I wanted to commend you, as Director, for the wonderful job the Recovery Center does for the addict and for the addict’s family.

My son was in-patient there and received caring, professional care.  Dr. Newton restored his (and our) faith in psychiatry, and his counselor made a real connection with him.  My son is now living at a halfway house in Lititz where he seems to be getting continued help in his recovery and we are cautiously hopeful.

The Family Education Program is outstanding and specifically has helped my husband and I through a very traumatic time for our family.  To know we were not alone any longer in working through this despair was overwhelming. We have never met more compassionate, committed people to help us through this ordeal.

Thank you again for the wonderful job you do!!

Thank you for the support you have given me in my early recovery.  I came to Penn Foundation Out Patient department for help, this was my first time in any sort of treatment.

I was assigned a counselor, went to group and saw the Psychiatrist, Dr. Newton.  “Doc” (as she asked to be called) prescribed some medication to help with my anxiety and depression.  I had never tried “real” meds for that, I had always “self medicated” with drugs to help myself feel normal.

The combined treatment I received (individual counselling, group counselling, and Psychiatric help) was exactly what I needed.  I am finally starting to feel pretty normal without having to use drugs for the first time in my life.

Thank you, Penn Foundation, I couldn’t have done this without your help.

My name is Lorianne and thanks to Penn Foundation, I have two years clean today, August 21, 2009.

Before I came to Penn Foundation, I had been to numerous rehabs, but nothing worked.  I was court mandated to enter a treatment facility, and I really didn’t want to be here.  An Addictions Technician picked me up from jail, and I had no intentions of staying clean.  I was a hellish patient!  When I first got here, I didn’t do any work on myself - I took it as a joke.  I was put on a bahavioral contract, but I still didn’t care.

But something changed when I was in group one day.  I realized that if I didn’t change my ways, I would die.  So I started listening in groups and talking to the Addictions Technicians any chance I got.  The staff here is amazing!  They did not “sugar coat” anything.  They told me about myself (even when I didn’t want to hear it).  There were plenty of times I cried and hated hearing what they were saying, but I needed to hear it.

Penn Foundation Recovery Center changed my life.  As I said, I have two years clean and I am alive.  I owe my life to the staff here and I am forever grateful for them.  Penn Foundation is not like any other rehab I was in.  The staff aren’t working here just for the paycheck, they work here to make a difference.  I believe they actually do care about everyone that walks through the door for help.  If it wasn’t for Penn Foundation, I would be dead - and I’m not!

I gave this place a chance and got a second chance at life.

My story is like a lot of yours, a young guy that chose drugs and alcohol as a lifestyle. Being the “Big man on campus” was the driving force behind my constant struggle to adapt to life in a positive way. I constantly found myself in predicaments that often included the police, magistrates and family tension. I never thought the cycle would end only because I wanted to live that way, a loser’s life.

My clean date is January 3rd 2009. I started my new lease on life by having a blackout while drinking and attempting to physically hurt my roommate. The police were called and I was arrested for at least the 20th time throughout my addiction. I was put in the “drunk tank” and started sobering up, while this time passed I did something I hadn’t done in years… PRAY. The following morning they let me out and I immediately ran to the local psych ward and begged to be let in for depression and alcoholism.

I had been there before 4 times and a familiar face appeared, my Family Doctor, asking me what I was willing to do to change my thinking. I answered back the only thing I knew at that moment, “Whatever it Takes Doc.”! I was soon transferred to Penn Foundation and my recovery began. I felt afraid of everything and thought I knew it all, but I soon realized that I didn’t know squat. Going to the groups and hearing other clients assisted me in opening up to people about my problems and what I felt I needed to do about them. The staff was the biggest help considering that most of them are in recovery themselves.

Doing chores, assignments for your counselor, and going to outside meetings are the things that get you ready to reenter the “real world”. If you have trouble doing them… expect the same out there. The staff shows their gratitude to the clients in several ways, which included a Super Bowl Party and an Ice Cream Night when I was there. I felt a change in my self outlook and in how my family was willing to visit me rather then they used to. Speaking of which, my family would like to thank the staff for making the visitation such a pleasant experience.

Since completing the program I have been in a partial program and a halfway house. My family relations are becoming more solid and I feel a hell of a lot happier then I used to. Personal thanks go to: Mrs. Pat, Mike, Keith and of course my crazy counselor Mrs. Bea. I would also like to acknowledge the “behind the door” staff that assisted in my recovery. If you are reading this and want to change your life for the better, I beg of you to listen and understand that you are killing yourself by using drugs and alcohol. The fact is that without you, the newcomer… none of the 12 Step programs would exist. You really can be one of the miracles you hear people talking about, all you have to do is not pick up for One Day at a Time.

Sincerely, E.C.

Our son has learned so much from Penn Foundation and is really doing great.  I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I can’t begin to thank all of you enough. I truly believe that Dr. Newton is really helping. It’s as if our son had been in a deep sleep for four years and is finally waking up. Each and everyone of you has supported us in different ways through this unbelievably painful experience. You are an incredible group of professionals. The level of determination to discover a solution to help our son and our family heal is beyond belief. Thank you, thank you, thank you………Sincerely,Marianne

I have been through Penn Foundation several times. I want to tell you about my experience with the Staff and the community (my fellow clients).  When I was in Inpatient and in Intensive Outpatient , I was treated with respect and felt that we were all equal.  Many of the staff are in recovery, they are willing to share their experience strength and hope.  Knowing this made me feel more comfortable going to them for advice.


By coming to Penn Foundation, I now have the chance to start my life over.  I hope to learn something new to help me in my recovery, or learn what I did wrong in the past which led to relapse.

As I was thinking today, I again realized the great gift that was given to me while on the Grand View Psychiatric Unit in December 2003 through January 2004. I had been severely depressed, hopeless, and unable to truly believe that I would recover from this state. I had already made three serious attempts to take my life, and my friends and family were staying “far back” from me. The resultant loneliness only served to perpetuate the hopelessness, as I could understand their need to stay away and the risks they perceived for themselves to reinvest in a relationship with me.