How One Man Paid It Forward To Pave the Way for Others | My Member Story

There is nothing more inspiring than having a conversation with someone who knows their purpose. Whether it’s the work they do or something they feel deeply inspired by, it’s exciting to be around them.

Dave Durocher is all of that, times 10! As the executive director of The Other Side Academy (TOSA), he sees lives being saved each day.

TOSA is a long-term recovery training school for those dealing with homelessness, illegal activity or substance use to learn social, vocational and life skills. The academy empowers students to transition smoothly into their new lives after they graduate.

Making a life-saving change for himself

What makes Dave so dedicated to his students is his undying commitment. As one of the founders of TOSA, he not only runs this unique program, he also graduated from a similar type of school. TOSA is actually modeled after the program he attended in another state many years ago.

Dave is a former drug addict who spent 27 years going in and out of jail and prison. “Jails and prisons saved my life,” he says. “They gave me the opportunity to ask for help.”

The program Dave attended was called Delancey Street. It was different than the therapist-led, 30-day programs you typically hear about. Instead, it was a two-year program run with no staff, no therapists and no funding. It functioned like a large family where residents learned to develop their strengths and help each other.

Although it was a hard road, Dave thrived in this environment and graduated. “When I stayed at Delancey Street, I was in the program and then I stayed on to be part of the staff,” he muses. “Then, one day, I turned around and my old life was gone. And that’s why the longer-term programs have such a better success rate.” He was so invested in this process and what it could do for people like him that he jumped at the chance when approached by Joseph Grenny and Tim Stay to head up a replication of Delancey Street in Utah.

All about The Other Side Academy

Started in 2015, TOSA is a two-and-a-half-year program that is absolutely free, and they take no money from the government. TOSA runs a successful group of companies that includes thrift boutiques, a moving company, construction company and storage facility.

“One hundred percent of our revenue is derived through our enterprise endeavors,” explains Dave. “The minute you get to The Other Side Academy, you are given a job at one of these businesses.” Whether a student cooks, cleans the facilities or runs a register at the thrift boutique, everyone contributes as part of the team.

According to Dave, the secret to the success of TOSA is that it’s a long-term program, it’s self-sustaining and students are given the opportunity to live together in a healthy community.

Teaching financial basics

One of the most important things for people in this program, in addition to working on their sobriety, is learning how to manage their money. Many have never had a bank account or talked about the state of their finances with a professional.

In 2016, TOSA was the recipient of a $500 award presented by Tony Rasmussen from Mountain America Credit Union. Dave and Tony became fast friends. They spent the better part of a year discussing how they could collaborate to provide TOSA students with education to learn the basic skills of financial management.

This partnership eventually came to fruition in 2017 and includes regular classes for students, helping them get auto loans and credit cards, and creating debt payoff plans. “It’s hard to articulate what Mountain America has done for our organization, my students and my staff,” says Dave. “Not every financial institution would be willing to partner with an organization like this. They didn’t run—they listened.”

Dave’s relationship with Mountain America

After Dave saw how much Mountain America believed in what he was building and how far they were willing to go to help his students, he was all in. “Because of the relationship between Mountain America and The Other Side Academy, I opened a personal checking and savings as well.”

Then, Dave decided he wanted to buy his first Harley Davidson motorcycle. “The day I called, I had the motorcycle financed within hours, had the check in hand and was able to buy the motorcycle I wanted,” he says. “Whenever I call, no matter what we need, they are there.”

Both for TOSA and for himself personally, Dave has seen Mountain America focus on the needs of the member—which he feels is hard to find today. Mountain America believes in this program and has seen how it has worked. They trust that anyone who graduated from TOSA is in good standing.

The future of The Other Side Academy

Many people across the country are interested in seeing a program like this in their city. They are constantly contacting Dave to see if he and his team would open another one. Truthfully, it’s a very difficult endeavor, but they are willing to share what they know. They now have a shadowing program where people can come to Utah and learn the culture, the process and the philosophy and take that back to where they are from to start something of their own.

Dave says, “It’s like a teaching hospital. It’s not about opening a bunch of locations—we just want to improve the human condition and save as many lives as we can.”

Transformational change

Today, Dave has an amazing relationship with his family—which makes him very proud. He is painfully aware of the challenges he has caused, mostly to his parents, and focuses on being a better person for them.

When he is not at TOSA, Dave loves riding Harleys. He rides mostly around Utah, but he has also taken a riding trip down to Mexico and other places. He is lucky enough to have a lot of friends who share in this passion—he rides regularly with police officers and many of the graduates from TOSA.

When asked what he wants his legacy to be, he said that he hopes TOSA continues to move forward and be a beacon for those in need. The most important thing is for the staff to develop into leaders who help the future graduates of TOSA. “I don’t want to be needed here,” he says. “I want to be wanted here.”

To watch stories from some of the graduates, click the video above to hear from Tori Randall, Dylan Gibson and John Branham.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, please reach out to The Other Side Academy.