Client success story: Amanda’s journey to recovery
Pictured back row (left to right): Patty Taylor and Sandy Zarembinski, guardians ad litem; Alexa Benavides, social worker; Kelly Holland, ARS attorney; Amanda (center); Amanda’s older kids and granddaughter; Carissa Orr, social worker. Front row: Amanda’s partner and younger kids
Family get-togethers, barbeque picnics, comedy shows and concerts... These may seem like simple activities, but for Amanda, they represent a fresh start with her family—and a new life without drugs.
“Life is truly good,” she said. “Even the bad days are never bad enough to think, ‘I’m going to use today.”
Amanda has come so far since fall 2021, when caring for her kids had taken a back seat to her meth addiction.
“I had zero accountability for any of my actions at that time. I lost the kids, the car, the house. Before I knew it, I had nowhere to go.”
It took more than a year of starts and stops, but in summer 2023, Amanda made a real commitment to getting clean at a women’s treatment center.
“That first day was the hardest day of my life, but I’ve been sober ever since.”
By fall 2024, Amanda regained custody of her children, and her case with Hennepin County was dismissed.
Today, she lives in stable housing with her younger children and is attending school to become a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. She also has a healthy relationship with her older daughters and granddaughters.
“I used to think I could never live a life without drugs, but I wasn’t really living,” said Amanda. Now, she hopes to begin a new career helping others with similar struggles.
Pulling together
Child protection cases are difficult, and don't always end with everyone in agreement. Amanda’s case is an exception. Her story illustrates the power of teamwork and a strong support system, which included staff from Hennepin County Adult Representation Services, Health and Human Services, the courts, and Minneapolis treatment centers.
Even during the worst times, it was clear she loved her children and wanted to protect her family, said Alexa Benevides, Amanda’s first social worker with Hennepin County. Benevides and her team met Amanda where she was at—with empathy and transparency—while also holding her accountable for her actions.
“Amanda’s story is an example to others that they have the power to change their lives and recover,” said Benevides. “It also shows how our systems can work together for the long-term benefit of families.”
Kelly Holland, Amanda’s attorney with ARS, has been one of Amanda’s biggest advocates. Holland has worked on hundreds of child protection cases since joining ARS in 2018. For her, Amanda’s case stands out as a success story for everyone involved.
“Sometimes we’re working from opposite sides, but this is a case where everybody worked together,” said Holland. “The judge had compassion and patience. The social workers and treatment providers really connected with Amanda. The guardian ad litem was very supportive. And Amanda did all that she needed to do.”
“I can’t say enough good things about Kelly,” Amanda added. “She went above and beyond—she never left me hanging and always got me answers quickly—and that meant so much to me.”
Although her case has closed, Amanda continues to keep in touch with Holland and others in her county support system to this day.
“Each and every person in this case played a huge role that impacted me and my kids for the rest of our lives. They saw the potential in me, and they listened to my kids, who were rooting for me and wanted me healthy. I did the work to get clean and sober, but I didn’t walk this journey alone.”
Published 8/7/25