for them. There's no outside influences that they're having to deal with.
Troy:But to your point, hey, life's going to hit you. It's out there waiting. You're different, but it's not. You're going to find that very quickly you'll realize, Oh, here's why I need to be able to control my emotion. A lot of times where we see folks that maybe fall off at that point, it's because they haven't really built those skills and they go back to their favorite coping mechanism, which were the substances, because they just aren't really plugged into where they need to be.
Troy:And so, you know, that peer support, I think, can communicate that message stronger than any of our other staff.
Jordan:Yes, sir. Yeah. It reminds me of when I was in PHP and sober living. Yeah, that pink cloud, it had me thinking everything was gravy, you know? And I did one of the things you're not supposed to do in residential, or they don't it's not recommended to hop into a relationship.
Jordan:Feelings were high. Emotions were high.
Nate:Oh, remember that girl.
Jordan:I just kind of thought I had it together. Sure. Decided to move up to Oregon where she was from. And, man, it seemed like as soon as I left the nest, everything just switched, you know what Yeah. To where it got to a point where I had to sort out what my recovery looked like over there without the resources, without having my connections with you, man, because I made a lot of real connections with brothers and sisters that were in the same process I was.
Troy:Your support was all here.
Jordan:Yeah. So when I got out that way, I quickly realized that. So I saw a tree, they called it a transitional house out there. Okay. And ran a program that how I used to remember it here, which was working out and staying connected to the peer support.
Jordan:Over there, they were called Recovery Mentors. Okay. Yeah. And those are the only people that I talked to. There was two of them that were always at the house, and that's pretty much all I did, just work out and talk to them, try to talk about recovery.
Jordan:My eight months was coming up when I was there, and I remember that that was my the eight month mark was my qualification for peer support. So that's why I quickly came back, you know, and got back into my program here. It made realize a lot of other things too, you know, like the growth that you don't get while you're comfortable. Right. You know what I mean?
Jordan:Like, if I'm too comfortable, like, I'm, again, going to think everything is good and then I'm not gonna feel like I don't need to take any more steps towards growth. Uh-huh. So it made me aware of a lot of things, man. It's crazy.
Nate:Yeah. What you're saying is I often feel spiritually, you know, in my recovery, it's been a journey, and, you know, you still have these to your point, like, no one really understands it. Right? It's just some a lot of this is an internal process that's in your mind that you're always thinking and regulating, keeping the light switch off.
Jordan:Mhmm.
Nate:Right? And I think one of you said, you know, you can get caught up in the mundane day to day and remember there's still a process for me to get through today.
Jordan:Yes, sir.
Nate:And so I I often experience what you talk about spiritually on weekends or when I'm in prayer or I go to church or something like that. It reminds me it puts me back in my place.
Jordan:Mhmm.
Troy:Yeah.
Nate:And it re you know, it kinda refreshes that. And so I'm starting to think about some of the the the interactions I've seen you all you both have, you know, with our members. And so, you know, what when you're able to have those interactions with people, right, like, what gives you the most what gives you the most pride after a good day's work, you know, when you're when you're able to give what you give?
Patrick:That is a great question, Doctor. V. Wow. That's a hard question to ask for Doctor. V, because a lot of times, you know, we work really, really hard with these clients and, you know, a lot of times they don't succeed.
Patrick:You know, we take that personally as peers, as BHTs, you know, we put all this time and effort into them and to see them not succeed, we kind of take it personally. But I've learned not to take it personally. I've learned that, hey, myself personally, I came through JTR eight times. I have to remember that. Not everyone -You
Nate:got gets the T shirt. You got the T shirt.
Troy:Right? All the T shirts.
Patrick:I think it's important for me to remember, like, Hey, not everyone's going to get it the first time, and we need to be patient, and we need to do exactly what JTR did for me. They didn't judge me every time I came back. There was no judgment. They were happy to see me, and so that's kind of where I'm at with the clients. As far as what makes my days, it's just being there for the clients, on their hard days when I've seen them struggling, just to get them to open up and talk about things that maybe they wouldn't talk about with anybody else, and just to be there for them.
Patrick:Think that makes my days not necessarily if I'm getting them to where they need to be. Think for me, it's just being there for them, Because a lot of times, that's all they really need, is someone to be there for them. I know me personally, when I was going through my addiction, I didn't have anybody there, and that's all I wanted to do, was somebody to care. And so if we can just show them that we care, I think that means that makes a big difference, and it means a lot to them.
Jordan:Yeah. Yeah.
Nate:That's great. It means a lot to you too. I can tell just
Jordan:to
Nate:be able to be by somebody's side doing that. Like, that's fulfilling for you. I can see it every time I see you working with people. Take such pride in that. What about you, Jordan?
