The Magic Group

“Do Not Disturb. Magic Group in Session.”

There’s no such sign outside the door at the end of the second floor hallway, but if there were, that’s what it might say. It’s an exclusive club, invitation only. They meet here three days a week, from 9 AM to noon. And there’s a positive energy in the air; so much so, that walking in on a session feels like you’re interrupting something very important. Some have taken to calling it the Magic Group.

Whatever they call it, the group of 17 people at the Brandywine Counseling Lancaster Center is hard at work on their recovery. Sean, 28, who’s been attending for four weeks, describes what goes on. “It is at times really good, because we get a lot of people in here that are eager. We’ve got a good mix of people, different cultures, different people at different stages. [Some are just] starting to learn about their addiction; other people have been through programs like this before, and those people are willing to help other people.”

Sean is part of the IOP, or Intensive Outpatient Program. Run by counselor Janine Rinderle, the IOP consists of 3 hours of group counseling, 3 days a week, as well as individual counseling. It’s a higher level of care designed to help participants set and work toward their goals for recovery.

Brandywine introduced the service in 2009 at Lancaster and two other locations, realizing that traditional monthly counseling wasn’t enough for some patients. Unable to remain abstinent, they were at risk of discharge from the methadone program, which often leads to relapse. This was despite having consistent attendance and making a good effort in treatment. Patients who fit this profile and meet other medical criteria and agency requirements, are now recruited by staff for the IOP.

Sean was one of those on the verge of discharge. Traditional treatment had worked for him at first, but only for so long. “I just hit a crossroads after awhile, a couple months in. Once I got clean, I guess I needed something a little more than once a month. My counselor approached me to say they might recommend me for the IOP. I didn’t get too much information before I got in, because it was a new program.”

It was a similar situation for “Charles,” 38, who has been in the IOP for two months. “Recovery is hard for me. I was clean for five years straight. One day I relapsed, and since that time, I’ve been trying to pick myself up again. I thought I could do it by myself, but you can’t. When you’re an addict, you need help. You need the support.”

Joining the IOP is a big commitment. Participants not only have to be willing to do the work, they have to make time for the three hour sessions. “When I heard about the IOP, I was a little skeptical,” says Sean. “Coming here, it’s gonna cut into my time.” But his commitment brought unexpected benefits. “I’m a little more active. I wake up [and] get my day started a little earlier. And you meet more people here.” He’d never socialized much with other people on the clinic, but that has started to change.

Charles also came in with doubts. “In the beginning, I was a little nervous talking [in group], like everybody. But it’s coming along. I’m glad I’m in here. In group, we all get along. In the beginning, everybody was quiet, but we all give feedback now. I’ve got people to help me, and that’s what I like. Now I’ve got my support.”

Janine uses a wide variety of activities to help keep group members engaged, including psychoeducational components, art therapy, and goal setting. At times, she lets group members dictate where the topic goes. She has them practice relaxation techniques, and teaches skills to reduce anxiety. This is particularly useful in slowing down a craving when it occurs.

“Far too often, a craving occurs and is immediately acted upon,” she explains. “But if clients give themselves the chance to work through some of the thoughts associated with the craving, they may avoid following through with the urge to use.”

The most important technique she tries to use in group is a client-centered approach. “I want to create an environment where group members feel ownership of the group, where they feel safe and not judged. Giving members unconditional positive regard allows them to try new behaviors and ways of thinking within the context of the group. The group is a time where they can really work on things with the help and support of myself, but also the other group members who have been through similar trials and struggles.”

Charles has been able to take what he’s learned and make changes in his life. “The therapy she’s giving us, it’s good, believe me! I’m using the tools right now with this person in my life, a drug dealer. I’ve changed my ways with my behavior. All the feedback I’ve taken, it’s working for me.”

Sean has also gained insight from the group. “Being in a group helped a lot, seeing everyone else struggling, it wasn’t just me. I think it’s the more time in here, the more time we spend with the people, and the counselor. Three days a week and three hours long, that’s what’s really helping us.”

“The biggest progress I see in clients is a change in their motivation,” says Janine. “Many of them enter the IOP angry, frustrated, and hesitant; however, after a few weeks, I begin to see big changes in how they relate to one another, how much they open up in group, and the newfound motivation to become engaged and to take more of a proactive role in their recovery.

“I think the magic is that group members have become very close with one another. They meet three days a week and while some were hesitant at first to open up, it wasn't long before they were all sharing personal experiences. The closeness that has formed between them is, I think, what helps them feel supported and understood.”

The first seven members of IOP are about to successfully complete the program, many of them long-time drug users who have provided their first ever negative drug screen. There is a waiting list to get in. Many clients hear about the program by word of mouth, or when they see fellow clients like Sean sticking with treatment and doing better. “I think people are starting to hear more about it,” he says. “It’s starting to get a little buzz out there, as more people learn about it.”

Or they hear it from Charles, who would be back on the street right now if not for the program. They hear how the IOP turned his frustration into motivation. “I brought myself in here. If I’m doing it without missing days, that means I care. I want change. I take it one day at a time.

“The thing is good! I like it!”

Now that is magic.


Brandywine Counseling services are funded by and is part of the system of public services offered by Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. For more information, please call 302-656-2348.

What If You Could Save A Life With Just A Dollar?

Season's Greetings!

Brandywine Counseling would like to say thank you for your past support. You've helped so many people embrace sobriety and overcome their behavioral health challenges.

This holiday season, as you consider the many charitable requests you receive, ask yourself this question. What if you could save a life with just a dollar? For a recovering person, it just might make a big difference.

Here's what Brandywine Counseling can do with even the smallest gift:

• $1 will buy 14 condoms or 12 sterile syringes to protect someone from HIV.
• $5 will buy a hot meal for someone who comes to us hungry.
• $10 will buy a bus pass for someone without a car to get to treatment and search for a job.

So believe me when I say a few dollars can indeed save a life! Of course, if you can afford to give more, your gift will go even further.

• $50 will give someone 50 minutes of face to face time with a counselor.
• $100 will assist ten people in obtaining an evaluation for treatment.
• $500 will keep our equipment and facilities up to date so we can provide the best possible service.

You may donate conveniently and securely on bcidel.org. Brandywine Counseling saves lives every day, and your donation makes it possible. On behalf of the Board of Directors, the staff and those we serve, I wish you all the joys of the holiday season, and thank you in advance for your generosity.

Sincerely,

David A. Oppold, President
Board of Directors

P.S. - Watch your donation in action by visiting bcidel.org for our latest updates, photos, and success stories! Subscribe to our e-newsletter, and join the conversation on our blog.

A Long-Term and Visible Approach to Recovery

The New York Times has a nice article on the growing network of peer-to-peer services for recovering persons in Philadelphia. Specifically, they mention the Philadelphia Recovery Community Center, which focuses on more long-term recovery support than was traditionally available. The model is considered a promising practice.

Views are shifting toward recovery as a long-term process, and also toward greater visibility.

“One of the most important things we’ve done in Philadelphia is to create a vibrant and visible recovery community,” said Arthur C. Evans, who has led the city’s transformation over the past five years as chief of behavioral health. “Hundreds of people are speaking out about being in recovery, and that’s having a tremendous impact on people who may not think they’re ready to change.”

While treatment centers like BCI continue to protect confidentiality, many people in treatment choose to "go public" about their recovery in order to connect with and take advantage of what the peer-to-peer community has to offer. If this helps more people prevent relapse and make greater progress than they had before, then it must be a good thing.

Recovery Month Barbeque

BCI fired up the grill and the music at our Outreach Center for a Saturday afternoon Recovery Month celebration.

What's On Your Recovery Playlist?

What songs come to mind when you think of recovery or drug treatment? Do you have a favorite? One that's inspired you personally? One that reminds you of BCI? I've been thinking about music that relates to what BCI does, even since reading a post called "What's Your Non-Profit's Soundtrack?" at Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog.

While I'm not in recovery myself, I am a music fan and I thought of several topical songs right off the bat. I asked some other staff and they gave me more suggestions, and I did a little more searching, and put together an Imeem playlist for BCI, which you can listen to below. So far, we've got a pretty good variety - some singer-songwriters, some gospel, some alternative, and even a bit of humor.

Now we want you to add to our list! Know of a song we should include? Post it in the comments. You can even make your own Imeem playlist and post the link. We'll take suggestions for awhile and then put up a poll so you can vote and pick the best BCI songs! Maybe we'll even play the winning BCI Soundtrack at a special event.

