September 5, 2025 •Ann Daugherty
Ann, right, with her daughter Theresa - who served as CEO of Tara Treatment Center until retirement in 2024.
Editor's Note: The late Ann Daugherty, founder of Tara Treatment Center, published "One Dream - A Thousand Miracles," which shared the story of her vision and the remarkable start of the addiction recovery center. We are pleased to present the chapters of the book as part of our 40th Anniversary of helping people survive and thrive. We invite you to read Ann's words and draw inspiration from them.
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I guess what sticks out in my mind most about Tara is what I call the many miracles. For example, we needed to find a psychologist, and during that search, I received a phone call from a well-qualified professional, Gloria Hamilton, Ph.D. She said that if she worked with abused women in a rural setting, that she would not have to pay back her student loan. Soon after, she came to work at Tara, meeting her need and ours as a staunch advocate for women and Tara over the years.
Another example came when we needed to hire a nurse. Wilma Billieu was an experienced and respected nurse within the community that had worked at another treatment center for multiple years. Through a set of unique and painful circumstances, Ms. Billieu was forced to resign and leave her job. Ms. Billieu became our first Director of Nursing. Her presence at Tara turned out to be a great blessing, as her years of experience were a tremendous asset to our new Center.
My family also played a vital role in the success of Tara. My husband at the time, Jim, was a certified alcohol/drug counselor, and became our first Program Director. He and my eldest daughter, Theresa, facilitated group sessions that were both powerful and healing. He was instrumental in training several of the staff to become qualified counselors. This training was an essential part of the criteria for becoming certified as a drug/alcohol counselor within the state of Indiana. Certification within the state required on-the-job training, passing a written exam, and a face-to-face interview with the Certification Board. Jim was vital in helping various staff to achieve these requirements.
Geraldine Brumley, who was three months post-surgery, believed she could never work again. She agreed to help us with decorating the women’s dormitory. She spent the next 20 years working at Tara as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Her greatest gift was the ability to help the client’s young children. She could identify with their pain since she, too, as a child had experienced the horrific effects of alcoholism.
Another important person to Tara’s early success was a woman from my church. Nelda Edwards had once been employed at an advertising agency as a supervisor of 26 people. She had been hired by the founder of the agency and helped to build a very successful enterprise. The founder retired and his son stepped in as her new boss. One day, she realized that she had unwittingly trained her own replacement. It was a difficult time for her. Her husband had passed away many years prior and she found herself out of a job. Despite other very promising job interviews and opportunities, she made the decision to join the staff at Tara. Together, we ran the business office for many years. She often stated that she found her work more gratifying than any place that she had ever been. She was both a spiritual and financial leader for me. Another important characteristic is that she frequently reminded me of the importance of taking care of myself.
Periodically, my mother came and stayed with us. She loved playing card games, such as Rook. She often spent many evenings teaching and playing cards with the clients. Our setting has always been home-like and family-oriented. The staff and clients continue to have meals in our large dining room. Tara is like a family in that you can feel the love and care given to each person who walks through the door. The atmosphere is in stark contrast to the more sterile treatment centers often seen. Although our staff maintains a high level of professionalism, they also maintain the ability to have compassion and love for the clients. It is my belief that this ability surpasses any credentialing or licensure that might have been brought with their applications. Sometimes, it is not about the letters that follow somebody’s name, but the ability to be compassionate and caring. There is a natural intuition among alcoholics and addicts, almost a sixth sense, in that they seem to know how you feel about them.
Next: Finding Myself through Adversity
Previous: The Opening of the Doors
Ann's Story.
Ann Daugherty knew firsthand how alcoholism and drug addiction could affect the lives of families and loved ones.
Her personal pain as a result of her brother’s death at 36 from alcoholism inspired her to help others.
Ann worked for several years as a master’s level psychiatric nurse and therapist, specializing in the field of addiction for most of her career. Through her prior employment, she became aware of a grant available for the treatment of women with addictions.
She researched and wrote a grant proposal to open the original eight-bed Residential Program. A location for the facility was not an obstacle for her, as she had a history of opening her home to those in need. Her efforts were rewarded in July 1985, with funding for Tara.
Throughout the years, Ann recognized the multiple needs of individuals served, which resulted in program and facility expansion. In July, 1996 Tara became a Managed Care Provider offering a full continuum of services for men and women.
Although diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer in 2003, she remained the Chief Executive Officer until July 2006. At that time she presented her eldest daughter, Theresa Matthews, to the Board of Directors as her successor, noting that she had worked closely with her since Tara’s inception. Ann's fight ended August 25, 2008. Her mission and vision have been embraced by many and still continue today.