Who We Serve


The women who attend Mrs. Wilson’s Halfway House, Tomlinson House, and our Outpatient Program & Intensive Outpatient Program (OP & IOP) are as diverse as the greater Morris County community we serve.

Women of any race, creed, color, religion, age group, or socio-economic background are welcome here. The women we serve benefit both from being among their peers and from being exposed to other ways of being. Mrs. Wilson's provides a safe, nurturing space for women to grow in their sobriety.

If you are struggling with addiction and trauma and looking for a safe place to fit in and heal... look no further than Mrs. Wilson's Treatment Center right here in Morristown, NJ.

The Clinical Team


The Mrs. Wilson’s team is composed of dedicated women, whether the role is administrative, residential services, or clinical, the agencies’ mission and empowering those we serve is at the center of the services delivered.

The clinical team is composed of Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Social Workers (LSW), Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LCADC), Alcohol and Drug Counselor Interns, Registered Dietitian (RD), and Advance Practice Nurse (APN).

Executive Director - Counselor at Mrs. Wilson's Treatment Services for Women

Michelle Coral

LCSW, LCADC, Executive Director Linkedin
Laura Michel - Counselor at Mrs. Wilson's Halfway House

Laura Michel

LCSW, LCADC, CCS Linkedin
Tinamarie DeGeorge - Counselor at Mrs. Wilson's Treatment Services for Women

Tinamarie Marciano

LCSW, LCADC, CCS Linkedin
Jessica Leo - Counselor at Mrs. Wilson's Halfway House

Jessica Leo

MS, LCADC, CCS Linkedin
Kimberly McCloskey - Counselor at Mrs. Wilson's Halfway House

Kimberly McCloskey

MSW, LSW, Counselor Linkedin
Achanté Andrews - Counselor at Mrs. Wilson's Halfway House

Achanté Andrews

MA, LPC/LCADC Counselor-Intern Admissions Counselor Linkedin

Alumni Testimonials

Smiling alumni women

Alumni are encouraged to stay connected with Mrs. Wilson's, their community, and their support network and alumni volunteers are a vital resource for our organization.

There are few things more compelling than the testimony of our alumnus. These are heart-felt stories of struggle, strength, and transformation - raw and unfiltered from the hands of the amazing graduates of Mrs. Wilson's Treatment Center. We are so proud of them!

"So I was down here in Penn Station in the winter of 2018I was down on my luck. I was sleeping on the floor. Basically, in a sea of other homeless people... then I managed to get clean.

I went to Mrs. Wilson's House, in Morristown, New Jersey - got clean, and I found a good job.

I found people that really cared about me, and gave me a chance, and I started working there and worked my way up to become the store manager and now that I'm doing well and have created a better life for myself I wanted to give back to the community and come back to where I was homeless and help feed the homeless."


"I owe my life to Mrs. Wilson’s house and all of the staff members there. I struggled to maintain my sobriety - I spent years trapped in a vicious cycle of institutions, programs, and jail due to continual relapses. I learned so much about myself during my time at The Wilson House. The counselors truly care about their clients and offer so much help to address each individual’s issues.

I think what’s different about this program is that not only did they bring me the awareness of what I needed to work on within myself, but they also guided me through the process every step of the way. In my experience, most other programs just pointed out my defects/struggles but then never actually told me how to fix those things.

Since leaving the halfway house I have accomplished so many things in my personal life and have maintained my sobriety for the longest I’ve ever been able to.

Mrs. Wilson’s House taught me how to live a successful, sober life and I will be forever grateful for my time there."

"I went through a life of abuse, addiction and trauma. All I knew was fear and how to run from it. I had no worth and I was desperate to find direction. I was completely broken.

A sequence of events led me to Mrs. Wilson's House and this was my saving grace!

Mrs. Wilson's staff provided the love, support and safety I needed to live my fullest potential. My counselor had faith in me when I had none. They taught me that from darkness comes light. I've learned how to accept responsibility and new coping skills to keep my sobriety. Through Mrs. Wilson's House I now live a life of integrity, kindness and joy.