Here are a few tips:
1. Obviously we want songs that are clearly anti-drug, not pro or ambiguous. "Heroin" by the Velvet Underground is one of those open-to-interpretation songs.
2. Many songs offer a message of hope without specifically being about addiction recovery. We included "I Believe I Can Fly" even though it could apply to about any "helping organization." The more specific to BCI, the better!



Import_BCI

Client-Counselor Team to be Honored

BCI Counselor Keith Kaut and his client James M. will be honored at the state of Delaware's Annual Recovery Month Celebration as an example of a client-clinician team who illustrate that treatment works and recovery is possible.

Keith and James were videotaped, and brief segments of their journey working together toward recovery will be shown at the September 30 event at the Dover Downs Conference Center. They were one of five client-counselor teams chosen by the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to receive a 2009 award, which emphasizes the theme, Together We Learn, Together We Heal.

Keith and James were featured in our recent article, “A Life Saved by Inches.” Congratulations to them on this honor!

It's All In The Journey

I received in the mail today a copy of the 2 year anniversary issue of It's All In The Journey, A Magazine of Recovery. This is the first time I've seen it and it looks very cool, so I wanted to pass it along to those of you in recovery. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Recovery Month Contest: Make a Movie, Make a Difference!

Recovery Month is here, and BCI is celebrating with a contest! We want you to make a movie to spread the word that treatment works. What? You don’t have a video camera? No problem, you don’t need one, all you need is your keyboard. First, watch the clip below!


We made this movie about HIV prevention on Xtranormal.com. It’s a Web site where you type in whatever dialogue you want, and the cartoon characters say it. Then you add sound effects, actions, and expressions. When you’re done, publish it and share it with your friends. It’s fun, easy, and anyone can do it!

So our contest is called “Make a Movie, Make a Difference.” Here’s the rules:

1. Create a movie on the theme of recovery, treatment, HIV prevention, or any service BCI offers.
2. After you’ve published your movie, enter it in the contest by posting the link in a comment to this blog post. Email us your name and contact information to contactbci[at]bcidel[dot]org.
3. Entries are due by close of business October 29, 2009. Winners will be announced October 30, 2009. We will pick the best submission by a community member, and the best by a BCI staff member. Winners will get a prize to be announced, and your movie will be featured on BCI’s Web site.

We are looking for creativity as well as educational value. What would you say to support someone in their recovery? To tell someone where to go for treatment? To get someone to take an HIV test? Movie-making is a new and exciting way to get your message out. Maybe your movie will even “go viral” and be seen all over the net! What a difference that would make.
Those are the rules – everybody go to it!

Join Us September 26 for a Roller Derby Exhibition, Barbeque, and Speaker Jam!

BCI's Recovery Month 2009 calendar is filling up!

In New Castle County, we invite you to join us Saturday, September 26 to celebrate recovery. We are planning a Roller Derby Exhibition, Barbeque, and Speaker Jam at the 2713 Lancaster Avenue site from 1 PM to 5 PM. This will be an indoor and outdoor event, with food, family, fellowship, and fun! You will have the chance to Find a Sponsor. And, the Wilmington City Ruff Rollers will be on hand to provide the entertainment. This is not to be missed! We are in need of donations of food for the barbeque or supermarket gift cards. If you can help, please email us.

Also, don’t forget our downstate Recovery Month event, the Sober Softball Tournament, Sept 18, 2009 at Sports at the Beach in Georgetown. Call Krystal for more info at 302-856-4700.

Lastly, to cap off our Recovery Month celebration, the BCI NSAFE Program is once again putting together a team for the Delaware AIDS Walk on September 27. You can sign up to walk with our team or support them with a donation at Team NSAFE's Page. The program will get back 40% of all donations they collect. Each year they use the money they earn to provide the Thanksgiving meal for the BCI clients. Let's help our team reach their goal. Thank you!

Tiffany Morman to Represent Delaware at Recovery Rally

A&E’s Recovery Project has selected BCI’s Tiffany Morman, Lighthouse Program Director, as the 2009 Recovery Delegate from the state of Delaware. Tiffany will participate in the second annual Recovery Rally in New York City and symbolic walk across the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, September 12, 2009.

The Recovery Project’s goal is to generate widespread awareness that addiction is a treatable disease and recovery is possible. The campaign seeks to help erase the stigma of addiction. The Recovery Rally will coincide with National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, in partnership with the advocacy organization Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR). Last year's Rally included more than 5,000 recovering addicts from across the country and their friends, family and advocates sharing their stories of determination and hope.

Congratulations Tiffany!

A Dedication and Celebration, BCI Style (Complete with Water Guns)

BCI staff past and present, and our friends outside the organization, gathered June 24, 2008 for a twofold purpose. We dedicated our Outreach Center in honor of our first Outreach Director Linda DeShields, and we took time to pay tribute to our retiring Executive Director Sally Allshouse. In true BCI fashion, it was an afternoon of fellowship, recovery, and fun.

The afternoon began with a proclamation by Board President David Oppold dedicating the Linda DeShields Outreach Center. To the sounds of cheers, the ribbon was cut and a plaque was unveiled inside. Lunch was served, including dishes home cooked by staff, and tours were given of the renovated facility. Guest speakers then reminisced about Linda and honored her legacy.

James Harrison shared the story of how Linda recruited him as the first BCI employee to be previously a consumer on the methadone program. He also tells the story here. James recalled Linda’s work ethic, how she didn’t have a watch, or understand the concept of 8 hours and you were done. He recalled Linda sending him into a crack house to find a person. “I can’t go in there, I’m a recovering addict,” he said. Linda answered, “That’s why I hired you, go in there and get ‘em!” So James went in, because you don’t say no to Linda DeShields, and that person is doing well in treatment today.

Jack Booker, Linda’s oldest son, noted her unconditional love for her children. “When I think of my mom, I think about God, and to me, God is loving, caring, sharing, and helping.” In an emotional tribute, he thanked her for giving him the skills to be successful in life and for never giving up on her family. Her legacy includes daughter Rochelle who’s following in her footsteps as supervisor of the Needle Exchange.

Laurie Dyer, a past employee of BCI, recalled running a women’s group with Linda, and getting them makeovers at Wannamaker’s. Another time, they attended a workshop on African American heritage that ended with Linda initiating Laurie as an African American woman. “I was honored! I came back and told everyone, ‘I’m a black woman!’ and I am proud to say that today!” Finally, she recollected what it was like to take a trip with Linda as your backseat driver, pretending to be asleep, but somehow awakening at the moment you start to talk about her.

Shay Lipshitz said she is forever indebted to Linda, who hired her at BCI. Having been called away for a presentation and nearly missing today’s event, Shay recalled Linda’s words, “You always have to give something back to the house, and I hope I did that today.”

Sally Allshouse told of meeting Linda on her second day at work. “She looked at me, looked me up and down, and said, ‘Time will tell.’ She was the most amazing, strong, black woman. She loved her family, she loved God, and she loved working. She knew by giving back to her community, she would be rewarded. She adopted us. She would go eat anywhere. Every Thanksgiving, every Christmas, if she knew where you lived, she would show up. She was a Delawarean, she knew what it meant to live in Wilmington, to be raised in Wilmington, to have trouble in Wilmington, but she believed in Wilmington.”

Rochelle Booker, Linda’s daughter, thanked everyone for coming to celebrate her mom. She then introduced Sally and informed her this was a surprise going away party. (Actually it was not that surprising, as Sally found out a day before.) Rochelle noted that it was Sally who gave her her start. “I know when she saw my application, she probably said uh-uh. Another Booker? When you’re introducing someone this good, you can’t write nothin’ down. All I can say is thank you from my heart and I love you.”

Rochelle presented Sally with a baton to symbolically pass the torch to her successor, Lynn Fahey. Sally, in turn, brought some gifts for her staff. Explaining she was cleaning out her office and returning confiscated materials, she presented each manager with a toy water gun, to much laughter and applause. “If you know my staff, they can be a little raucous, and some of them have criminal histories!”

But this was only the beginning, as more toys were bestowed upon Lynn. Juggling balls, which every Executive Director needs. Punching bags for the days you get really angry. “Character In a Jar” for dealing with funding agencies who never play fair. “Whack a Mole” for dealing with all the BCI sites. “There's Alpha! There's Outreach! There's Lancaster! There's Newark! They keep poppin’ up!” “Grow a Therapist.” (Self-explanatory.) A foam sword to cut through the bull. Last but not least, the biggest water gun of all, because “When you have staff who are criminals, you need a really big gun. This thing will squirt, and Lynn, you’re gonna need to squirt!” All joking aside, Sally said she’s had the best 21 years at BCI, and 39 years in the addiction field, and it’s been a moment of joy every single day because she gets to see miracles.

