There are millions of Americans whose lives have been transformed through treatment – who now live in recovery. These successes often go unnoticed by the general population – though we know that these days, everyone knows someone who has been impacted by addiction.
September is National Recovery Month – a nationwide observance promoting the benefits of prevention, treatment and recovery for substance use and mental disorders. Recovery Month is a celebration of people in recovery, recognizing the contributions of treatment and service providers and promoting the message that recovery, in all its forms, is possible! The goal is to educate Americans that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live healthy and rewarding lives.
Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover.
At Ashley, we celebrate recovery every day, but during National Recovery Month, we plan to celebrate with the following activities:
- Thursday, September 6, 2017 – Prevention and Strategies for Staying Sober in High School – Holy Cross Academy, Riverside, NJ
- Thursday, September 14, 2017 – “Thriving In Recovery” in Partnership with The New York Center for Living and Mountainside. This is a free event and open to the public – click here for details. (https://www.ashleytreatment.org/pec-events/flourishing-recovery-father-mark-hushen/1505413800/)
- Sunday, September 17, 2017 – the Second Annual Matt’s Race for Recovery – 5k run and fun walk – click here to register. (https://www.ashleytreatment.org/pec-events/matts-race-recovery/1505631600/)
- Sunday, September 17, 2017 – ASHLEY HOMECOMING – the biggest Recovery Party on The East Coast! – Free and Open to the public – click here for details. (https://www.ashleytreatment.org/pec-events/2017-alumni-homecoming/1505638800/)
- Wednesday, September 20, 2017 – DC Alumni Chapter Meeting – Free and Open to all – West Side Club, Washington, DC – click here for details. (https://www.ashleytreatment.org/pec-events/dc-alumni-chapter-meeting/1505934000/)
- Thursday, September 28, 2017 – Families Hurt and Families Heal – in partnership with the Limen House – Salesianum High School, Wilmington, DE– This is a free event and open to the public.
You can also visit SAMHSA’s Recovery Month website (https://www.recoverymonth.gov/) to find events in your area, post your own event, and learn more about activities supporting local recovery efforts.
Want to share your Recovery story? We want to hear from you! Email us at Recovery@AshleyTreatment.org. We’ll report on some of the best and most inspirational in upcoming issues of Ashley eNews!
Clinically Speaking…
Over the last few months, Ashley clinicians have been enhancing and revising our three main programs. This article is part 1 of the last in a series describing these enhancements which provide the cornerstone of our treatment program.
The Ashley Young Adult Treatment Program (part 1 of 2)
Becoming an adult isn’t easy. The trials and tribulations of young adulthood are often difficult enough, but when drugs and alcohol are present, these challenges can become overwhelming and even life-threatening.
The Ashley Young Adult Program is designed to actively engage those who are 18 to 25 years of age. Through interactive workshops and experiential therapies, young adults are guided towards developing a healthy, purposeful and substance free life.
“These kids are survivors,” said Assistant Program Director James Ryan. “They’ve experienced extensive pain and don’t have the language to identify and process what they’ve been through.”
The Young Adult Program is defined by three stages: Stabilization, Emotional and Cognitive Assessment, and Long-term Care Planning. Stabilization, which often includes detox, is a challenge for the patient as well as the staff. These young adults are often experiencing a range of emotions, including anger, anxiety, and fear. Drug and / or alcohol withdrawal can increase these feelings and lead to problematic behaviors that can make the successful completion of treatment difficult.
Once the patient is stable, they begin to feel better and that is when the emotional and cognitive work can begin. Patients attend lectures and workshops to learn about the disease of addiction; alternative methods of coping, such as mindfulness and meditation; and how to address other issues and challenges that are specific to emerging adults.
The final stage of the program involves the establishment of a long-term continuing care plan. “Our program really only has two goals,” Ryan said. “Successful completion of treatment, and a commitment from the patient to the aftercare plan that is best for them. It didn’t take 28 days to develop their addiction, and we won’t fix it in 28 days. It requires a long-term solution.”
All of the lectures and workshops in the program are being redesigned to more effectively engage young adult patients and keep them in treatment for longer periods of time. The program staff takes a team approach, with as many as 15 staff members interacting with the patient during their stay. “Our team supports and challenges each other,” Ryan concluded. “It’s part of a real commitment to saving young lives!”
These Program changes will go into effect in October, bringing fresh and essential new content to the Ashley patient experience.
Coming next Month: The Ashley Young Adult Treatment Program (part 2) – Extended Care
Developments:
Activity in the Ashley Development Department is ramping up this fall with several major events taking the spotlight:
17th Annual Lou Bantle Golf Classic
The 17th Annual Lou Bantle Golf Classic is scheduled for October 5th at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Maryland. This tournament continues to be a player favorite – a day of fun, fellowship, and foursomes! Sponsors and players in the tournament are critical, as again this year, all proceeds support scholarships for military service members and their families.
Substance use and addiction continue to be among the most serious behavioral health problems suffered by our nation’s servicemen and women. And scholarships are often the only way many patients can afford to get the treatment they desperately need.
Please consider supporting this year’s Lou Bantle Golf Classic. Either through sponsorship, underwriting, or just by putting a foursome together, your support will make a major difference in the lives of military men and women. For more information, or to sponsor / register, please visit our event webpage at www.AshleyTreatment.org/Golf.
The 2nd Annual Center City Dinner & Presentation
October will close with a bang as the Ashley Greater Philadelphia Leadership Council presents the 2nd Annual Center City Dinner & Presentation. Come join the staff, alumni and friends on October 26th at the historic Union League. Special guests include former US Rep. Patrick Kennedy and an invitation has been extended to NJ Governor and Chair of the Federal Opiate Task Force, Chris Christie.
The program will also include the presentation of the Greater Philadelphia Community Service Award to Ashley Board member, Robert S. Johnson, Esq. A new award, the Liberty Award, will be presented to the co-founder of Victory Bay Recovery Center in Laurel Springs, NJ, AJ Solomon.
These community service awards were established to honor individuals for their long-term and ongoing commitment to Recovery in their region. The newly created Liberty Award honors someone new to the field, but who is already making a difference based on their mission and integrity.
Come out and help us honor Bob and AJ! Sponsorships and tickets can be arranged online at www.AshleyTreatment.org/Phila or contact Martha Meehan-Cohen at 410-273-2205, MCohen@AshleyTreatment.org.
