Sister Susan Clay, CSJ
  
Sister Susan Clay has worked as an addiction specialist in home services for Holy Family Institute since 1997. She crisscrosses Allegheny County, knocking on doors of the underprivileged as well as the affluent and offering a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak backdrop of isolation.

"I know that it is possible for anger to dissipate and recovery to start, if an addict is given support," Sister Susie says. "I can say to that person, 'you are not isolated — if you let us in.' They need constant reassurance that they can get through this, that someone cares."

With care, calmness, and determination, Sister Susie has an exceptional way of connecting with people, stepping back and identifying their pain, according to her colleagues. "Rebuilding relationships and seeking reconciliation are very important steps in the process of recovery," she says.

Sister Susie previously served as a special education teacher, parish social minister and house parent for Girls Hope of Pittsburgh. "Spirituality is important not just for people in recovery, but for all people," she says.

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