Lynn Fahey thanked Sally for her caring over the years, for the opportunities and the life lessons, saying, “I will be doing everything in my power to continue what you’ve created and built.” She then presented gifts to Sally from the staff, reading a letter of gratitude for her leadership and dedication. Since Sally would not allow us to buy her anything, the staff made a donation of $600 to Brandywine Counseling in her name. Lynn also announced we will rededicate the Sara Allshouse Tree of Excellence, noting the tree trunk is a fitting symbol of her stable and strong leadership that enabled BCI to achieve such growth. Sally was also presented with a real, potted tree.

David Oppold read a letter from Senator Carper’s office thanking Sally for her dedication that has touched thousands of lives. The floor was then opened up to all the guests to share their stories, thoughts, and gratitude.

Steve Burns was given his start at BCI by both Linda and Sally. He recalled working as a counselor in Riverside, and one day Linda came and got everyone to go do outreach. Steve said, “I’m a counselor, not an outreach worker.” Linda replied, “Everybody’s an outreach worker today. Get your a** outside!” Steve thanked Sally for encouraging him to go back to school, and for her longtime support of the 1212 Club.

James Harrison described Sally as someone “to take a nobody and say you’re a somebody.” He also remembered spiritual experiences, like the time a Joint Commission challenge resolved itself not even an hour after Sally’s words, “Let’s pray!” Marge Flynn gave thanks for Sally’s support after her relapse after years of recovery, and eventually rehiring her. “That’s love! That’s recovery!” Laurie Dyer recalled how Sally made work pleasurable to come to every day, complete with pranks at the office and staff retreats.

Former staff member Joanne Coston noted Linda’s and Sally’s personal influence on her and on how she raised her kids. Consultant Dorothy Dillard presented Sally with the “Nth Chance Award,” after all those she gave a first, second, 50th, and 100th chance. Sally thanked us all and left us with these words: “If you don’t believe in recovery, and if you don’t believe people get better, then get out of the tent, because this tent is about recovery!”

What a day it was. Many more of us could have spoken yesterday if time permitted. Since I did not get my chance, I’ll do so now. It’s well known that Sally took a chance in hiring people new to recovery. But she also took a chance in hiring me to be her assistant. I came in with no non-profit experience, some grant writing ability, and a degree in chemical engineering, of all things. I knew nothing of addiction, and was dead set against working with “those addicts.” So much so, that I even turned down my second interview at first. But something stuck with me and eventually made me change my mind. I had interviewed at many non-profits, but this one was different. BCI was more rough around the edges, but behind that I saw passion, potential, and a refreshing frankness. Without meeting any other staff, I knew this attitude came from Sally, and I decided I wanted to work for her. And so it was that I got my big break in the non-profit sector, and also learned to open my mind to the unfamiliar and the exciting.

As yesterday’s celebration shows, that spirit is still here at Brandywine. It started with Linda DeShields and with Sally Allshouse, but will remain even after they’ve left. Thanks Linda, and thanks Sally.

She Found Recovery, and It Is Beautiful

Wanese put her key in the lock, opened the door, and stepped into her new apartment. She was home. Not in a shelter, not in a transition house, but her own place, for the first time in quite awhile. She smiled as only someone finally successful at addiction recovery after many failures, can.

Home, health, and family were things Wanese once took for granted. That was before she began using drugs at the age of 13, starting with heroin, and soon afterward, cocaine and marijuana. She started just to fit in with her peers, but her addiction continued for 27 years. Over that time, a life that was once stable disintegrated.

“I come from a beautiful home. My mother was a registered nurse, and she understood addiction, so she was my support. My brothers and my dad, they gave up on me. They didn’t believe in me, because they didn’t understand addiction.” Wanese struggled to hold a job, and acquired a criminal record. She battled depression and attempted suicide three times. She had a son but was unable to be a good parent.

Wanese had tried entering treatment, but each time, she couldn’t stop using drugs. “I wasn’t ready to stop getting high. I thought I was, but I wasn’t. I was trying to stop for all the wrong reasons. It wasn’t for myself. It was for my mom, my son, or for the court.” Each time, she missed her appointments and eventually walked off the program. It seemed there was no way out.

But one year ago, she decided to try again. Sitting in a jail cell for a drug dealing charge, she made up her mind to succeed this time. She thought of her son, now 18, about to graduate high school. She knew he needed her in his life. “I decided to turn my life around. I surrendered in jail. I prayed to God and told Him that if I could get through this 24 hours, I would never use again.” So once again, Wanese walked in to Brandywine Counseling, having vowed to stay clean right from the door. Could she do it? It wouldn’t be easy.

Her willpower was tested right after admission, when she landed a job with a pharmaceutical company. She really liked the job, but stressed about it. Could she get to work on time after her daily methadone dose? Would her hair sample reveal her past drug use? Would they fire her for it? Wanese almost gave up and walked away from treatment again. But with her counselor’s encouragement, she stuck it out. Her company learned of her past drug use, and her involvement in treatment. They were supportive, they didn’t fire her, and she was very happy.

At the same time she was learning to cope with stress, Wanese was also finding outside peer support and structure. When she entered BCI, she had also put herself in a transitional housing program, Mary Mother of Hope. There, she attended support groups and got help with life skills like starting a savings account and budgeting plan. She also began going to 12 Step meetings in the community, 3-4 times a week. She was gaining focus, and finding stepping stones to a new life.

Her BCI counselor, Zona Holloman, was also a big help because she could share her own recovery experience with Wanese. “She has helped me tremendously. Dealing with a counselor that has been down the same road and path that I have been through, that can relate to what an addict’s coming from, made a lot of difference. She has helped me to understand a variety of things I didn’t know coming into this process. Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, or getting a sponsor, or making sure that I was in a safe haven. Letting me know that anything is possible as far as me advancing in life, and I could go on and on.”

Wanese’s own determination, plus the support of others, was working in her favor. She was keeping her promise to stay clean. Right from the door, she had not even a single positive drug screen. It wasn’t long before she reached the 90 day milestone. She was awarded weekend takehome medication, joining over 400 BCI clients at this stage. Soon, three months became six, and then nine, and she continued to earn more bottles. Excitedly, she burst into Zona’s office one day with the words, “I received my third bottle, and it is beautiful! Especially the weekend ones, because I don’t have to get up or rush to come to the clinic.” Each new bottle was a reminder of what was really beautiful, her new life.

Wanese recently celebrated one year clean. She has a good job. She’s been off probation for 9 months. She bought a car that has helped her attend more 12 Step meetings. She even chairs the meetings at her home group and finds other members to share their life story. She has a good sponsor and works on placing the 12 Steps into her life every day. And, she has her brand new apartment.

“I moved into my own place last week. I’m still on the same format and program, just like if I was at Mary Mother of Hope. I’m in the house by 10:00, even through curfew is at 11. I still make my meetings, I still do my Step work, I still affiliate myself with people who are clean and sober, and I’m still adjusting.”

She has new goals and plans, like going back to college. “I have a degree in computer science [but] because of my drug use, I’m not in that field today. Times have changed, as far as computer technology. [Now,] I would like to be a drug and alcohol counselor.”

Most important of all, she has her son back in her life. She achieved custody and he will move in with her after graduation, to the new apartment. Wanese is free of drugs and has gotten back what she’d lost. Home, health, and family. “It’s a beautiful feeling. There’s just not a word that really can describe it. It’s only through the grace of God. It’s a beautiful feeling.”

H.E.R.O.I.N. Hurts 5th Annual Walk for Treatment and Recovery

Saturday September 12, 2009
Battery Park, New Castle, DE

H.E.R.O.I.N. Hurts invites all their members, family, and friends to join in the fun and fellowship. The proceeds from the walk will help increase their ability to support, educate, and advocate for families and loved ones dealing with substance abuse. The proceeds will also help H.E.R.O.I.N. Hurts continue to offer financial help to those who want to enter halfway houses after treatment but don’t have the funds to do so.

This is a great opportunity to show your support and meet the members of H.E.R.O.I.N. Hurts as well as some of the people they have helped throughout the years. H.E.R.O.I.N. Hurts is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a nonprofit organization. The success of the walk depends on friends like you.

A registration form and pledge sheet can be downloaded here. Please try to get family and friends to support you in the walk by making a pledge. No amount is too small. We hope to see many of you join in the walk.

Today is National Call-In Day to Include Addiction in Health Care Reform

National Addiction Health Care Reform Call-in Day: Make sure every health care reform bill includes addiction services. Take Action!

