Paige, a licensed professional counselor with master’s degrees in clinical mental health counseling and criminal justice from Loyola University in New Orleans, was drawn to this work at a young age. As a girl, she read Ned Vizzini’s novel, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, about a teen’s psychiatric hospitalization and the counselors who helped him through his struggles. “After reading that,” Paige recalls, “I thought that if I could help just one person in that way, I’d be making a difference.”

Before coming into the Victory family, Paige interned at the New Orleans Drug Court and worked as a substance use and mental health counselor for adults and adolescents in New Orleans. 

Paige’s new career in Metairie gives her a lot to love. As the director of a small facility, she’ll “be in charge of admissions, utilization review, and helping get clients in the door.” She’ll also assist with the groups as needed and be the general office manager.  

Like its counterpart in Lafayette, the Metairie IOP will meet in 3-hour small group sessions, 3 nights a week. The program is designed for those who are stepping down from residential treatment or detox and do not need the high level of care provided by a residential setting. 

The Metairie IOP is small but mighty. As Paige points out, the maximum census of 24 will allow more individual attention to each client and be less intimidating than larger programs. Clients will have the chance to build relationships with each other that can last beyond treatment. And if the group gets too large or the timing doesn’t work for everyone? “We can adjust,” says Paige. “We’re fortunate that our small size will give us more flexibility.” 

Group therapy is only one component of the Metairie IOP. Clients also participate in individual therapy, educational lectures, 12-step programming, and family therapy.  

Although Paige will be busy with her directorship duties, she will still take time to do what she loves best: counseling. “I love hearing people’s stories and helping them help themselves,” she writes. “Most of the clients I’ve engaged with severely underestimate themselves and their value. I really enjoy highlighting their strength and resilience. I also want clients to know that just because we are counselors does not mean that we are stuffy know-it-alls. If you need an entire session dedicated to venting about how your ex-partner ‘ain’t it,’ then girl, I’ll buckle up and listen.”

What’s the most frustrating part of her work with clients? When they don’t get the support they need at home. Paige writes, “I get very frustrated when I have a client who is working really hard to do better for themselves, but they have a romantic partner who is not ready for change and who tries to undermine the client. It really impacts the client–and it’s very upsetting because you can’t talk to your client as you would a friend (i.e, dump his butt!).” 

In addition to loving her work, Paige also loves the Greater New Orleans area. The rich and complicated culture of New Orleans brings with it the addiction and mental health struggles that plague so many U.S. cities. At a special New Orleans city council meeting in 2022, the city’s health director, Dr. Jennifer Avegno, shared that “nearly 25,000 adults in Orleans Parish are thought to have alcohol use disorders” and that overdose deaths, most of which involved fentanyl, have doubled. Among the Black community, overdose rates have nearly tripled. 

Anxiety and depression are reported at slightly higher rates in Louisiana than in the rest of the U.S., even though Louisianans report having less access to treatment than people in other states. 

Paige has unique insight into the challenges and benefits of working toward sobriety in New Orleans.  

The challenge: “Drinking is basically built into the social culture of this city. Every day a client will be faced with the opportunity to obtain some sort of mind altering substance.” 

The up-side: “The people of the New Orleans area, for lack of better words, ride hard for each other. This community is uplifting to those who need it and takes care of those they know are struggling. It’s a wonderful thing to see and experience because it is not something that is highlighted about New Orleans enough.” 

Paige knows New Orleans and its people, and she has a heart for the community there. For everyone she works with, she has this message: You can come back to treatment however many times you need! We will never judge you for having to come back to treatment because it shows that you’re still motivated and you know where you need to be to start planting seeds of change. I used to work at an inpatient facility and I’d see familiar faces and they’d always apologize for having to see me again, and I’d always tell them that I was happy to see that they are still alive and here to get help because not everyone gets that chance. 

When Paige isn’t working (is she ever not working?), she unwinds with her favorite pastime: scrolling through TikTok. “It’s nice to zone out after a long day and watch a pig learn how to use a button to ask his owner to sing to him,” she says. “I also love watching true crime—’The First 48’ is my jam.”

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Are you or a loved one struggling with substance use and mental health? Reach out to the team at Victory Addiction Recovery Center and get on the path to recovery today. 

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