Emma Driban, Editor
Connection. Compassion. Kinship. These are the values Impact Life holds in the highest regard.
Impact Life is a community-based behavioral health support service committed to aiding individuals on their journey to wellness with compassion and understanding.
The organization was founded by Domenica Personti, a 27-year veteran in behavioral health treatment and prevention here in Delaware. Personti is a licensed clinician and has worked for many years protecting vulnerable Delawareans.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, Jewish Living Delaware is joined by Ms. Personti to highlight the important work of Impact Life in helping treat those in recovery from substance use disorder.
- How did Impact Life get started?
Impact Life started during COVID. There was a high number of people who were actively using and they couldn’t access treatment services because the hospitals were so overrun with people with COVID. We were fielding a lot of phone calls and we ended up voluntarily helping folks with healthcare navigation. It was just me and Leslie Paladino, who is my current Director of Harm Reduction and Outreach Services. We realized there was this huge need for help. I found myself with some free time due to personal circumstances and decided, “you know what? I’ve been trying to start a nonprofit for 10 years!” I believe in signs and the world slowing down because of the pandemic gave me the opportunity. So, I applied and got my nonprofit approved in record time/ It was like the stars aligned. We applied for CARES funding and were awarded a grant to help with healthcare navigation, vaccination awareness, and case management—we were helping a lot of people find vaccination sites once vaccines were made available.
A lot of our clients are high risk because they have low immune systems, so our population got hit particularly hard by COVID. We did a lot of social media messaging and that just took off. We worked hard finding grants that allowed us to continue the work. The Highmark grant allowed enabled us to continue on for about 18 months, through that initial height of COVID. That grant also allowed us to add in workforce development programs. A lot of people in going through addiction and in recovery work in the restaurant industry or in construction, so a lot of our people really suffered at the hands of unemployment due to COVID.
- You’ve worked in Behavioral Health Treatment and Prevention for quite some time. What drew you to that field? What did you see, growing up in Delaware, that inspired you to work with the populations you serve and/or develop the incredible programs you’ve pioneered?
I’ve struggled with mental health—depression, anxiety, things like that—for as long as I can remember, back to 10 years old! When I was 14, I went into treatment for the first time. I had some justice involvement as an adolescent that carried into adulthood. It just felt like, in my opinion, the deck’s been stacked against people who have mental health problems or addiction, even people in recovery. These are people who are very vulnerable and are trying to get their lives back on track when they first get sober or are first released from prison or getting out of treatment and the odds are against them even when society expects them to just get out and do well.
Through all of my interactions with the justice system and everything, I had people who stepped up and advocated for me. I was so lucky to have people who saw value in me and believed that I could do something different, even when I didn’t believe that myself. We talk a lot about people that suffer from addiction and mental health having this lethal absence of hope. I had my grandparents, my grandmother in particular. She was my light, my guiding force. She helped me raise my daughter when I couldn’t be present. She helped me get a scholarship to go back to school. I felt like my life was so chaotic, but when I went to my grandparents’ home, it was warm and caring and loving. At some point, I started thinking, “What if I could mimic this for other people?”
- What are some of the services you offer through Impact Life?
Our housing program is probably our biggest program. We have 16 residential houses; five in partnership with atTAcK Addiction. It’s a structured sober living, with access to a case manager and care support. We do a lot of recovery events and workforce development. We also have two residential treatment programs. They are 24/7, with staff around the clock. They’re clinically managed, so there’s a therapist and case managers. We have school-based programs and wound care programs for folks out on the street. We work with schools and the Boys and Girls Club, and the Y.
Impact Life currently supports five recovery community centers: a recovery hub in Georgetown, serving just under 100 people; a resource center in Glasgow in partnership with atTAcK Addiction, serving approximately 10–25 people daily; a resource center and Elsmere in partnership with the local police, serving about five people daily; a drop-in center in Seaford with around 30 members; and the Recovery Café in Wilmington, with around 50 members.
Recovery Café offers a safe space for those who have been impacted by addiction, mental health challenges, domestic violence, homelessness, and incarceration. Membership is free for any individual working a program of recovery and/or personal growth. It requires members to be substance free while in the Café, to participate in Café chores (such as cleaning and serving meals), and to attend weekly support and accountability groups.