Call your members of Congress on TODAY, Wednesday, June 17, to tell them to make sure addiction prevention, treatment and recovery-support are included in Health Care Reform!

Today, June 17, the addiction prevention, treatment and recovery communities, along with allies from the mental health community, are hosting a Call-In Day to make sure that health care responses to addiction and mental health conditions are part of any national health care reform proposal considered by Congress. Call your members of Congress, and make sure our voice is heard loud and clear on Capitol Hill!

Background: Members of Congress and the Obama Administration are hard at work on proposals to reform the nation's health care system. Some drafts and proposals have already been released, and others will be released in the next few days. These bills will be reviewed, amended and (if all goes according to plan) voted on before Congress leaves Washington for its August recess. For more information about these health care reform proposals and NAADAC's responses to them, please visit www.naadac.org/advocacy.

So far, all of the draft healthcare bills or proposals include some mention of addiction and mental health. However, the serious discussions are just getting underway and strong advocacy will be needed to make sure that the full continuum of addiction and mental health services are included and will be available for people seeking recovery, just like any other health condition.

Click "Take Action" and then enter your zip code to get the names and phone numbers of your members of Congress.

Please join others from across the country to flood Capitol Hill with calls about the importance of including addiction and mental health services in health care reform!

This message was sent by the NAADAC-NAATP Government Relations Department, 1001 N. Fairfax St., Ste. 201, Alexandria, VA 22314 Ph: 800.548.0497 x129

Hope and Healing Through Collage

Hi, this is Sarah Halladay, a CORE Counselor at BCI Lancaster. As a facilitator of two weekly groups I am frequently looking for new ideas and strategies to make my groups interesting and meaningful to the individuals who sacrifice their time each week to join together with their peers. The use of art techniques in therapeutic settings can help elicit feelings and thoughts that can be difficult to verbalize. The idea of collaging came to me after attending a training seminar in which we were asked to collage an important experience in our life. This activity was quite meaningful to me as a participant, and I hoped it was something I could share with my own group members.

Group day arrived, and prepared with cookies to pique my group’s interest, I explained the activity and doled out materials. The group members began working on their individual projects, and gradually, a variety of conversations took place. Conversation ranged from the recent Memorial holiday, to reminding one another to be conscious of healthy eating habits, to the importance of maintaining hope in the recovery process, particularly when one has lost their footing and perhaps fallen.

As the work took place I was curious to see if my group members would fully engage in this activity. During the 45 minutes allotted to construction, I could see each individual fervently searching for the perfect picture or phrase; it was clear that members were engaged and recognizing the value of this activity. One senior member commented, “I feel like a child playing with a new toy,” her inspiration apparent as she worked. This inspiration became even more evident as we began to go around our table and share what the collages meant to each person.

Collaged themes were as varied as the conversation that occurred while they were being created. One collage depicted the cost of addiction and how concretely his addiction has affected the creator’s life. Another collage elicited its creator’s recognition of the positive changes he has made since obtaining sobriety and the goals he hopes to attain through his recovery. One collage painted a literal picture of the creator’s internal mood and struggle that day; the group discussed that this could act as a barometer of sorts for the client to reflect on in the future when assessing her progress and current mood.

A common theme of several collages was the physical affects of drug use and the importance of taking care of one’s health and nutrition. Group members lamented that this aspect of self is too often neglected when a person is struggling with an addiction. Personal obstacles and triumphs were explored. As each member shared their collage with pride to their peers, their thought and creativity shined through their carefully selected imagery.

This unique group of individuals from different ages, backgrounds, and stages of life were able to come together and share the common theme of hope for a better tomorrow through the medium of art. This group process renewed my belief in the healing power of group. It also further inspired me to continue to search for new ways to inspire and touch the lives of my group members, in the short time each week I have the pleasure to spend with them.

A Life Saved By Inches

A few inches made all the difference for James. The difference between life and death. Between hope and despair. Between a life he's now living to the fullest, and one he wanted to end.

Seven months ago, James was admitted to Wilmington Hospital with a self-inflicted stab wound to the chest. It was his fourth suicide attempt. By inches, he survived. And by inches, he gained the chance to get help, become sober, and make a remarkable transformation in a very short time.

For 49 years, James had been living a life he thought was normal. He drank heavily from an early age, but all his family and friends did. His diabetes and other health issues just kind of happened. When he lost his job, it was natural to feel depressed and not want to leave the house. Even his attempts on his own life made sense. “My suicide attempts, I didn’t think was a big deal,” he recalls. “Sometimes, I just felt I needed to take myself out.” In his eyes, it was all normal.

But that began to change last November. Thanks to a new partnership between a hospital and a drug treatment program, James faced the underlying issues behind his suicidal thoughts. “A gentleman came into the hospital from Brandywine Counseling and gave me some information. I had never done anything as far as addressing my addictions at all in my life, and I did have a serious, serious problem. I realized that I had to do something. I was ready to turn my life around.”

The gentleman was BCI outreach worker Bobbie Dillard, who works full time at Wilmington Hospital. He meets with patients who show signs of substance abuse, and links them to services when they’re ready. BCI and Wilmington Hospital started this partnership last fall after seeing more and more people showing up at the hospital with injuries sustained while intoxicated. It’s here that many, like James, first discover they have a drug problem, and often, mental illness as well. Right from the start, the service proved successful. In four months, Bobbie met with 122 patients and referred 99 to drug treatment. Like James, 35% had never had treatment before.

Shaken, but ready for change, James walked in the door to BCI Alpha. The staff quickly put his fears to rest. “Ms. Evelyn, [the receptionist,] was very nice. I felt comfortable with her. And the young lady who did my intake, [Maria Cruz], she was very nice. I felt I had made a big first step. It was the first day of my new life.” Like 45% of Alpha’s admissions, James had co-occurring drug abuse and mental illness. Because of his severe depression and past suicide attempts, he was assigned to counselor Keith Kaut, a co-occurring disorders specialist. He attended weekly individual sessions and a Co-Occurring Disorders Group. But it was the individual counseling that helped the most.

“My one-on-ones with Keith, they’ve been terrific. We’ve gone deep with a shovel on a lot of things. Things that were haunting me, and I didn’t realize it. We’ve brought them up, brought them to the forefront, and reburied them, and I don’t have to worry about them anymore."

Keith had James write letters to people he was angry with, not to send, but to unfreeze his own anger he was turning inward, causing his depression. James also learned to address his suicidal thoughts, which would return from time to time, and to reach out instead of isolating himself. With Keith’s guidance, his hopelessness began to turn into self-confidence.

“The main subject in how he’s helped me, is me. I’ve never really liked myself. I never really had much confidence in myself. He’s allowed me to take a step back, and look at myself, and be able to have more confidence in myself.”

James began attending AA regularly. He found a primary care doctor and began to deal with long-standing medical issues. He reconnected with his brother after 13 years and began weekly visits. Slowly, he began to feel a change take place. But just how much of a change, was a huge surprise. Keith had him take a self-test, the Beck Depression Inventory, on a regular basis. It’s one of the most widely used measures of depression. His first score, just after admission, was a 52 out of 63, severe depression. A month later, he scored a 30, more moderate, but still severe. Three months later, he scored a 2, which is minimal depression, nearly the lowest possible score. James was stunned at the result.

“It’s kind of amazing. Some of the questions, the lowest you can answer is a zero. I was actually looking for a minus one on some of them, because they just didn’t seem relevant, or they didn’t show the happiness that I would like to answer.”

Keith Kaut was equally shocked. In 23 years as a therapist, he’d never seen this before. “It almost knocked me out of my chair. You just don’t see a 50 to a 2 in five, six months. It just kind of doesn’t happen.”

But both client and counselor knew that behind that score was real-life change. “It shows me all the work that I’ve put in, and what Brandywine Counseling has done for me,” James says. “A lot of people say, ‘You’re gonna hear people say you look like you’ve changed, as you go through recovery, but you’re not really gonna see that in yourself.’ But I actually see it in myself. In my personality, my behavior, my knowledge, how I treat other people, my belief in myself. It’s amazing.”

“My body feels clean. My mind feels clean. My memory’s starting to come back. I’ve had two doctor’s appointments this week, and I’ve walked back from Wilmington Hospital through Brandywine Park, and just the smell of the outdoors. I just appreciate things that I really didn’t appreciate before. I appreciate my husband more than I used to, even though he still has the same faults he did before. I appreciate my newfound family. [My brother and I] hadn’t spoke for 13 years, and we’re now reunited.”

