Domenica Personti has been a powerhouse in the State of Delaware working in the behavioral health field for over twenty years. Born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Domenica has worked in a multitude of treatment environments. From corrections, to MAT programs, to community based outreach services, to facilities that boast a yoga studio and spa, state-of-the-art fitness services, farm-to-table meals, and the scenic surroundings, she has done it all. But Domenica doesn’t show up to her job to relax.  She spends her days with working with individuals who are sick and suffering from the disease of addiction. She does everything she can to help them obtain the tools they need to help them regain a lost sense of self after the damage of addiction. 

“I introduce myself to anyone that walks through the door,” Domenica says. “It helps keep me grounded and reminds me why I’m there. Hearing them share their stories, how they got here and what we’re doing that’s working — it’s always important, and it helps us improve.”

Domenica is in recovery herself, which helps her relate to what her patients are going through. Nearly two decades ago, while working as a peer counselor in an corrections based treatment program, Domenica began helping out the staff and  inmates, acting as a sort of “junior counselor.” She caught the eye of a supervisor, who helped her apply for a scholarship that largely funded her undergraduate education and helped her get her first job in the field. 

“I just fell in love with it,” Domenica says. “The fulfillment of giving the gift back is like nothing else.”

Domenica worked in corrections facilities and health clinics, where the intensity of the experience eventually took its toll. In the first three months of 2005, she lost four patients to violence and overdoses. She recognized that the work was starting to affect her mental well-being. Domenica went back to school for an MBA, but before she graduated she was offered a job designing and implementing a community based recovery program in Wilmington. After many years working in the field in many different modalities of mental health and addiction treatment she was well aware of the gaps in service. This began to drive her passion to create something to address those gaps.  

“When I think about what keeps me whole and grounded I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt it is a solid spiritual program, a great support circle, and a life of service. For me that is what we have to provide people if we want them to get, and stay well. After treatment, what we offer and provide them is critical.”

At IMPACT Life, Domenica has designed a program that sets up the clients up for success. In addition to vocational career services, there are wellness programs and training for basic life skills, like how to balance a checkbook, communicate with other people, and have fun while staying sober. There will also be recovery residences.

“We focus a lot on recovery from addiction, but for me, it’s about overall wellness,” Domenica says. “My investment is looking at the whole picture: if we don’t help people get and maintain employment, get old charges pardoned and expunged, assist them in navigating social services,  and simple things like knowing how to communicate effectively, the recovery eventually collapses.”

The program Domenica has developed, and the life she’s led, are supported by the three consistent pillars. If you have ever heard her speak you have definitely heard her talk about them. Connection, Compassion, and Kinship. They lead to services delivered with dignity and respect and in turn people are open to change. 

“Those of us in recovery, we’re constantly cranking that gift out,” Domenica says. “We’re saying, ‘We’re an example of how this can work.’ It’s about reassurance and compassion and empathy. You have to help people through their process that’s how people get well. We have to work to install hope that recovery is possible, and then we have to prove it. That’s on us.”