It was at Mrs. Wilson's House I came to believe that we are all entitled to live a happy, fulfilling life. They provided the structure needed to achieve this. Nothing is more exciting when you are given the gift of Recovery. The universe opens doors that you never knew were possible.

It doesn't matter where you came from, or where you are at, Mrs. Wilson's House helps you live your fullest potential."

"I struggled with my addiction from the time I was 18 to 29 years old. By the time I was 29 I had 3 felonies and been in and out of numerous treatment facilities. Three days before my 29th birthday I lost my boyfriend of 7 years to this disease. I found him dead of an overdose.

You would think that would have made me want to get clean, but it didn’t. I fell into a deep depression and wanted to die. I just kept getting high and waking up the next morning sick and angry that I was still alive. Two months after his death I ended up in jail again and sentenced to drug court.

"By the grace of God, they sent me to Mrs. Wilson’s house."

Mrs. Wilson’s house was the first program I felt cared about me and they encouraged me to really work on myself. During my time at Mrs. Wilson’s my perspective really changed and I really began to get honest and open up about everything I was struggling with. They encouraged me to get a sponsor and do the 12 steps.

I really put the work in, and I started to see the positive changes in myself that I could never see before. I learned how to be accountable here and find a healthy balance with life, work, and my recovery. I learned to set healthy boundaries with my family and work, which I could never do before. My counselor really helped me with the loss of my boyfriend and helped me cope with grief and loss. Most importantly I learned to love myself and have fun again.

I am coming up on 3 years clean and I still use the basic tools that they have taught me. Today I have a strong network of women and an amazing sponsor. I went through the 12 steps and still work close with my sponsor. I graduated drug court! I have an amazing job at a treatment facility where I help others in early recovery. Most importantly I stay connected!

Today I love my life and I am proud of the woman I am becoming. I owe a lot of that to Mrs. Wilson’s house. They helped me become the strong independent woman I was meant to be! I am forever grateful for the staff and all the women I was with in the house."

"My story is like many others. Sometimes there were emotions that would leave me struggling to breathe and sometimes I was so empty that it was the only time I felt any sense of peace. Drugs and alcohol made my world feel beautiful and tragic at the same time. It was very contradicting since my life was falling apart while I was convinced it was coming together. I never expected my addiction was going to take me to a low that I had only seen in movies. My body hurt, my heart was broken, my mind was infected with demons and I still didn’t want to stop. I was going to die.

"Mrs. Wilson’s House is where I truly found myself."

This is where my story changed. I was given an opportunity that at the time seemed worse than the hell I was already living in. A chance to get clean and sober and change my life. I was reluctant because this wasn’t the first time I tried recovery. Was I really ready? Did I suffer enough? Or did I still feel the need to punish myself for things that were never my fault in the first place? Drug court, here I come. My life changed the day I let go and accepted help.

I started with a 6 month program where I started addressing my problems. While I was there I realized I barely scratched the surface and 6 months just wasn’t enough. I couldn’t believe I was asking to go to another program. But if I wanted anything for my life, then regardless how I felt about it, this was a necessary step.

"I am proof that recovery is possible."

Mrs. Wilson’s House is where I truly found myself. The kind of support I got the moment I walked in the door was like nothing I have ever known. I finally let down my guard and address issues that I’ve been avoiding for years. It was real. It was personal. It was rough. But on the other hand, it was awesome. I laughed more than I had in so long. Life was possible. After 8 months, I was ready to move on with my life. (Even though I tried to convince staff to build a tree house in their back yard so I wouldn’t have to leave.)

Today I am 3 years clean from all drugs and alcohol. I continue to use the tools I learned from Mrs. Wilson’s house, along with others I still learn in my process everyday. My boyfriend and I are officially home owners and are parents to a 5 month old beautiful little girl. I am graduating drug court in less than a year. I am proof that recovery is possible. Now 2 years after I left, I am STILL so grateful for what Mrs. Wilson’s house did for me. They are truly incredible people with the passion of helping others and constantly proving there is a much better way to live."