Today, James has seven months clean and will soon graduate from treatment. He sees it as just the start of the next phase. “Getting a paper certificate is really no big deal. I’d like to still participate in the groups, because I’ve learned an awful lot here. I see the people that come in and out of my groups, and I know where I was when I first came here, and what I’ve learned, and things I’ve been able to share with my friends. I want to do that for other people that need it. Seeing what I can do for other people will help me continue to do the great things I’m doing for myself.”

It’s hard to believe James is the same person who tried to take his own life just seven months ago. Appreciative, empathetic, motivated, he has challenges ahead, but he’s ready to take them on. He’s still out of work, but diligently job-hunting. “The market’s not too good, but I’m out there every day passing out my resume like it’s the newspaper, and I’m on the computer every day, so something’s got to come up.” He’s also lost 40 pounds in six months. And, he’s looking forward to some long-needed dental work, knowing it will do wonders for his self-esteem. “That’s going to be wonderful for me, like getting a paint job on the car. The car’s been in the shop for six months, now it’s time to get a paint job.”

Incredibly, none of this would have been possible had he not lived to take a chance at recovery. By inches, he gained that chance. But he was equally lucky that his hospital partnered with a drug treatment center. After his prior suicide attempts, he “fell through the cracks,” discharged with no connection to treatment, not realizing he even had a problem. This time, he got the information that started him on his successful path. What if circumstances had been different?

“I would’ve tried to take my life again, I’m sure. I would’ve been still drinking, doing drugs, living the same lifestyle, thinking it was normal. Looking back on it now, it’s not normal, and I’m going to do everything in my power and with the help of the Lord to not be that way again.”

Real normalcy was within James’ reach. A difference of inches actually made a difference immeasurable. “To have drugs and alcohol out of my life, it’s just been great, and the future’s only gonna get better. Once you clear your mind of all that junk, and you finally get a chance to do baby steps, it just starts rolling, and more things just happen more and more quickly, more great things in your life.”


BCI Alpha is funded by and is part of the system of public services offered by Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. For more information, please call 302-472-0381.

A Client's Review of BCI: Turn Your Life Around and Get Your Freedom Back

We had to share this with you. One of our clients wrote a heartfelt and honest review of BCI on GreatNonprofits.org. "Ronzo" has been in and out of treatment for close to 9 years. They received "life changing services that turned my life around in the right direction." Here are some excerpts from their review:

On gratitude to BCI:

They really take it upon themselves to provide you with the up most care and affection they possibly can. If there wasn't places like brandywine counseling than I might not be here today.

On how treatment reduces crime:

It keeps the crime down, "in there part of town anyway". You might say how? If a drug addict needs drugs every day to keep from getting sick. When he or she run's out of money look out, because someone is getting robbed so thats how. If we don't have to worry about getting sick thanks to brandywine counseling then everyone on drugs gets the medication and mental stability to keep off of drugs then everyone is happy and there car radio's are snug and secure in there dash boards.

On what they enjoyed the most:

Learning to love my self and to respect others that have the same or similar problems as myself.

On the biggest challenges facing the organization:

Keeping the place up and running because I can say that they try and help every one that comes in there door but that comes with a cost of course nothing is free and asking a drug addict at rock bottom to pay for it some times is asking a lot.

On why to come in for help:

So if there is anyone out there that wants to come clean I would really recommend BCI. It's a great place to turn your life around and get your freedom back from addiction, and make amends with family and friends not to mention your higher power.

Ronzo, thanks so much for your review. It means a lot to us as staff, and it can really help others who are looking for help. We wish you well in your recovery.

Do you want to share your experience as a client? Want to tell us what’s good and what needs improvement? Write your review today.

ArtAddiction at The Latin Center

The Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program at the Latin Center presents a very unique art contest. ARTADDICTION seeks to capture the person behind addiction and recovery through artistic expression! They will accept drawings, paintings, photography, collages and graphic design. The submission deadline is Friday, June 12, 2009. If you want to participate but don't have the materials to work on your art, come to the art studio on Thursday, June 4 from 2 to 6 pm at Los Jardines (back Door) 1000 W. 5th St. Wilmington DE 19805.

1st, 2nd & 3rd places receive monetary prizes.

*Participants should be 16 or older. To participate or for more information please contact Ana C. Velasquez at (302) 655-7338 ext 210 or avelasquez[at]thelatincenter[dot]org

For more information and flyers, click here.

Everyone has an Artistic side!

The Problems We Can't Help, and The Ones We Can

A few weeks ago I got an email from Chris, our Nurse Practitioner, that he thought would make a good post for the blog:

"As a consultant and part-time employee for BCI's-MM2 Program (Newark site), I have noticed firsthand the effects of our economy in crisis. I have witnessed recently at least three clients who have been laid off or who are living with the daily fear of losing their employment... These consumers have earned their position in the MM2 program. Most have been drug-free for several years plus. They are so proud of their accomplishments including buying their own home with their own money. Now the economy has taken a terrible turn for the worse with no certain timeframe for recovery. This enormous stress and burden for our consumers may be too much. This financial burden may be an unforeseen trigger for RELAPSE. I can only try to be optimistic, empathize and offer support for our consumers during this dismal transition.”

Well, I didn’t post this right away. I thought it was missing something. Honestly, it was kind of a downer. Yeah, the economy’s bad – tell us something we don’t know. I wanted to at least leave the reader with some hopeful moral, or some call to action, but nothing came to mind.

Yesterday, Chris asked me about the post, and I still hadn’t found my ending. He wasn’t sure what to add either. So the conversation moved on, and he started telling me about a recent evening at our Newark site. It was one of those long, cold, winter days and they were waiting for the last client of the day before they could close and go home. The client came in, and picked up her medication, and when she went to leave, she had a flat tire. So Chris helped her change the tire. Then, there was something else wrong with the car and she needed someone to give her a ride. So Chris waited until she got a ride home, even though it was late, and cold, and the end of a long day. “Well, I couldn’t just leave her there!” he said.

So after he told me all this, I asked, why didn’t you send me that story for the blog? Not only does it have a nice ending, but it gives me the ending I wanted for the first story. Because even in these tough economic times, for every seemingly hopeless story, there is another hopeful story somewhere.

Sharing Stories of Recovery

People in recovery are being given the chance to share their story on several new online forums. By doing so, recovering persons will be able to inspire others and give them the support they need.

Iamrecovery.com is a Web site created by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. It contains a database of stories that is searchable by drug, gender, age, and years in recovery.

The Second Road has also announced they will publish a story a day in April to promote Alcohol Awareness Month. Submissions are invited by email or on video.

We think this is a great idea, because the more stories that are shared, the more people can be reached. We’d also like to do something like this on brandywinecounseling.org. Would you like to see a BCI “story bank?” What kind of features do you want to see? Drop us a comment with your suggestions!

When You've Got a Coach, Recovery is 24/7

"You want to go to Baltimore?" asked the driver of the car, rolling his window down.

Kevin looked in and saw a familiar face. It was Brandywine Counseling's Steve Burns. "Well, I don't have any money..." he answered.

"I didn’t ask you that," said Steve. "Get in the car. You’re going to Baltimore today."

Kevin got in. What followed turned out to be a major milestone in his recovery from drug addiction.

“We went to a Baltimore NA [Narcotics Anonymous] convention. And that was through the recovery coach program. They took me and a couple other guys there. And man, that was the best thing! I met my sponsor that I have today, at that NA convention. So it was because of the coaching program, I got the network I have today.”

Recovery coaching is a new program at Brandywine under the supervision of Steve Burns. A recovery coach provides peer support to a client in treatment, through telephone conversations, meetings, and outings like the NA convention. He or she works with the client to set and achieve goals like remaining abstinent, finding housing, and avoiding criminal activity. As Kevin describes it, his time with his coach is part social, part therapeutic.

“My recovery coach is Chuck Harris. Most of our contact is in person, but we do talk on the phone during the day. He’ll come by and pick me up, take me for a ride. We shoot pool at the 1212 Club, we’ll go out to dinner, we’ll go out to lunch, we’ll go over some literature of the NA books. He’ll call me on a regular basis, just to check how I’m doing. He stops by the apartment. He constantly makes sure that I’m okay, up here in my head. Always checks my behaviors. If he hears something through another person, he immediately comes to me, because I represent him as well.”

Chuck doesn’t work for Brandywine, but is a recovering person and an active member of the 1212 Club, Wilmington’s “recovery clubhouse” and safe haven. A recovery coach is not a counselor and not a sponsor, and isn’t meant to replace either one. Like a sponsor, the coach is based in the client’s living environment and holds them accountable for their actions and goals. But the coach also keeps in touch with the treatment program and documents every contact with a client. When someone is new to recovery, they often need time to find the right sponsor, and this was the case for Kevin.

