Daniel knows the difficult road to recovery. Daniel also knows that those who have helped him are in a tough line of work. “Barbara Simmons has a good heart. You can’t pay people to do a job like she does,” he said. Daniel started treatment at the HSVS Chemical Dependency Clinic in downtown Brooklyn, which includes individual and group counseling sessions. “It’s so important to make time for the sessions. It’s not just abstinence. Recovery is talking about how you feel and learning the tools to manage stress,” Daniel explained. Now, Daniel is focused on giving back to those who have supported him unconditionally, including caring for his mom, who is battling cancer.