HERNANDO CO., Fla. — A brand-new recovery center is opening in Hernando County. It’s a branch of NAMI, or the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

What You Need To Know

  • The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has opened a brand-new recovery center in Hernando County
  • The center is providing a safe place for those on the path to recovery, whether that be with mental wellness or substance misuse recovery
  • Free programming is offered at the center, such as counseling, one-on-one peer support, grief support and more

The new center is providing a safe place for those on the path to recovery, helping not only those with mental wellness, but also substance misuse recovery.

“The recovery center is here for people to start their journey,” NAMI Hernando County Recovery Community Center Director Chad Perdue said.

Perdue said becoming the center’s director was a journey in and of itself.

“Addiction is disconnection,” he said. “When you reconnect to society and to the resources, that’s when you actually start to grow and recover.”

Perdue is someone who understands the process all too well, for he’s gone through his own battle.

“I struggled with anxiety and depression,” he said. “There were days where I couldn’t get out of bed because it just mentally hurt so bad.”

It took Perdue becoming a part of the recovery community to understand. There was help available — it was just a matter of seeking it.

“1998 was the first time I reached out for help, and it wasn’t by my own accord,” Perdue said. “I was court ordered to a program, and that’s when the seeds started getting planted inside of me.”

The recovery center, Perdue says, is designed to do the same. To be a place for those struggling to come together and heal.

“If you think about our population, we’re about 200,000 people in our community and at least 20% of our population is struggling with mental health or substance use conditions,” said Tina Kinney, executive director of NAMI Hernando. “If you think about that, that’s over 60,000 people that need help getting the support.”

Coming together has its benefits. Helping others has helped Perdue get through his own personal battle.

“The ultimate goal is to show people that there is light at the end of the tunnel. To be able to be just that little piece of light for someone going through something and help them navigate the systems that they have to go through, it’s just awesome,” he said.

Showing that recovery and healing is in reach.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or addiction, you can learn more about NAMI’s services on its website.