“The sponsor I had at that time, we weren’t very compatible, and we weren’t really clicking, so I was looking toward finding a new sponsor anyway. But the recovery coach program ended up doing way above and beyond the way they explained it. They said you were going to be assigned to a person, and they were just basically going to be there for you. You would be able to call on them when you were having thoughts of depression, using, bad feelings, anything.”

Likewise, a coach is different from a counselor. Recovery coaching is a new concept that is gaining popularity as treatment programs realize they aren’t meeting all the needs of people new to recovery. Professionally trained counselors are great at providing therapy and intervening in times of crisis, but are unable to offer ongoing recovery support. Clients who don’t connect with their community AA or NA meetings, or don’t want to take part in aftercare, often relapse once they leave the treatment program. But a coach who was once new to recovery himself understands that in the beginning, someone may feel unmotivated, need emotional support, or have unmet needs like transportation or housing. Thus, the coach becomes the link between the outside recovering community and the treatment program.

This link was what Kevin had been missing in the past and why he hadn’t found long-term recovery. By the time he was 24, he had a 10 year history of marijuana and cocaine use. He had spent time in numerous treatment programs and in prison. His addiction took a tremendous toll on his family and relationships. “I pushed people away. I ended up stealing from people that loved me. They just didn’t want to be around me. My father had to bail me out of jail - a few times it was around $20,000. I ended up coming right out of jail, and skipping bail and getting high again. I actively used, every day, while I was still going to treatment.”

But last year, things began to change for the better. Following his latest incarceration, Kevin entered Gateway Foundation’s inpatient program for 6 months. From there, his counselor referred him to outpatient treatment at Brandywine Counseling Alpha. Two months ago, he enrolled in the recovery coaching program at the suggestion of his counselor, Alesha Russell. Today he has 8 months clean.

When you have a recovery coach, your recovery is 24/7, and that’s something Kevin has learned well in the past two months. The urge to relapse can strike anytime, whether you’re walking down the street on your way home, or something happens that tests a close relationship. As it turned out, his coach helped Kevin through an especially difficult time, in a way a counselor couldn’t have done.

“I was going through a relationship with a woman, and she had relapsed, and went back out and started using. I was frustrated, overwhelmed, depressed, and mad and sad, all at once, and with those type of feelings, you could use again. I called Chuck up, and I said, ‘Listen, man, I need to explain something to you.’ And I talked to him over the phone, and he said, ‘Hold on, I’m on my way over now.’

“So he came over and we talked, and he gave me some positive feedback. He says, ‘Listen man, she’s not ready. You’re going on your 8 months clean. A year is right around the corner for you. You’re just about there. You’re on your way. And she decided to make the choice to go back out. Her motives and her mind is not going to be at same level with yours anymore, so you need to let her go.’

“And I didn’t want to hear that at first, because I was attached to her emotionally. But as more time and the weeks went by, I started to evaluate and process the information he gave me, because he went through that himself. And today I do let people speak into my life, and I listen to them. And I let her go. I look at it as, if I didn’t let her go, I’d have probably been back out there. I would’ve drug me down. Not saying it would have, but you don’t rule nothing out, not in this business.”

Since Brandywine introduced recovery coaching a year ago, 32 clients have taken part in the program. They’ve looked to their coaches as cheerleaders, confidants, role models, problem solvers, and friends. Many, like Kevin, are now looking ahead to their goals for the future. He plans to become a professional barber, attending classes through Vocational Rehab. “I want to be a barber, become a sponsor, remain abstinent from all drugs and alcohol, and someday have another relationship with a woman, and be getting married and have my own family.”

Kevin feels like a new person today. He no longer uses drugs and has made changes in his life. “I feel like a productive member of society today. I feel like a normal human being. I can go walk down the streets and look people in the eyes, and know that I haven’t done anything two or three days ago that would make them want to not even be around me. I can walk past police officers today, and not have my heart start racing, or get paranoia because I did some type of crime four or five days ago, and my name might be all out on the computers. I can go in a store today, knowing I’ve got the money in my pocket to pay for it, and I’m not going to steal something. And also, most of all, I have my family back today. They let me in their homes, they let me spend the night with them today. They come see me. We do things. And just 8 months ago, they wouldn’t even want me in their house.”

Kevin gives his recovery coach a lot of the credit for his success. When asked if he plans to keep in touch with Chuck after his treatment ends, he responds without hesitation. “Most definitely. The recovery coaching program is awesome. I can’t even explain the things that has done for me.”

Recovery coaching is funded by and is part of the system of public services offered by Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. For more information, please call 302-472-0381.

Must-Reads 1/23/09

It's time again for our occasional series where we share some of our favorite posts from around the blogosphere dealing with addiction, recovery, and related issues.

The Give and the Take
Jim Atkinson looks at what alcohol added to his life when he first started drinking, and what it took away that made him stop.

Please Don’t Forget
From L.A.’s Homeless Blog, a poem about the unsolved murder of a homeless man. Heart-wrenching.

What If There Were an Alcoholic Gene?
A question from Etta at The Second Road.

Report: Needle Exchange Program Finds Mixed Success in Atlantic City
The challenges of NEP startup in neighboring New Jersey.

On MLK, Jr. Day: I, Too, Have a Dream
From the World of Psychology blog, some timely thoughts on stigma and the mentally ill.

What We're Reading: Proof

There's a new blog on the New York Times Web site called Proof: Alcohol and American Life. It's filled with thought-provoking posts on a variety of topics by people in recovery. Drunkenfreude asks whether public drunkenness has become less socially acceptable. Self-Inflicted Prophecy tells how the writer found recovery and success when he took responsibility for it, instead of just waiting for it to happen. It’s the Holidays. How About Just One? tackles a question facing many recovering alcoholics this time of year. Proof is an interesting read and the reader comments are just as fascinating. Worth checking out.

Must-Reads 12/4/08

From time to time, we're going to share with you some "must-read" posts we found around the blogosphere dealing with addiction, recovery, and related issues.

Beyond Recovery? The Discovering Alcoholic looks at a prescription heroin program in Switzerland and asks, can one be so far into their addiction as to be beyond recovery?

Are You All In? As the holiday shopping season gets underway, Alix at The Second Road ponders whether consumerism is a form of addiction. Especially now that it can end in fatality.

Five Million Americans Attend Self-Help Groups, SAMHSA Estimates – And nearly half of those who did were abstinent from drugs and alcohol in the past month.

Ask a Homeless Person: What Does Poverty Mean? – The Center for Respite Care Blog puts this question to their clients.

Leaders and Role Models - Action Strategy – The Tutor/Mentor Connection looks at how athletes or local celebrities can mobilize public support for a community organization. Any famous Delawareans out there who want to help out BCI? Get in touch!

Oxford House to Expand Delaware's Recovery Housing

In case you missed it, the News Journal ran an article on the planned expansion of Oxford House from 3 to 14 recovery houses in Kent and Sussex County. Included were some impressive stats on how effective the houses’ approach is:

A 2005 study by DePaul University tracked nearly 900 people in more than 200 Oxford House programs for 27 months, and found that more than 80 percent had stayed clean and sober, Malloy said.

Also, resident Jim Martin shared his inspiring success story.

"It's just an amazing gift, to wake up in the morning and be sober, and know my guys are going to help me keep sober," he said.

Oxford House is clearly making a difference. It’s good to know they will be expanding so more Delawareans in recovery can take advantage of what they offer.

BCI Gets Out the Vote

This year, Brandywine Counseling helped give people in recovery a voice in the election. 23 of our clients at BCI Alpha registered to vote after counselor Susan Anderson posted instructions and a sample ballot. Today is the day! Vote!

5 Questions for Frank Cassidy, Counselor/Case Manager

5 Questions is our ongoing feature where we introduce you to the people who make Brandywine Counseling run, spotlighting a different staff member every two weeks.

Name: Frank Cassidy
Job: Counselor/Case Manager, Georgetown Center
Time with BCI: 2 years

1. How did you get started in the field of addiction treatment?
When I first got into recovery, I went to school - like all of us do when we first get into recovery, we think we have a niche - we say, “That’s what I’d like to do, I’d like to help other people, and the best way to do that would be to become an alcoholism counselor.” I was a journeyman plumber prior to going to school, and I was incarcerated for a while, and was able to get my degree when I got out and started my recovery. I decided I would apply up in Syracuse, New York for a counselor’s position at the Salvation Army. The entry level position paid about $8,000 a year, and as a journeyman plumber I could make $60,000 a year, so it was not very difficult for me to make the choice. I went to the plumbing.

