How Prism Health North Texas Is Expanding the Conversation Around Addiction

Recovery rarely happens in a straight line.

For Trey Weir, Project STEP Program Supervisor at Prism Health North Texas, that understanding comes from experience. Weir has navigated alcoholism, methamphetamine addiction and incarceration before finding tools that helped him build a different life. Today, more than two and a half years into his work with Prism Health North Texas, he uses that experience to help others navigate their own recovery.

His message is straightforward: There is no single way to recover, and asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

A Different Way to Talk About Addiction

Addiction is often discussed through the lens of personal responsibility, but Weir says that framing can leave people feeling isolated and ashamed.

Weir explains there is a lot of stigma around addiction and substance use disorders, but people should not see themselves as weak or powerless in their struggles.

Addiction involves neurobiology, mental health, environment and other factors that can make recovery complicated. For people who carry multiple identities or have experienced marginalization, those challenges can compound.

That is why Weir sees peer recovery work as more than simply helping someone stop using a substance. It is about helping people understand themselves, identify what works for them and recognize that they have options.

For Weir, supporting others is also connected to his own recovery.

Recovery Can Look Different for Everyone

Many people are familiar with programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, but those are not the only avenues available.

Through Project STEP, Prism Health North Texas offers SMART Recovery programming, an approach based on Self-Management and Recovery Training. Rather than centering recovery around a traditional 12-step model, SMART Recovery emphasizes self-management, personal choice and practical tools.

Participants work through four areas of recovery that can be explored according to their individual needs. The goal is not to force everyone through the same sequence, but to help people identify strategies that can improve their decision-making, mental health and overall well-being.

The meetings also create space for honest conversation. Participants can share what has worked for them, learn from others and build connections with people at different stages of recovery.

And if someone experiences a relapse, that does not erase the work that came before it.

Relapse can become an opportunity to understand what happened, identify what needs to change and continue moving forward.

Finding Your People

Project STEP also offers peer recovery support groups through the Empowerment Center, giving participants an opportunity to connect with others who understand the realities of recovery.

Participants can also be matched with a peer mentor or recovery coach. These relationships are not formal sponsorships. Instead, they connect people who may be navigating similar points in their journeys and can offer perspective, encouragement and practical support.

That peer-to-peer connection can be particularly powerful for people who have spent years feeling misunderstood.

The goal is not to tell someone what their recovery should look like. It is to help them discover what works.

Recovery Also Means Being Prepared

Project STEP’s support extends beyond meetings and conversations.

The program provides Narcan and naloxone for participants and community members who may know someone at risk of an overdose. With fentanyl contamination and unpredictable drug mixtures creating serious risks, having naloxone available can be a critical part of harm reduction.

Even a small amount of fentanyl can be lethal, Weir emphasized, highlighting the importance of being prepared when the contents of a substance may be unknown or inconsistent.

For families and friends of people struggling with substance use, having resources available can mean being prepared to respond when an emergency happens.

Care Without Shame

October can be a natural time to take stock of personal wellness, but recovery does not have to begin on a particular date or follow a particular timeline.

For someone struggling with substance use, mental health or the stigma surrounding either, Weir’s work offers a reminder that asking for help does not mean giving up control. Sometimes it means taking it back.

Prism Health North Texas provides multiple pathways to support, recognizing that people arrive at recovery with different histories, identities and needs. Project STEP’s peer services, SMART Recovery meetings and harm reduction resources are part of that broader approach.

For Dallas Weekly readers, particularly those who have watched friends, family members or neighbors navigate addiction, the message is simple: support exists, and there is more than one way forward.

Project STEP’s meeting schedule and resources are available at PHNTX.org/services/project-step.

More Than One Kind of Behavioral Health

Recovery is only one part of the behavioral health conversation. Prism Health North Texas is also expanding psychiatric and counseling services for patients whose needs may involve complex mental health conditions, substance use, trauma or multiple challenges at once.

RELATED: Prism Health North Texas Expands Behavioral Health Department Services

The organization recently expanded its Behavioral Health Department under the leadership of Dr. Donald Egan, a board-certified psychiatrist and addiction psychiatry specialist. The department now offers psychiatric care for young adults through older adults, medication management, addiction psychiatry, psychotherapy, ADHD evaluation and treatment, trauma and PTSD-focused care, and specialized services for men, LGBTQ+ patients and people navigating HIV and sexual health concerns. 

That range matters because behavioral health does not always fit neatly into one category. A patient may be managing depression alongside substance use, navigating trauma while receiving primary care, or struggling with medication adherence after a hospitalization.

“We want patients to have a place where they can talk openly about what they are experiencing, receive a thorough evaluation, and have access to the level of treatment their individual situation requires,” Egan said. “The goal is to understand the full picture and make it easier for people to get appropriate care before they reach a crisis.” 

Bringing Behavioral Health Under One Roof

The expansion also reflects a larger shift in how Prism Health North Texas approaches care. Behavioral health patients can access psychiatric services alongside primary care, pharmacy, laboratory services and case management, reducing some of the barriers that can come with being referred from one provider to another.

For patients who need more consistent medication management, PHNTX has also expanded access to long-acting injectable treatments for conditions including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychosis and substance use disorders. The program builds on infrastructure already used for long-acting HIV treatment and prevention, including the organization’s pharmacy capabilities, medication storage, clinical teams and case management resources. 

And the expansion is not stopping there. Prism Health North Texas has received state licensure for an Intensive Outpatient Program and Partial Hospitalization Program and is building the clinical teams needed to launch both services before the end of 2026. 

For a community where finding the right behavioral health provider can sometimes mean navigating long waitlists, multiple referrals or disconnected systems, the goal is straightforward: make it easier to get the right care before a crisis makes the decision for you.

A Community That Shows Up

That spirit of community support was also on display at the 22nd annual Miss LifeWalk pageant.

The event brought community members together October 4th at Station 4’s Rose Room to see DeManda Refund crowned Miss LifeWalk 2026. The contestants, sponsors, volunteers, and attendees raised more than $15,000 for LGBTQIA+ healthcare, HIV services, behavioral health and other programs.

For an organization serving more than 17,000 patients across 10 North Texas counties, that support reaches far beyond a single event. It helps keep care, prevention, recovery resources and community connection within reach for the people who need them.