Mission Statement

The Open Step is a trauma-informed Recovery model created for people who have never felt fully seen in traditional programs.  We serve surivors, seekers, and those navigating the intersection of addiction, mental health, emotional intensity, and trauma.

Built for the driven, the misunderstood, and the divergent, The Open Step offers a progressive, inclusive path forward - where Recovery is not just about abstinence, but about rebuilding safety, identity, and a purpose.

Our mission is to launch The Open Step locally in the Boston area, collaborating with treatment centers and implementing research-backed and alternative programs such as SMART Recovery, alongside with mindfulness-based programs models like Refuge and Dharma Recovery.

About the Founder - Erin Harrison

Erin Harrison is a mother of three, recovery advocate, and founder of The Open Step, based in South Grafton, Massachusetts.  After a successful career in IT and finance, Erin's life took a powerful turn through addiction and complex trauma.  Her own experience of falling apart - and rebuilding from the ground up - inspired her to create The Open Step as an inclusive, trauma-informed alternative to traditional Recovery programs.

She brings both lived experience and professional insight to the belief that Recovery must evolve, and that healing is possible for anyone - no matter how far they've fallen or how different they feel.