Then I worked in nuclear power plants for some 7 or 8 years, moved to Delaware when I got transferred down to the Hope Creek project. And I had been here about 5 years, and they laid me off, and I went back to my home territory, which was in New York City. I went to work for about 6 months and I was injured on the job. The doctor suggested if I had another occupation, I could do [that] until I was fully healed. And I just sat around at home doing nothing, and a good friend of mine in this field, who also worked with my wife, was working for detox. She put my name in to the Delaware Drinking and Driving program, and they hired me, and I started out there.

And next thing I know, I was in this field. And after being in this field about 7 years, my wife and I decided to open our own business, and we had an outpatient counseling facility for 12 years. And then we retired, and my wife won the gardening award, and I played golf every day. And she said, “I have to keep up with this, I’m going back to work,” and she went back to work at KSI, and I decided, well, I’d seen the job for Brandywine Counseling, and I knew Shay [Lipshitz]. And I talked to Shay, and Shay said c’mon in, and next thing I knew, I was working at Brandywine. This is the only position for counseling that I have ever applied for, with Brandywine Counseling. All the other positions, I never applied for any of those positions, people always came in and asked me if I wanted to come and work there. So I came in off of retirement, I got tired of playing golf, and decided my first love was working with people with problems of addiction.

2. If Brandywine didn’t have Project Renewal, where would homeless substance abusers in Sussex County be going for help?
That’s a very good question. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of programs [in Sussex] for indigence, so I think the people would be hanging around the park. What would happen is, as I remember when I first started out in this field, detox was a revolving door. You’d have people coming into detox, they would be out of detox in one or two days. And there was a group of people that had made detox probably twenty, thirty times a year, [and would] go back out, get back into detox again, the whole thing like that.

We’re seeing people here who have lost everything, and they’re homeless, and they present a much greater challenge because there’s a whole new array of needs. Whereas, most of the people in the other treatment programs that I worked for, they were still functional. They hadn’t lost everything. They were getting into treatment before they’d lost everything. Their “bottoms” were not quite as low as the bottoms that we’re seeing here.

So the case management is a real big component. What we’re doing is, we’re putting the pieces back together here. I mean, this person’s broken, now we’re trying to put them back, piece by piece. Someone requires housing, someone requires a support network, an understanding of recovery and the disease of addiction. These people also have a lot of medical issues [and] comorbidity. The people who were coming to us in the past in treatment, they may have had some mental health problems, but they weren’t as severe as the population over here. There’s a lot of comorbidity now, that’s the special challenge of this program.

3. What would people be surprised to know about your job?
I love it. I love it. I mean, I’m 64 years old, and I can’t think of anything that I would rather do. I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but I just like talking with people. And I like especially, when they’re open and they’re receptive, and I can lean in, and they’re leaning back and they’re interested. One of the things that I tell people, I say, “Basically, I’m a pretty lazy person, and I will sit back on my laurels, and if you don’t tell me that you’re having problems, I will assume that you’re doing okay! If you want what I have, you’ve got to turn around and question me. You’ve got to pull it out of me. Because I have a wealth of information to give. I don’t know what you need! You’ve gotta ask me.”

And that’s how I get these people motivated to turn around and seek questions, more and more information about themselves. And when they do that, they start to get into the flow, and when they start asking questions, the more questions they ask. Questions breed questions. And they just keep going and going, and they get the activity in the group, and y’know, the group starts to bubble, the person starts to bubble. It becomes interesting, the quest of knowledge about addiction.

I’ve been in recovery for 33 years now, and I’ve been working in the treatment field for over 25 years. I never, ever thought I could stop using alcohol or drugs. If you’d asked me that question 33 years ago, I’d say never. Today’s a different story. I look forward to each day, and I think the people that I deal with see that I have a zest for recovery and life, and that I like the idea that I’m not drinking and I’m not drugging.

I believe that the more you know about your enemy, the greater your probability of defeating it. If your enemy is addiction, learn as much about addiction as you can. And that’s what I say. “Challenge me. Keep asking me.” If I don’t know it, I’ll get the information for you. There’s a lot of stuff I don’t know about this disease. I know I’m just coming out of the cave, I’m just starting to see the light. I mean, 33 years in recovery, I’m still just seeing the light! I come out and I look, and every day is a new experience. Every day I learn something new.

4. You can tell a lot about a person from their office. Tell us what you have in your office.
Well, books, that’s number one. There’s plenty of books here, and these books are open to anybody who wants them. I try to supply as much literature as I can. That’s a major part of my counseling philosophy, is to provide people with access to this information. I shop all the thrift shops in my spare time, and I look for self-improvement books, especially 12 Step oriented stuff. And I might pick up the book for a quarter, or fifty cents, or a buck, and I bring that stuff and I put it on the shelf. And most of the stuff that I have in here, I have read myself and is part of my own recovery experience.

The other thing as you look around is, you’ll see the camels. People ask me about the camels, and of course we realize that camels are a symbol of sobriety. They’re an animal that goes a long time without a drink. It’s an animal that goes to its knees twice a day, and it’s symbolic of prayer. It’s an animal that lifts its load with greatest of ease, and walks with its head held high through the course of the day. So there’s a whole little poem that goes along with that. But I took it one step further.

When I had my own treatment program, I decided I was going to get a camel for every year of sobriety I had. Well, my clients started catching on to this thing, and next thing you know, every time they see a camel, they would bring a camel in to me. And it got to the point where I had about 200, 250 camels around my facility. And I said, this was getting out of hand. When we closed the facility, what I did was I gave camels away to all my clients, but I also had a lot of them left over, so I kept them. And now, when I came [to Brandywine] I said, well, let me bring the camels back. So I started my collection over again, and whenever I see a new camel here or there, I pick one up.

But one of the ones that I got, which was a long, long time ago, and it’s hidden in the back over there, it’s a teapot. And it’s a camel teapot, and it has a monkey sitting on its back. And I said, “Oh, that is so ironic! Here it is, the symbol of recovery, with a monkey sitting on its back!” So I turned around and I said, “Well, let me start getting these monkeys.” And I started getting all these little monkeys, and I put them on the camels’ backs. So here it is: It helps remind us that, not only is it a symbol of sobriety, but we can’t forget the monkey that we have on our back. It’s real important for us to remember that, because that is the key to recovery, to remember our pain and remember that we are addicts, and that we are alcoholics, and we do have that addiction. So camels are a major part, and I love that, because everybody comes and says, “Oh, what’s with the camels?” And it’s a distraction, but it’s a wonderful distraction too.

5. What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
I just had a woman who came in, and was pregnant at the time, and she was drinking, and got involved with DFS because she had her baby. And she brought her baby in and I got to hold the baby. That was rewarding to me.

Rewarding is all these people coming through the door. That’s all the rewards. When I walk into the supermarket, or I go to a Wal-Mart, I’m running into people that have been in recovery, that have been there. And they say, “Hey Frank, still doin’ it! Still doin’ it! It’s a year, it’s two years, it’s five years, it’s ten years, it’s fifteen years, it’s twenty years! And I remember you and your wife.”

Those are the rewards that we get. And one thing I say to all my clients: Don’t forget us. Even if you’re out there, don’t just call us when you’re doing bad, call us when you’re doing good. Let us know that you’re still doing good. That’s the reward, when a counselor gets a call from a past client, and the client says, “Hey Frank, just wanted to let you know I’m doing okay,” that’s a reward. That makes it worthwhile. I’m here to save one life, that’s it. If I can do something to save one life, that’s all I need.

5 Questions for Tanyel Johnson, Counselor

5 Questions is our ongoing feature where we introduce you to the people who make Brandywine Counseling run, spotlighting a different staff member every two weeks.

Name: Tanyel Johnson
Job: Counselor, Alpha Drug Free Program
Time with BCI: 4 years

1. Tell us what you do at BCI.
I provide encouragement for clients who are coming through the disease of addiction, who are addressing their issues - for whatever the reason, whether they were coerced or if they are self-referred here. I offer feedback for clients, pointing out discrepancies about things that they say. I provide referrals for clients who are in need of other resources than what I can provide here at Brandywine, like clothes closet referrals, mental health referrals.

I also listen. That’s a big part of my job. Listening, and hearing things that clients are saying without saying. Watching for body language, watching for any problems with the ability to communicate, because a lot of our clients are not capable of articulating specific needs. Showing genuine congruence. I think because I am in recovery, I can feel the pain that a lot of people go through. Because the disease of addiction, it doesn’t discriminate. It tears families apart. It destroys people’s very soul.