"My treatment journey prior to landing at Mrs. Wilson’s House was extensive. I had been in and out of rehabs, detoxes, sober living facilities, and jails. If you told me twenty years ago that I would spend most of my adult life inside of a facility I would not have believed you. I always felt different than everyone around me. I felt less than, inadequate, as if everyone else got the manual of life and left me off the mailing list. Looking back, I see that because I felt so different, I acted different. I always pushed people away even though I wanted them close. I didn’t want to feel alone but caused my own loneliness. There still was something inside me that wanted to be successful, wanted to be happy, but that dark piece of me took over.

When I took my first sip of booze at age 15 I thought I found my new best friend, my new lover, my new everything. I remember the way it just took over my body. I was able to say things I normally wouldn’t say and do things I normally wouldn’t do. I was confident and felt like everyone liked me. Soon enough, I needed to drink to do anything social. I became physically dependent on alcohol by the time I was in high school. I went on to college after passing high school by the skin of my teeth, and was introduced to stronger substances at which time I left alcohol behind for an even darker and more destructive life. I started to do things I said I would never do and began committing crimes to support my habit. I was a full blown crack and heroin addict by age 28. Drugs became my only interest. I got kicked out of school which gave me more time to do what I wanted to do.

I went through periods of time where I would taper down my drug use and get a job and start doing better only for the end result to be the same, which was me high on drugs. I had been forced to go to treatment and detoxes a handful of times and I saw these as chances to clean up for a little bit and get people back in my good graces, only to go back out and do the same thing. I never heard anything anyone was trying to teach me. I was not open to suggestions. I was in pain but was not willing to give up the fight. I always thought I was different than everyone else, that I would find a way to be able to use drugs and not experience any negative consequences.

My life continued to spiral out of control. I kept losing more, I lost more friends, more jobs, more family, more weight, more material things. At the end I was homeless staying in a shack near the railroad tracks in Paterson. I just kept making my next low acceptable. In 2010 I was arrested for the last time. After having to detox in jail and sitting there for six months I had a lot of time to think about my life. No one was coming to get me. The people I thought would help me wouldn’t. The people I thought were my friends didn’t pick up the phone. I was alone. It was time to do something different.

I was offered Drug Court. Along the way, Drug Court placed me in Mrs. Wilson’s House. I remember going on my interview there. I felt this warm inviting feeling, I felt at home. I had not felt like that in a very long time. Mrs. Wilson’s House gave me everything I needed. It was a difficult adjustment at first, but I was so beaten down that I just surrendered. They provided me with a structure to my day. I no longer had a full day of down time, I was expected to do things like chores and attend groups. It was these small things that helped me learn how to be accountable again. I had one on one counseling sessions with a counselor that was tough on me and saw right through my deceit. She told me that if I continued to lie about how I felt I would never get better.

"Mrs. Wilson’s helped me become the person I am today."

It was here that I learned how to be honest about my feelings. I went to bed at a normal hour and started to really feel better physically. I was able to incorporate exercise into my daily routine and I was getting healthy again. I learned how to cook here. I got a job after being in the house for a month and learned how to budget my money. I saved every penny I made at my job that I didn’t need for supplies for myself. I remember it felt so good becoming self-sufficient. I had always depended on others to take care of me. Mrs. Wilson’s House stressed the importance of becoming an independent woman. We went to AA meetings a few times a week and were able to go out with women that we met at the meetings.

I got a great sponsor while I was in the house and we met once a week and read the book together. She took me through the twelve steps and told me it was my turn to do the same for someone else. I am nothing like I used to be. I have had a complete change in my perception on life. No matter how I am feeling, I treat every day as a gift. I don’t ever want to go back to living the way I was nor will I ever forget where I came from. I am only one drink or drug away from that person. Mrs. Wilson’s helped me become the person I am today. I thank all the staff and the girls I was in the house with for being a part of my process."