- What are the main goals of Recovery Café?
We’re credentialed by the Recovery Cafe Network, which is a national model. The Recovery Café network certifies location all over the country to offer welcoming spaces for anyone who needs a safe location and is in recovery from something. They are based off the belief that everyone deserves compassion, a sense of belonging, and to be treated with dignity and respect. It offers resources and support, not to mention a sense of community. It helps people get out of that constant crisis mode and create a sense of connection.
- How does Recovery Café differ from standard recovery programs?
The Café is a peer-led model. Everyone in the café is a peer and it’s totally self-run and self-governed. Staff are there to support, not to dictate. They help ensure the space remains a substance-free place for healing. We talk a lot about loving accountability. People shouldn’t feel ashamed or criticized, but hopefully we can help them see behaviors and work towards changing them.
- What programs and services can members participate in at Recovery Café?
We offer art classes to help members express themselves, workforce development, different courses on recovery mindfulness and healthy living, sober happy hours, and so much more!
The Sanctuary at Impact Life Farm is an agriculturally based recovery program for individuals in recovery to come post-residential treatment or post-incarceration. Located in Seaford, Delaware, the Sanctuary offers permanent, supportive recovery housing, workforce development, case management, spiritual support, therapeutic arts, and more.
- What led to the creation of The Sanctuary?
Growing up with my grandmother, I spent a lot of time in nature. I also believe that animals are one of the greatest sources of therapy, so I wanted to combine those things. We don’t believe that somebody can get well in the same environment that led to them getting sick. The Farm allows people to remove themselves from that environment and gives them a new perspective.
- What kinds of programs/offerings are available?
We offer animal-assisted therapy, agriculture education and training (which we call ag-assisted therapy). The residents run a farm stand through the fall, spring, and summer. They manage it on their own and it’s a donation-based farm stand. All of the funds they generate go back to the house; they get to decide how they use that money. Last year, they picked a bowling trip and a she-shed.
- What would a daily routine look like for a resident at the Sanctuary?
They get up early with the animals, feeding them and cleaning out the stalls. They make sure their environment is good—adjusting warmers and adding hay when it is really cold. They do ag-groups with two of our staff who are certified in agriculture assisted therapy. They get to bond with the animals, and learn how to trust and rely on one another for help. They have individual sessions, group sessions, NA and AA meetings. They have free time in the evening. Basically, they get the space to develop daily routines and take some control back.
In 2024, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health—a sub-division of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services—reported that nearly 24,500 patients received publicly-funded treatment related to mental health or substance use disorder. Unfortunately, due to treatment costs, lack of resources, and negative perceptions, many individuals struggling with substance disorders and the like are not able to or choose not to seek treatment.
- What kind of difficulties do you face working in such a stigmatized field?
We had neighbors who were very upset when we opened the Farm. People came out in droves to let us know they didn’t want us there. It’s tough, because our people don’t deserve that. They’re just trying to get better.
Sometimes, our biggest challenge can be the loved ones of the people we serve. There is a lot of stigma around addiction and the medication used for treatment. But the reality is, if someone has diabetes, no one is telling them not to take their insulin. We want people to have access to what they need. If recovery is like a toolbox, they should be able to use any of those tools in their arsenal that might assist them in their recovery journey and sometimes that includes medication. On the other hand, sometimes you have people in toxic relationships. Maybe they started using together and only one of them decides to get sober, so the other makes it extremely difficult.
- What are some ways our readers can support the work done at Impact life?
Sharing the word is great! We do tours of the Farm for people who are interested. They can visit, meet the women and the animals. It’s a great way to support us, and the women love visitors. Coming to our events can be helpful because a lot of our members don’t have large support groups. It helped gives them a sense of belonging.
We also have libraries at most of our houses, so we are always happy for people to donate books! We have an Amazon wish list, and people can always donate on our website.
Recovery is a journey, not a destination. Impact Life is here, helping Delawareans get the support and treatment they need on their journeys to wellness.
To learn more about Impact Life or to support their cause, visit ImpactLifeToday.org.