2. What can I expect if I come to your group?
I run the Women’s Education Group, which is held on Tuesdays at 10. And I gotta put a plug in for Brandywine! They worked with me, because I go to school now, and so they adjusted the schedule of the group. So now it runs Tuesdays at 10:00. And then I run the Relapse Prevention Group Tuesday night at 5:30 to 7.

For my Women’s Group, I provide salads. We do a mix-up, because I know a lot of our clients are strained when it comes to nutritional issues. So, trying to make sure that a little filling happens on Tuesday at 10:00, that’s a big difference. It started because I was trying to breathe life into the Women’s Group, trying to increase my population. When you mention food, folks show up. And it just works. I am open to my women bringing their toddlers, their young folks to the group, because babysitting is an issue for women. And a lot of times, they bring their children in and they eat, and that’s always a win-win. [And] my population did increase. So, it worked.

I also have a small clothes closet in my office that is available for my ladies, when they express, “Y’know, I need a shirt.” “Well, c’mon. Let’s go in my office and look and see.”

3. Why did you decide to work in addiction treatment?
It was an assignment by my Creator. Actually I’ve been preparing for this role all my life. So when it came to pass that I needed to make the change in my life, I evaluated what I had, and how I could continue my life on a positive note, and drug addiction counseling was it. I realized I needed to go back to school as a part of this, because just wanting to do it wasn’t enough. I needed to improve academically, how to write a sentence, how to speak. It took me going back to school. I did that. I got my Associates degree.

And as I journeyed, I realized more and more that this was something I really wanted to do. Especially with women, knowing all of the issues that I personally went through as I began my journey of sobriety. I was faced with things like, how do you get a job when you have a police record? And when you have been marked “unsuitable” for so many years, how do you build self esteem?

So my own journey needed to play itself out in other people’s lives, not to change anyone, but to show that it can be done. You can do it if you work hard, if you open up and let the information in, and know that it’s not about you anyway, it’s about helping another person. And watching families be destroyed made me closer to this issue. So that’s why I stay and why I do it. I feel it.

4. Tell us your favorite client success story.
A female came to me as a referral from Gateway Foundation. She had already done six months [of residential treatment], and we were her aftercare, and we were tying her into the next piece, which was housing. She needed to get a support system, and she needed to get a place to live. She named everything that she wanted when she walked in our door, and piece by piece, she accomplished each one of them.

She now is in a place of her own, she has a new renovated apartment, she now is chairing her home NA group. She is employed full time on her job. She is going to community college. I’m a big advocate for going back. When my clients come in, one of the first things I suggest is community college, and this client followed up with it.

So, all of the things that she came in this door saying that she wanted to do, she’s done each one of them. She was successfully discharged recently, and has been asked to speak at various places on what recovery has done for her. I think that was a big success story.

5. You can tell a lot about a person from their office. Tell us what you have in your office.
As you see over here: “Live, laugh, and love.” “Dream, believe, and discover,” are my philosophies. I also say, “How do you change? By being honest, open-minded, and willingness.” And I put these on the wall so that my clients, when they come in and do a survey, they’ll get a feel of who I am.

Then over on this side, are my accomplishments, because these are the degrees that I’ve afforded myself, because of hard work, because of some sacrifices that I had to make, and I like to put this on display. When I got my CADC [Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor], it was Lynn Fahey and Mark Lanyon and Luther [Whiting] who prepped me for my orals. And I had failed my orals. It was simple enough, but I kept stumbling through it. So when they took charge, giving me a mock audience, and the feedback that actually pushed me where I needed to go, I think that was my shining moment. When I finally passed the orals and became CADC, I had proven to my colleagues, my peers, that I was qualified to become a drug and alcohol counselor.

Then, the center of my life is my Heavenly Father. And of course I believe in recovery and sobriety, which is posted there. And “New Life.” It’s about nature. If we pay more attention to how nature replenishes itself, then I think we would get a feel of what we need to do for each other. It’s important to remember, to continue to encourage, assist, detach, and stay healthy. So that’s why my office looks like it looks.

Photos From the 3rd Annual Sober Softball Tournament

On Friday, September 19, 2008 Brandywine Counseling sponsored our third annual Sober Softball Tournament in honor of Recovery Month. Treatment staff, clients, friends, and family gathered at Sports At the Beach in Georgetown and competed in teams of nine. It was a day of games, food, friends, and sober fun.

The tournament was a great success and a lot of fun!!! We had about eighty players and fans turn out for the event. Thresholds, Aquila, Hudson Health, Fellowship, The Lighthouse, and Brandywine Counseling all played hard. The championship game came down to Aquila and Hudson Health. Hudson pulled ahead to take the lead and won the whole tournament!! Thank you to every one who came out and cheered, played, cooked, and supported our third annual softball tournament. See you all next year!

Click here to view our album of photos.

SAMHSA's Public Attitudes Survey: What Does It Mean?

This week I received in my email box the press release for a new survey on public attitudes about substance abuse, treatment, and recovery, by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). At a glance, it seems that the findings are encouraging. More than half of American adults know someone in recovery. A large majority believe recovering persons can live productive lives. About two-thirds of us would be comfortable being friends or co-workers with a recovering person.

Over at the Addiction and Recovery News blog, Jason Schwartz has a different and interesting take on these stats. He poses some thought-provoking questions about recovery and stigma. I encourage you to check it out and share your thoughts. What do you think is the real meaning behind these survey findings?

Photos from the Recovery Month Picnic and Open House

About 50 guests gathered to celebrate recovery and the opening of BCI Alpha's newest location on September 18, 2008. The weather was sunny with a nice breeze! We enjoyed a barbeque, raffle, bake-off, and educational displays. We want to thank all the individuals and businesses who donated items or cooked food. And great job to Monalee West who spearheaded the planning of this event.

Click here to view our album of photos from the picnic, as well as take a look inside our new office at the Edgemoor Community Center.

5 Questions for Marty Nagy, Counselor

5 Questions is our ongoing feature where we introduce you to the people who make Brandywine Counseling run, spotlighting a different staff member every two weeks.

Name: Marty Nagy
Job: Counselor, Drug Court Diversion Program
Time with BCI: 6 years

1. Tell us about your job and what brought you to BCI.
I work in the Court of Common Pleas Drug Diversion. Basically, it’s a first offenders’ education program. So I do groups three times a week, see clients individually as needed, get them back on track, and educate them on addiction. I think if we can keep an open mind, and learn to listen to the client, and have the ability to go where they are, then we can perhaps bring them to where they can be.

I wanted to give back what I was given. I’m a recovering person, and I just owe a lot to the counselor that I had when I was in rehab. She inspired me to want to do this and make a difference. I worked in Core [BCI’s methadone program] back in the 90’s, and left, and then when I came back, the Diversion Program was available. And I’ve really been grateful that I’ve had a second chance, and have enjoyed everything. It’s just been a great place.

2. What can I expect if I come to your group?
I do three education groups a week. I think my years of experience in the field [makes the group unique.] And I do have a sense of humor that I try to bring to group, and not downplay the seriousness of addictions, but bring a little levity, so that they’re not ill at ease to learn.

We have a group on marijuana. And so, I’ll open up group by saying that the first person that was clean from marijuana developed the Weed Eater, and became famous. Just goofy little stuff like that. And they laugh, and they say, “All right, c’mon now!” And then I get on with the facts. So I try to kind of catch their attention.

3. Tell us your favorite client success story.
There was one person that was able to manage their mental health needs. They saw Gordon [Pizor, our psychologist,] and they got some help through him. Then, they were able to get on some medicine through their doctor, and they were able to stay clean. They had been smoking marijuana, kind of as an adjunct. They successfully completed our program, they got a job, they got better relationships with their children, and their marriage improved. So it was pretty successful that, all the way around, things clicked once the abuse had stopped.

4. Many of our staff decorate their office with personal items. Tell us what you have in your office.
I have some educational posters. I have a picture of a natural park. I do have a couple of handouts on marijuana and some information on other agencies. And I have three cartoons that are my favorites. One is a person standing in line between alcohol and drugs, and Krispy Kreme. And they’re choosing the doughnut line. Which is good, y’know? And the other cartoon is a bunch of deer looking at the hunters and they’re commenting on how stupid they are.

5. If you had $30,000 to donate to BCI what would you do with it?
I’d like to see it go to HIV prevention and to the outreach. I just feel very strongly that, of all the many things we do, that’s sort of at my heartstrings. And I think that’s where I would like it to go, if I could give it.