Penn Foundation Recovery Center | Displaying items by tag: Family Ed Program

Monday, 28 July 2008 12:42

Praise for Family Education

I enjoyed meeting Yvonne Kaye today with Alan introducing her at the Family Education meeting. Both the Alan and Yvonne were sensitive to the needs of Family Ed audience. Penn Foundation’s concept is simple & radical, to involve the family of the addicted individual, and help clarify their role in treatment and recovery.

Recommended reading:
Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction
It depicts father-son anguish, with first-person-narrative and how ADDICTION impacts an entire family.

Wednesday, 09 December 2009 10:54

Restoring Our Faith in Psychiatry

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!!

Tuesday, 01 September 2009 10:37

Support You Offer is Amazing

Hello. I just wanted to thank you for having your place there. My sister has been there for the last 28 days, now she is getting ready to go to a halfway house in Lancaster. It has been a interesting experience visiting every sunday and attending Family Education Class. The counselors, addictions technicians and all staff have been so supportive. Being a family member, I have just found your program amazing - so I just wanted to thank you.

I wanted to let you know that I would be willing to speak at your Autumn Event to strees how important it is to support Penn Foundation. I would be willing to do this especially since I’ve had a sister there.

I’m praying that she is going to make it, the counselors tell me that she is doing really great. She really wants this change.

It has been a hard thing to take - the alcohol and drugs. My sister has 2 kids aged 15 and 16 and it has been very hard on them. They are happy that she is doing so well now.

It has been an awesome experience to be a part of her treatment. What Penn Foundation does to help everyone and the support you offer is amazing.

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 13:41

Trying New Things

My daughter was recently admitted to your facility and I wanted to thank you all for how you have included the family in her treatment. My fear was that I would be blamed for her problems. That was not the case! I was included in some counseling sessions and we were really able to talk. When my daughter was at home and still using drugs, we never talked about anything important, because it would just start a fight. When we had our counselling sessions, I said some things she didn’t like, and she said some things that I didn’t like, but we were able to say them and know that we still loved each other.

The staff there suggested I go to the Sunday “Family Education Class” to learn about addiction and how it effects the family. I wasn’t sure about it, but I went and I am so glad! There are other parents and loved ones there that are going though the same things that I am. My daughter has her support group at the rehab, and now I feel like I have mine. It was also suggested that I try ALANON meetings. I haven’t gone yet, but will give it a try this week. If my daughter can do things that are new and uncomfortable to try to get sober, I can try things that are new and uncomfortable to support her.

Monday, 23 February 2009 13:26

Sincere Thanks From a Grateful Family

Our son has been battling anxiety and addiction issues for a decade. The last 7 months have been an absolute nightmare with rehab stays, recovery houses and time spent in a homeless shelter in the Badlands. Just last May, he graduated with his second bachelors degree and was promoted to a supervisory position at his job. Then it all came crashing down.

We feel so fortunate to have discovered the Penn Foundation Recovery Center at this time. My son actually thanked us for suggesting Penn Foundation and he made a real connection with his wonderful counselor Tim.

Tuesday, 10 February 2009 13:25

Hope and Understanding

I just want to say thank you so much much for taking the time in a more-than-willing way to help my boyfriend who has been struggling with this terrible disease called addiction.

The staff at Penn are different than any other facility in such a way that they actually care about the client. To them, it’s not just a 9-5. They “live” for this job, literally, and THAT is just so comforting to not only the addict themself, but the family as well. They really have given me a much better sence of hope and understanding(especially Alan and Tim).

Thanks again! (and thanks for telling me about this blogging site Alan!) God Bless!

Friday, 14 November 2008 12:52

Value is Limitless

I want to pass on a few words to families of addicts. My son is an addict and I am learning so much from Penn Foundation.

In our “Family Education Meetings”, I hear the same thing over and over. People think that this can’t happen to them, that their child can’t be an addict or alcoholic. You have to be realistic, it CAN happen to you. You just have to be informed and learn all you can. Addiction is not something you can figure out on your own. There’s a whole process you go through to understand it.

Take “enabling” for example. There’s a fine line between what is enabling and what is not. I take the hard line and won’t give my son anything at this point. My wife takes a softer line and still buys him groceries from time to time. We each have to set our own limits, there is no definative answer that applies to everyone.

I encourage the friends and families of people in addiction to go to Penn Foundations Family Education classes on Sundays. They’re free, open to the public and they’re value is limitless.

Thursday, 15 May 2008 12:30

Where to Go, What to Do?

Substance abuse was a completely foreign disease to our family, save for news reports and the like. So, when stabbed in the gut with the news of my son’s drug use, I was not only devastated, but also freightened beyond belief and clueless as to where to go, what to do.

My son arived at Penn Foundation on a friday. On the sunday after his admission, I attended my first Family Education Class. I’ll carry to my grave to comfort and reassurance showered upon me by Alan when I walked through the door that day sobbing. I sobbed for the next three Sundays during class, but felt supported in a way I could never have imagined.

I’ve since attended probably 10 or so Family Education Classes, and in contrast to that first week of uncontrolled crying, I found myself hysterically laughing my way through our class last week. To have come so far as to actually find moments of joy amidst so much insanity is shocking to me and speaks to the power of the education and camaraderie Family Ed provides.

Thursday, 15 May 2008 12:30

Rendered Speechless

Seldom in my 47 years have I been rendered speechless, yet as I try to formulate this letter, I can not seem to think of adequate words to convey my deep gratitude for the caring and tireless folks at Penn Foundation who have been working with my son since early March of this year.

Please accept and convey my humble and sincere thanks to the may people who took great pains with my son, and with me. In addition to the fondness I’ll always have for Alan, I also deeply appreciate the efforts of Mike and Jeff. These gentlemen went the extra mile to supporty my son and educate me.

Wednesday, 27 February 2008 12:21

A Family’s First Experience With Addiction and Treatment

On December 16, we received that hardest phone call that parents could get. Our daughter was stopped in Philadelphia for a trafic accident and admitted to the police she had taken heroin. Her call came to us from jail and her words were “Daddy, please help me”. We had no idea about any drugs in her life.

We traveled to Philadelphia and we knew we needed help fast. Our pastor suggested that we call Alan from Penn Foundation. We called Alan and he graciously set up an appointment for the following day. Alan explained to us, step-by-step, the treatment program and how it worked.

Our daughter entered the in-patient treatment program at Penn Foundation Recovery Center and was assigned a counselor who helped her realize how the program could help her if she really wanted the help. We had never experienced anything like this before. Alan continued to check in with us as our daughter was in treatment.

We were introduced to the “Family Education Program” on Sundays at noon at Penn Foundation and other meetings so we could try to make sense of what happened. Alan shared with us that this journey is a long one, that we would take 2 steps forward and 1 step back. He told us we could call him with any questions, and we had many.

Today we are still in treatment, praying that the days will get better.

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank Penn Foundation and express out abundant thanks to Alan, who really cares and goes that extra mile.

Praise for Family Education

Restoring Our Faith in Psychiatry

Support You Offer is Amazing

Trying New Things

Sincere Thanks From a Grateful Family

Hope and Understanding

Value is Limitless

Where to Go, What to Do?

Rendered Speechless

A Family’s First Experience With Addiction and Treatment

Personalized Care

Innovative Thinking

Lasting Partnership