Jordan:I I I think for me, I I work at the well, I worked at the residence hall in the men's unit. You know, there there's a few in there that I that have a good rapport with. So yeah. And I worked I worked mid shift, so I came in at 01:30, and and I would clock in, get get to the unit. And however their day was going, whether it was bad or good, they they were waiting to come and, you know, tell me about what's going on, you know?
Jordan:Yeah. So that that's the part that makes me feel good. At the end of the night, they really have a tight brotherhood in there.
Troy:Very much.
Jordan:Yeah. Every night, every brother, they come up to me, Goodnight, bro. Give me And a fist then it's like that continuously from eight to about 10:00 till everybody's just kinda dabbing me up to say goodnight. That that that really makes me feel good. That makes me feel like they're connected and, you know, they like they like being there.
Nate:Yeah. Such an interesting dynamic with peer support work. Mhmm. Right? Right.
Nate:Because, you know, I said it earlier, the gift that keeps on giving because we're all peer supports.
Patrick:Yes. Right? Yes. And
Nate:it lifts us up so much in our day to day, in our own stability and wellness.
Troy:But then
Nate:you're also helping somebody else with theirs. It's like this double gift, right? It's like two little gifts that are so big. It's amazing.
Troy:Yeah, think one of my favorite parts of the interaction is I come in in the mornings and I walk through recovery management and you see some new folks and every once in a while you see somebody that left us and made their way back. And that first look they give you is they're full of shame, they're full of guilt, they're waiting for you to kind of scold them. My words are always welcome back, I'm glad you made it. And you see stress just kind of melt away and it's like, okay, I can relax, I'm back where I need to be. Yeah.
Troy:For me there's just nothing more rewarding than that, that you get somebody into a place that they're not too sure where they're standing and then you just kind of take all that stress away from them and they're able to really connect with where they are and make those decisions to move forward. It's definitely a blessing.
Nate:Really, that stickiness comes to life, right?
Jordan:Mhmm.
Nate:Just loving them up where they're at in that moment. To your point, you could just feel it lift off of them.
Jordan:Yeah.
Nate:Yeah. Yeah. Especially when, you know, they come in contact with folks like you and some of the leaders in JTR. They're apprehensive and shameful and, Oh, okay, I'm good. It's, Yeah, you're right, where it needs to be.
Nate:So it's awesome. It's awesome.
Troy:So we talked a little bit about the connections that we have with folks, Patrick, you mentioned sometimes we take this stuff personally, and that's part of the growth as a professional as well, is learning how to see like, okay, they're on their own path here and yeah, I have some feelings for them, but I can understand that I got to let them do what they're going to do. How do you take care of yourself? What do you guys do to avoid burnout? How do you engage in self care? Have you found a routine for yourself?
Troy:Is it something that you do regularly, maybe was part of your recovery, or is there something you're doing now that's different that you do to be able to keep yourself in the game?
Patrick:So for me, I'm still on the routine that I was on when I was in PHP. The same routine. I have not changed anything from that routine. I've only added onto it. So, the way I take care of myself is I like to the same approach we take at JTR, the holistic approach.
Patrick:I'm not just taking care of one part of myself, the physical. I'm taking care of all parts of me. I go to the gym. I'm in school. I go to church, my spirituality.
Patrick:So I'm really working on all around taking care of me. Self care is very important. I make sure that at least once a week I take one day off where I'm not doing any gym work, any school work, and just kind of resetting and refocusing. I think that's how I take care of myself, because burnout is a real thing in this field. I have seen it.
Patrick:If we don't take care of ourselves, you know, we're no good to the clients. So it's important that we refill our cup, at least occasionally, you know? -Yeah. We can't pour out of an empty cup like we always like to say. -Mm
Jordan:Yeah. Pretty much the same thing, man. So a year into my recovery, I've been blessed with caring for my two year old son again.
Troy:Oh, man.
Jordan:You know, like, my first year of recovery, it was, you know, working out, meetings, and trying to be as social as I can. Now I take my kid to school every morning and arrange his pickup because that's when I'm usually at work. But on my off time, I I I just like just chilling out at home. You know? I I read a book.
Jordan:I go to meetings whenever I whenever I get the chance. Mhmm. But it it I my my self care process looks way different from when I first started my recovery. Sure. Yeah.
Jordan:It's it's different. And, you know, I I heard you say you're adding more onto it. So I'm getting to that place where it's like, okay, I think I can start adding more stuff on. Know?
Patrick:Definitely. Definitely. And, you know, you're still a little early in this. So the more you do this, the more you're gonna progress. And, you know, we're seeing it already.
