ZERO to HERO –
Aug. 26, 2025 – When Curtis Meyer encounters a patient battling addiction, his goal as a community peer recovery coach is to make a connection.
Whether he’s in the Meritus Medical Center, at the Meritus Crisis Center, or somewhere else in the hospital, he tries to establish a relationship with that person to give them the chance to recover. “Our goal is to meet people where they’re at,” said Meyer, who has worked at Meritus since 2018. “If they’re not ready, if they don’t believe in themselves, that’s OK.”
He knows firsthand about being ready to escape addiction. The 65 year old is in active recovery himself. It’s a requirement that peer counselors be at least two years in recovery, so those seeking recovery can relate to someone like themselves.
“For me, it took a long time to be ready,” Meyer said. “For 40 years, I was in slavery to drugs and alcohol, and the mental health issues and all the damage that causes to your family and relationships.”
He is now helping others escape from that slavery through services offered at Meritus.
For example, the Meritus Crisis Center is a six-bed inpatient facility that supports the needs of those struggling with addiction.
