Jose Diaz – Staff Spotlight

Jose Diaz has been a staple at Turning Point House since 2002. However, Jose began his experience with our agency as a resident of Cazenovia Manor in 1999. He appreciated the care he received so much that he wanted to help out others in recovery. “I wanted to give back,” he noted. He first began his employment with us as a resident monitor and quickly moved into his current role.

As a facility assistant, Jose is responsible for ensuring the program is safe and up-to-code. He also ensures that supplies for the program, like food and other critical items, are well-stocked. He has a background in electrical construction, and appreciates being able to learn new skills within the program.

More than anything else, however, Jose enjoys assisting our residents. “I love working with them and helping them in any way I can to help further their recovery,” he said. One of his favorite things to do is to encourage and facilitate fun sober activities. “I want to show our residents that they can have fun in recovery,” said Jose. He takes them fishing, camping, and to other fun activities in the area. “A lot of residents think things like, ‘I can’t fish without a beer,’ but I want to show them that you can do fun things without drugs or alcohol.”

In his time with our agency, Jose has seen many positive changes. The one he has been most impressed with was our recent Trauma-Informed Care transformation. “It really helped me to see our residents in a new way,” he noted. “I was able to see deeper and see their roots of their underlying problems,” said Jose. “It was a big change.”

Jose’s long-standing encouragement to residents at Turning Point has made a major difference in their own personal recovery experiences. “I hope they can progress to a point where they can become self-sufficient,” he noted. Luckily, Jose never loses sight of what matters most in our programs. This attitude helps motivate him. “I enjoy what I’m doing,” he said.