"I grew up in a very close and loving family. I have always had a lot of friends. Despite all of the loving, caring people in my life, there was still something missing. I struggled to feel a part of. I always felt different, very self-conscious and un comfortable in my own skin. Once I discovered alcohol, it appeared all my problems were solved.

I fit in, I was the center of attention. I was always known as the party girl, the girl that got wasted, the girl that could never be the designated driver. All the time I thought I was the center of attention and people were laughing with me when they were laughing at me. Looking back now, I see the progression of my alcoholism.

It started with drinking at house parties, clubs and bars, day drinking turned into four day benders. Benders turned into calling out of work until I discovered drinking when I woke up and drinking at work to keep myself going. Two DUI’s later, back out in Newark and putting my family through hell, I finally admitted I had a problem. I went to the hospital detox twice, rehab twice and finally after the second rehab I stopped and listened. I threw my hands up. I think, at the time, I was running away from my life.

Mrs. Wilson’s - along with the support of my family - saved my life.

Not only did I have a drinking problem, but it caused me to be involved in very bad, unhealthy, abusive relationships. I surrounded myself with negative people. Until I went to Mrs. Wilson’s House, I thought that’s what I deserved.

Mrs. Wilson’s - along with the support of my family - saved my life. They helped me learn about myself. Never in my life did I feel the confidence that I felt from Mrs. W’s. The counselors and staff became my friends, the women in the house became my family. I have lost a lot of women along the way to addiction, and Mrs. Wilson’s has helped me cope with that. I learned what a healthy relationship is.

Now, I am engaged to someone that would go above and beyond for me. I learned to keep only the people around me that support me and love me for me. Never in my life did I think I was capable of being the person I have become. I am a Godmother to my nephew; my family trusts and respects me.

There are no words to express the gratitude I have for Mrs. Wilson's and the staff. I am now three years sober and the happiest I have ever been in my life. I continue to go to therapy at Mrs. Wilson’s and I am still welcomed with open arms."

"I came to Mrs. Wilson's Halfway House at 21 years old unsure if I could stay clean.

I had been to numerous facilities at that point - detoxes, short-term programs, long-term programs, and even another halfway house. I had reached a point of believing I was incapable of learning to live a new way of life.

During my stay, the staff members not only helped me realize that I was capable of staying clean, but also that I was worth it. I was able to get a job and learn how to budget my money. I was taught responsibility and was held accountable for my actions, which was huge for someone like myself who was opposed to most forms of structure and rules.

I am forever grateful for Mrs. Wilson's House...

I received endless amounts of help, guidance, and love from those who work there along with the women I lived with. I am forever grateful for Mrs. Wilson's House - it allowed me to build the foundation I needed to live my life as a successful and productive woman in recovery."


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Mrs. Wilson’s Board of Directors

Officers

  • Barbara Smigelski Colie, President
  • Paul Delaney, Vice President
  • Rosemary S. McGee, President Emeritus
  • Michelle LaBruno, Treasurer
  • Jonathan F. Cohen, Secretary

Members

  • Richard Gatward
  • Steve Lupton
  • Meghan Manning
  • Jim McCarthy
  • Sarah Schwarz
  • Mary O'Connor

Executive Director Michelle Coral, LCSW, LCADC

Mrs. Wilson's Halfway House for treatment of drug addition and alcoholics.

Careers & Internships

Mrs. Wilson’s welcomes graduate students and individuals who have completed their CADC course work from a recognized learning organization in need of a practicum or internship opportunity. The following are required of students chosen for a practicum or intership position:

  • An affiliation agreement between Alfre Inc and your learning organization
  • A criminal background check conducted by our Human Resources Department
  • Proof of liability insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 annual aggregate)
  • Proof of immunity to rubella, rubeola, and varicella
  • Proof of a negative, 2-Step PPD (TB Test) within the past year
  • Proof of a physical examination with 12 months of your start
  • Negative results on a urine drug screen administered by your healthcare professional


Please e-mail your resume to info@mrs-wilsons.org.

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