Giving Second Chances: Emerald Coast Life Center Tackles Addiction and Incarceration

Dana Clah, the founder and president of Emerald Coast Life Center (ECLC), is a living testament to the power of second chances. After battling her own opioid addiction and experiencing incarceration, Clah recognized the dire need for comprehensive recovery services in her community.

“When I was going through it, I went to the church and they turned a blind eye. I went to my husband’s organization, which is one of the largest mental health organizations in the panhandle, and I was turned away from both entities,” Clah recounts. “I fell deeper into my opioid chemical dependency and just numbed because I didn’t have support.”

Determined to ensure no one else would face the same isolation and lack of resources, Clah founded ECLC. This recovery community organization offers a holistic approach to addiction recovery and reintegration.

At the heart of ECLC’s programming are the classes offered inside the Okaloosa County jail.

Divided into four phases, the 425-hour curriculum covers a range of topics, including anger management, relationship education, faith-based studies, parenting skills, and trauma-informed care. “The drugs aren’t the issue; the domestic violence isn’t the issue,” Clah explains. “The issue is, let’s rewind it back to their childhood. What adversity did they face that they need to heal from? And they’ve believed a lie somewhere, and they’ve walked out that lie their whole life.”

She believes by addressing the root causes of addiction and criminal behavior, ECLC is seeing remarkable results. Of the 121 men served by the non-profit this year, sahe says only four have recidivated, a 92% success rate. “For those that connect and support, we’re at 100% don’t go back,” Clah proudly states. “They even go to prison (after sentencing), and they stay in touch with me. They call me. I get them connected to the prisons down the road that have incentivized camps. They get out of prison, and they come to the center.”

Clah adds that ECLC’s impact extends beyond the jail walls. The organization also offers outpatient classes, trauma-informed care for first responders, and healing through art for the entire community. Clah’s vision is to create a “wrap around” system of support, ensuring that no one falls through the cracks. “We’ve got to wrap our community with the tools that they need in order to become a healthy, striving community,” Clah emphasizes. “Underserved communities where our office is in Holt, and then I have a second office in Crestview at the public defender’s office. You know, it’s vital that we are here in our community and giving the underserved people a leg up.” As Clah continues to work to empower individuals and transform lives, her message is clear: “We all have something to recover from. We all have a hurt, we all have a hang up, we all have a life controlling issue.”