Dignity

As one of the few providers in the state of Texas that accommodates pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy before and after treatment and invites children to accompany their mothers into treatment, Nexus offers services to women seeking recovery from across the state. San Antonio native and Nexus alum, Roshell Johnson, stopped by Nexus to share her recovery journey and show off her beautiful baby boy, Masiah, who she had while she was in treatment.  

Before coming to Nexus, Roshell had spent two years living in a hotel in her hometown of San Antonio, where she sold and consumed substances. Having used since the age of 13, she believed that was the life she was supposed to live. Her turning point came when she met a woman from Victory Outreach who began to visit the hotel. Although Roshell was initially reluctant to listen, she eventually started to talk to her and accepted her help with groceries and other necessities. The woman offered her a chance at a new life if she accompanied her, but Roshell struggled to leave because of the severity of her substance use disorder. Since she was pregnant, she knew that she had to do something. Roshell reached out one night at 2 in the morning and told her she was ready.

Roshell had never left San Antonio and had never been to a treatment facility. She was given a ride to Dallas and arrived at Nexus in March 2021, not knowing anyone and unsure of what to expect. Much to her relief, the staff at Nexus were welcoming, fed, and clothed her, and made her feel secure. Two days after arriving, Roshell went into labor and delivered her son, Masiah. While she was in the hospital, CPS tried to remove her baby. She asked the CPS worker to give her a chance because she had come to Nexus to change her life and his. “And that CPS lady gave me a chance,” recalls Roshell. “I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to get back to Nexus to tell them and show them my love for them and go through everything they had for me.”  

When she returned to Nexus, Roshell went to classes and learned to express herself in groups. She remembers that it was hard, and she had to fight her cravings, but she now had her baby by her side and that motivated her to keep going. She received parenting education and learned how to care for her son. She also attended AA/NA meetings. Being around the other women in treatment also helped inspire her to go further in her recovery.

“I feel like Nexus changed me to where I love the fact of being a mother, I love the fact of being in a normal life living,” says Roshell. “Even though it’s a struggle, even though it can be a handful because a baby is a full job itself, what I learned being at Nexus is that you don’t have to hide who you were, but you can change who you were to become someone you never knew you were.”

After completing treatment at Nexus in April, Roshell and Masiah went into Family Gateway, which provides supportive services for children and families affected by homelessness, while awaiting permanent housing. Roshell is happy to share that her CPS case was closed in June. Today, Roshell and Masiah live in their own apartment, which they moved into in July 2021. She remains connected to Nexus through its recovery support services and is working towards finding a job where she can make people smile. Reflecting on her journey, Roshell says, “Being in addiction and living that life, you’re addicted to it. It’s hard to get out of it. You need a push. You need a pull, and you need another pull. I got a push and a pull, and I got embraced. I got blessed, saved, and I’m so grateful and thankful for Nexus and everybody that’s been a part of my life during this recovery.”