Patrick:You're growing, man. Your potential is out there. I'm just so proud of you to see where you're at today from where you first started. You're doing fantastic, man.\
Jordan:Thank you, brother. I appreciate that.\
Patrick:Of course.\
Troy:So what was the moment or what was the person, who was the person that convinced you? We all had an idea of, Oh, if I can do this, then maybe things will go well. But was there a moment, was there a particular person that really helped you to understand, Oh yeah, this is my future. This is something that I'm capable of and I can excel, and you could see growth in a way that you hadn't before?
Patrick:Yeah, Troy. I'm going have to say you off the start. You know, I was in the first cohort of the Peer Academy, and it was that first day just hearing you speak and just the enthusiasm you had while you were speaking and what you were talking about. I just was like, I can see myself doing this. Mhmm.
Patrick:You know, I'm not an outgoing person by nature. You know, I'm not talkative. I'm not social. But man, something just drew me to this program. I don't know what it was, but it's I found my purpose.
Patrick:I'm supposed to be here. I know this is where I'm supposed to be, and I know this is what everything was leading up to. But Troy, I have to say it was you.
Troy:Well, appreciate that. I had no idea.
Jordan:Man, for me, it was a number of people, man. I think my first stay in detox, I was woken up to your presence and you were telling me about MAT services Mhmm. You know, and the benefits of it. And you're describing how how it worked. And I was just like, man, this guy knows his stuff.
Jordan:Then you briefly talked about your past. And I was like, man. So I was like, first, I didn't believe it. You know? I was just like, nah.
Jordan:I don't know. I don't know about that. Made it to the back. Was greeted with a past peer support that I used to run into on the streets. Okay.
Jordan:And I was just like, what? Nah. Know, like, seeing is back then, seeing is believing. You know what I mean?
Nate:You work here? Yeah. You know?
Jordan:And and then after the little bit more stay, that's when I I had the pleasure of meeting Bowie. And, yeah, he kinda brought me back to the roots of it. And then a little further into the progress, I was greeted by you in PHP, Troy. So I I would have to say it was more like a like a family thing, you know, that
Troy:That's great.
Jordan:That convinced me.
Nate:It does feel
Troy:that way, right?
Jordan:Yes, sir.
Nate:We all have this interconnectedness that nobody can really describe. This thing in the halls and
Jordan:this Yeah.
Nate:As Yeah. We wind down, I I just wanna say to both of you, like, I am super duper proud of you. Oh, yeah. I am. I am.
Nate:I I sing your praises anytime I get, and Mhmm. Along with all your peers as well. You're the backbone of what we do.
Troy:Oh, yeah. Definitely.
Nate:You know? And I think you guys have a bright future. I always see Patrick diligently studying his books and doing his homework in the lunch hall. And so this guy's growing, man. And good person to to follow.
Nate:Yes, sir. You know, you're growing in your responsibilities. And as we grow in our responsibilities with people, we have, you know, we have an obligation to to lean into that. And when someone recognizes your talent, you don't shy away from that. Right?
Nate:You walk into that and you lean into that. And so this brings forth a lot of courage. And so we wouldn't be bringing you along if we didn't see your your gifts Mhmm. And your strengths. Like we tell all all of our patients and all of our staff, I really admire you guys, love you guys for what you do, and thanks for everything that you represent.
Nate:And you make JTR. You make that logo come to life, and so it's awesome.
Patrick:Appreciate you, Doctor. B. I'd just like to say thank you to you as well, Doctor. B, Doctor. Melendez.
Patrick:You know, this program, I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for this program and you guys believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself. You know, I kept coming back and you guys kept believing in me. It's because of that belief I'm here, I'm where I'm at today. So I really got to say thank you to all leadership, all staff, this whole program. This program is saving lives, I'm proof of that.
Nate:That's great. Excellent.
Jordan:Yeah. Same thing, man. I wouldn't be where I'm at, And just to be a part of something that's growing in ways that I can't even fathom, it's really really touches my heart. So I'm committed, man.
Nate:Yeah. It's great. We're here to hold you to that. We have you live on the radio, right?
Troy:That's it. Is going
Patrick:to be recorded.
Troy:Yeah. Going play this back for you. Well guys, thanks for coming. As Doctor. V said, we're so proud of what you guys have accomplished and excited to see where this is going.
Troy:You both have very bright futures. Whether you're with us or not, you're going to progress in this field and that's some amazing work. There's a lot of people whose lives are going to be better because of their interactions with you. So thank you for that. And that'll bring to a close this episode of Pathways to Spirit.
Troy:Thank you all for joining us and look forward to speaking to you real soon. Take care. Take care. Thank you for joining us on Pathways to Spirit. Remember, within our traditions and our spirit lies connection, support, love, hope.
Troy:Let us walk forward together, honoring our paths and supporting one another on the journey toward physical, emotional, and spiritual health and wholeness. Until next time, may the spirits of the ancestors guide you and may you find peace, healing, and renewal in every step along your journey.