Phoenix House - Exeter

Fred Trapassi, Jr., has worked in the human services field since 1986, serving people in need and helping youth and adults who are struggling with substance abuse. Fred has a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Roger Williams College and has received local and national awards for his dedication to his community and the field of juvenile justice. When Fred was growing up, he witnessed drug addiction in his neighborhood and knew several friends who died from drug overdoses and gun violence. He decided to work in the field of human services so that he could address some of the problems in his own community and help those who were underserved: “I always hated to see people taken advantage of. I always hated to see people who were pushed down and held back, and I always felt that people deserve a fair shake.”

When Kristin Kretchman was working in home health care, she often saw substance abuse in the families of the people she cared for. Then she experienced the tragedy of addiction firsthand when a family member struggled with substance abuse; so when she saw a position open at Phoenix House, she was moved to give back to the field of addiction treatment. When she walked into the Phoenix House facility, “It was almost like walking into a home,” Kristin said. She loves to be there for clients during a pivotal moment of stabilization: “There’s such a small window of opportunity that you must seize as a nurse, as a clinical provider. If you seize and it works, if you give them an opportunity to regain their life back, then it’s that warm feeling you get inside when you get that phone call weeks or months later: ‘I’ve been sober two weeks because of you,’ or ‘I’ve been sober five years.’”