Yannick Harris’s path to recovery wasn’t one he chose—at least not initially.
“I definitely wasn’t at a point where I was ready to stop,” Yannick said, recalling his mindset when his journey began. “I didn’t really know what rehab was, other than commercials of Passages Malibu in California. I think I probably kind of looked at it like it would be a vacation, honestly.”
Today, Yannick is celebrating his tenth year of sobriety and has come full circle. He now works as a counselor at The GateHouse—the very place that helped him establish his foundation in recovery. But his journey there was anything but straightforward.
The Unexpected Intervention
Yannick’s struggle with substances began in high school with alcohol. By college, his drinking had “taken off,” as he described it, and he got involved in legal trouble—primarily for selling drugs. His substance use deepened over time, eventually leading to harder drugs.
It was his mother who first confronted him about his addiction.
“I was probably about 40 pounds underweight,” Yannick said. “I was always really close with my mom since I was a kid, so she just asked me what was going on, and something told me to be honest with her.”
His mother responded first with tough love, telling him he couldn’t be around her house if he was using. But shortly after, she called with a different approach: she wanted him to go to rehab. Through connections with his uncle in Florida, arrangements were made for Yannick to enter treatment.
Unfortunately, the Florida experience quickly fell apart. What had been described as a solid treatment plan turned out to be disorganized and unavailable. After arriving in Florida, Yannick discovered there wasn’t actually a bed reserved for him. Though he eventually found a detox center, against medical advice, Yannick left after just three days. He wound up using again on the streets before flying back home to Pennsylvania.
What Yannick didn’t know was that his mother had other plans when he returned from his brief, unsuccessful stint in Florida.
“My mom had arranged for me to go to rehab without me knowing,” he said. “So, I get on the plane back to PA, land at the Lehigh Valley International Airport, and get into the car. I guess I fell asleep because when I woke up, there was this old man there to take me to rehab.”
Finding Structure at The GateHouse
After 103 days at the Conewago Snyder treatment center in Beavertown, PA and 25 days in a partial program at Cove Forge in Williamsburg, PA, Yannick finally arrived at The GateHouse. Still not fully invested in recovery, he was initially drawn to the practical aspects of the program.
“The most enticing thing you hear is that you could start working, you could take family passes, and things like that,” Yannick said. “I wasn’t even necessarily looking at it as, ‘I’m going to continue to work on myself internally.’ I was more so like, ‘Okay, I get one step closer to being done with all this stuff.'”
Despite his initial reluctance, the structure at The GateHouse became the foundation of Yannick’s recovery. Two elements stood out to him: learning healthy communication through The GateHouse’s “pull-up system” and getting involved in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
“The biggest thing was getting involved in AA, which I actually procrastinated with in a lot of ways until right before it was time for me to go,” he said.
The Turning Point
Yannick’s true recovery journey didn’t begin until he was nearly ready to leave the residential program at The GateHouse. With just two weeks left before moving to a transitional living house, he still hadn’t secured a sponsor or a job—both requirements for the next phase.
“The whole clinical team met with me and pretty much said, ‘Listen, you’re self-sabotaging,'” Yannick recalled. His counselor issued an ultimatum: get a sponsor that night or risk losing his place in the recovery house.
This moment of accountability became the catalyst for Yannick’s genuine recovery. He asked someone who had been giving him rides to meetings to be his sponsor—someone he already had a relationship with.
“That sponsor I called daily,” Yannick said. “I started doing step work. I would say that was the start of my recovery, even though I already had four or five months abstinent at that point.”
Building a New Life
Yannick stayed in the transitional living program at The GateHouse for 15 months, following the structure that had been established and continuing his involvement with AA. His approach was simple but effective.
“I just followed the rules,” he said. “And because I followed the rules, one day I woke up and I was a different person. It’s kind of hard to explain how I really got there, other than I followed the rules and got connected to AA as a result.”
After leaving transitional living, Yannick secured his own apartment and continued working at Our House Cafe, where he had risen to a management position. Eventually, his personal life stabilized as well—he reunited with the mother of his children for a time and regained custody of his kids, who had been living with his mother for several years.
Though his relationship eventually ended, Yannick maintains shared custody of his children, now ages 12 and 11, alternating weeks with their mother.
Coming Full Circle
Yannick’s professional journey led him first to The Retreat, where he progressed from Clinical Aide to Patient Care Coordinator (Case Manager) and ultimately to Behavioral Health Technician Manager for his final three years there. During much of this time, he simultaneously worked part-time at The GateHouse—a position he held for four years before focusing solely on his role at The Retreat.
When The Retreat unexpectedly closed last year, Yannick found himself drawn back to The GateHouse, where he now works as a counselor—helping others on the same journey he once traveled.
“The deciding factor was knowing the people there,” Yannick said. “I knew the person who would be my supervisor. I knew several people who were still there… they’re great people, and I love them all. It was just an easy decision.”
While continuing his work at The GateHouse, Yannick is also pursuing further education at Millersville University, building on the associate degree in social services he earned from HACC. Though he’s certain about his passion for social work, he’s considering moving beyond direct client work to focus on policy and grant writing.
“I would actually like to get involved more on the macro level,” he said.
Reflecting on his journey, Yannick acknowledges the many people who helped him along the way—from his mother who set firm boundaries, to the staff who held him accountable, to the AA members who showed up offering rides to meetings.
For Yannick, what began as merely following rules to avoid homelessness transformed into a life of meaning, connection, and service.
“Sometimes recovery finds you,” Yannick said, “even when you’re not looking for it.”
The GateHouse is here for you, whether you need outpatient support, transitional living, or residential extended care programs. If you’re looking for help now, give us a call at 717-393-3215 or reach out to us today to get started.
