ROBERT KNIGHT, CLIENT

Robert Kight is one semester away from earning his Master of Business Administration degree from Georgia State University. But a series of illnesses - bipolar disease, heart disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis - made steady employment and his studies almost impossible to manage. His addiction to alcohol also hindered him from attaining his goals.

Robert, 59, was sober for 8 years when he went to work on his MBA. But he has experienced both highs and lows in his struggle with alcohol. In February 2009, Robert went through one of his toughest periods. During a three-week drinking binge, he lost his photo identification, social security card and his checking account card. Someone accessed his account and depleted his funds. He woke one day in the hospital with no money, no home, and no proof of his identity.

Robert became one of the first patients to enter the Gateway Center's new stabilization unit for people discharged from the hospital who have no place to go. He spent several weeks recuperating on the second floor before moving to a treatment program on the fourth floor.

"I was grateful to have a place to stay," Robert says.

He's also grateful that he's been sober for the past three months. At the Gateway Center, Robert receives support through a twelve-step substance abuse program and receives mental health treatment.

"I enjoy being sober," Robert says. "I don't like to drink. It's not pleasant anymore. I feel ready to move on to better things. I'm not abusing myself by drinking."

Robert's primary goals are focusing on his sobriety and continuing his mental health treatment. But he's looking forward to moving from the Gateway Center into transitional housing, and ultimately, a place of his own. His faith and spirituality have also strengthened his resolve to stay sober.

And he's already thinking about what the courses he needs to take to finish up that master's degree.