Dana Rae’s Safe Haven offers home to women in recovery
COSHOCTON − Women in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction have a new place to seek help and stay while in treatment.
Dana Rae’s Safe Haven at 871 Chestnut St. is owned by Bobbi Milbrandt and Barb Weber of Coshocton Recovery. A sober living house for women was a goal for the pair since opening the counseling center. A similar house for men is in the works, Weber said, and they would like more clean living residences in the future.
Coshocton Recovery opened in early 2021 as an abstinent outpatient treatment facility designed to treat people who have an active addiction or trying to sustain abstinence from drugs or alcohol. It offers group and individual counseling and case management services with an office at 537 Main St.
While Safe Have is separate from Coshocton Recovery, it shares clients with individuals receiving treatment and services during the day and staying at the house in the afternoon and evenings. There are three women in the home now with room for up to 12. There is a kitchen, laundry room, living room and bedrooms. It’s staffed around the clock.
“It’s a lot easier for them to get sober and to live that way once they leave here once we get them setup,” Weber said. “We want them to have apartments or houses when they leave here and jobs. It gives them structure.”
Safe Haven has two supervisors in Tearston Weber and Allyson Wortman. Tearston said once residents get a job, half their paycheck goes into a saving account so they can put a deposit down on a rental and furnish it when they leave. Milbrandt said many come to them homeless. She said the average stay is about six months, but clients can stay as long as needed.
“There’s a lot of homeless women or women in places not safe for them to live in, whether it be abuse or drug use in the house. This is a safe place for them to be, to stay clean and not be around the influences they were before,” Milbrandt said.
Tosha Crowthers is a residential aide. She works with the clients on basic skills like cooking and cleaning. She also plans activities at least once a week and sometimes gives rides to work.
“I give them a bit of structure and tell them what to do. If they’re not doing it right, I just talk to them. If they’re having a bad day they know they can come talk to me,” Crowthers said.
Safe Haven is named for Milbrandt’s sister, Dana Rae, who died from a drug overdose in 2007 at the age of 26. She left behind two young sons and one, Kylee Jenkins, works for Coshocton Recovery now. A photo of his mother is in the living room of the house and he held the picture during a recent ribbon cutting for Safe Haven’s grand opening.
“It’s awesome. It really feels good,” Jenkins said of the honor of the facility being named for his mom. “It’s a nice environment to be around.”
Milbrandt said the community has been responsive to their services at Coshocton Recovery and Safe Haven. They often receive donations and currently are in need of winter clothes for men and women. Anyone wishing to make any donations of items or clothes, can contact Coshocton Recovery at 740-693-4113 or coshoctonrecovery@gmail.com.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com.