Deschamps Family Celebrates Journey to Stability and Recovery with Support from Albuquerque Community Safety

ALBUQUERQUE — After more than two decades of marriage, Timothy and Celina Deschamps, are now celebrating nearly three years of sobriety and a renewed sense of stability, thanks in large part to support from members the Albuquerque Community Safety’s (ACS) Opioid Education and Prevention (OEP) team. 

Like many families, the Deschamps faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. They lost their home and had a loved one die. This deeply impacted their lives and for a time, they stayed in shelters or slept outdoors.

On July 1, 2023, they made the decision to begin their recovery journey and entered treatment. During this critical time, they reconnected with ACS OEP Certified Peer Support Worker Ernesto Ortiz. ACS’s OEP team supports individuals and families affected by opioid use by providing overdose follow-up, education on prevention and treatment, and pathways to recovery. 

“They helped in every way,” said Timothy Deschamps of ACS’s OEP team. “From finding housing to helping us get furniture and medical equipment, they made sure we had what we needed to keep moving forward.”

Today, Timothy and Celina continue their recovery by participating in intensive outpatient programs and giving back to the community. They volunteer their time to support others on a similar journey, sharing their story and helping connect others to ACS.

“This is what community safety looks like,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “The Deschamps’ journey has been a hard one.  But the City is ready, every day, to meet people where they are with compassion and resources to change lives and strengthen our entire community.”

“For us, it’s about walking alongside people through recovery,” said ACS CPSW, Ernesto Ortiz. “Timothy and Celina did the hard work, and we were honored to support them every step of the way.”

In a powerful full-circle moment, the couple, who once slept outside what is now the Albuquerque Community Safety Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) when the building was abandoned, stood alongside city leaders in September 2025 to celebrate its grand opening.

Now home to ACS’s Violence Intervention Program Division, the TRC brings together trauma-informed care, outreach, therapeutic services, and case management in one place. It is designed to provide support in a way that is accessible, empathic, and compassionate centered on healing.

The Deschamps continue to move forward in their recovery and use their experience to uplift others. Their message is simple: support is available, recovery is possible, and the City is here to help.

If you or someone you know can benefit from ACS’s OEP team services, please contact us [email protected].

###

About Albuquerque Community Safety: Albuquerque Community Safety is the City of Albuquerque’s third branch of public safety. Responders take calls for service involving behavioral health, substance use, and other non-criminal and non-medical issues. Request an ACS Responder by calling 911 for emergencies and 311 for non-emergencies.