WARSAW — Living in Transition Effectively, better known as LITE, continues to expand across Kosciusko County and the region with services five years after it was established.

The Milford-based group began initially focused solely on assisting inmates as they prepared to re-enter society after being incarcerated.

Initial goals involved helping offenders overcome many of the barrers they face once released. Those can include obtaining personal documents, getting a driver's license, and securing living accommodations and transportation.

These days, about 70 percent of the people they work with are former inmates, while the rest are folks with a variety of needs, said Tammy Cotton, LITE's executive director.

In 2023, LITE became one of ten regional recovery Hubs recognized by the state. LITE also started a women’s recovery residence with five beds and opened a cafe that has created a supportive community environment for those in recovery or struggling with other issues.

LITE offers a range of services (food and clothing, to name a few), and works closely with the sheriff’s office in assisting inmates.

The group is also the biggest distributor of Naloxone (also known as Narcan). In 2024, they distributed 500 doses of Narcan through street outreach programs and a box available at their Milford headquarters.

Earlier this year, Cotton was given approval by the Health First Kosciusko Advisory Committee to begin setting up Narcan distribution boxes throughout the county.

Cotton believes overall efforts to make Narcan readily available are making a difference in reducing overdose deaths, which fell dramatically in 2024.

She recently brought up the issue with the Suicide Overdose Fatality Review Team that she helped establish last year.

"It absolutely has (helped)," Cotton said. "I asked the question to the group, which is law enforcement, the coroner, individuals who are on scene, first responders, and they attribute it completely to the access to the Narcan."

Cotton made the comment for the public affairs show, In The Know, which airs this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations (see broadcast hours at the bottom of this story).

Also part of the show was Rochelle Taylor, who supervises a fleet of peer recovery coaches for LITE.

Taylor is part of a growing trend in which former drug users overcome their addiction and then become certified peer recovery coaches who work to support other substance abusers as they work to get away from the lifestyle.

Taylor doesn’t buy into the argument that people learn to rely on Narcan so they can continue to abuse opioids.

"Nobody uses so they can Narcan themselves. I can tell you that, because they lose their money, they go into withdrawal, they become sick and nobody wants to do that," Taylor said.

Taylor had been addicted to methamphetamine, was arrested several times and served several years in prison.

She's been clean for six years, and her role as a peer recovery coach has been all about turning "pain into purpose," she said.

Taylor also leads LITE's outreach program, in which she and others visit high-risk neighborhoods where drug use tends to be prevalent. They offer various types of support, including Narcan and harm reduction kits.

LITE also has an emphasis on outreach. They are often at Warsaw Community Public Library and the soup kitchen in Warsaw.

Education is also part of their mission.

That was the case on Thursday, when dozens of people participated in a "Re-Entry Similation" program at Cardinal Services and helped put into perspective the number of barriers former inmates face when they re-enter society.

Those barriers often stand in the way of former offenders as they try to find a stable, drug-free life.

The idea came from a KLA project headed up by Taylor.

Participants experienced the process of acclimating themselves after prison by visiting more than a dozen tables that represented the many issues former inmates face after being released.

Cotton explained the purpose of the meeting.

"I think the biggest thing is reducing stigma, bringing awareness, educating the community about the struggles people face," Cotton said. "Recently, I learned there are 97 barriers in the first three months for people coming out of incarceration, and that's what we're trying to portray here today."

LITE also has various transportation services, which were recently expanded.

To learn more, visit the LITE website.

[caption id="attachment_108523" align="alignnone" width="696"] More than 30 people participated in Thursday’s Re-entry Simulation program at Cardinal Services in Warsaw. The meeting was organized by LITE to help people understand the complexities that former inmates face when they re-enter society. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

*  *  * 

In The Know can be heard at the following times:

News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):

Fridays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturdays at 7 a.m. 

Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.

WRSW (107.3):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

Willie (103.5 FM):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

The post As LITE turns 5, group expands efforts to help former inmates, others appeared first on News Now Warsaw.