The Compass. A Welcoming First Impression. The Newsletter of Brandywine Counseling. Volume 4, Issue 1. Fall 2007

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1 The Newsletter of Brandywine Counseling A Welcoming First Impression 5 Questions for Evelyn Handley, Receptionist Volume 4, Issue 1 Fall What is something people would be surprised to know about your job? How much I do! From the time I open the door at 7:00, it s on. There s work to be done. People are sometimes lined up outside to come in. Anyone that walks in to the front door, I m the first person they see. So I more or less help them out, getting their name, their information, showing them how to fill out their packet. A lot of people aren t capable of reading or writing. I help them with that. I get the packet to the assessor, I chart, I discharge, run the machines, whatever needs to be done, I take care of it. I hear as much about a person s problem coming in the door as the counselor they sit down with. I talk to people every day about rape issues, divorces, DFS, people coming into their home, taking their children, the drug and alcohol, a little bit of everything. When they re done talking to me and they end up coming back, The information you gave me was wonderful, it was so helpful, I enjoyed talking to you, I know what I do at the front desk makes a big difference. 2. What advice do you have for someone who would like to do the job you do? You have to be a people person, for real. You really do. Everyone s not capable of sitting at that front desk. It can become overwhelming, because your clients come in the door. Some people have good days and bad days. If they re having a good day, you know it, if they re having a bad day, you definitely know it because they give you all their stuff. You have to be able to swallow that, keep smiling, and be able to help them at the same time. Also, you have some people that are very aggressive. You need to know how to back them down professionally and with a caring heart, and if that doesn t work you need to know what next step to take. 3. What has been the most rewarding moment for you since you ve been at BCI? When you see a person come in the door crying, and their children have been taken from them, and they Name: Evelyn Handley Job: Receptionist, Alpha program Time at BCI: 12 years 5 Questions is our new staff spotlight feature. Every two weeks on the BCI Blog, we ll introduce you to the people who make our agency run. Inside this issue: Celebrating Recovery Month BCI Gets New Funding for Residential and HIV Programs What s New Online Needle Exchange Surpasses 100 Participants Donor and Volunteer Recognition Volunteer Projects and Wish List admit that they re on drugs and alcohol, and they stay here for 9 months to a year, and within that time, DFS and Family Court have given their children back to them, you know that our work is really important, that we ve done all we could to help them build up their self esteem and put them on the right road to recovery. When you see a person that doesn t have a job, they re homeless, 9 months from now, they have it all or they re on their way to getting it, that s rewarding. 4. If you had $30,000 to donate to BCI, what would you do with it? It would have to go to two different places, I would split it. Our Bridge Perinatal, and our HIV [Outreach]. I started out with the HIV department. Street outreach is important - that was said to me maybe my second year by [Executive Director] Sara Allshouse. I didn t know just how important it was. I knew the job I was doing, I went out on the street, I talked to people about HIV, about BCI and what we do here, we wore the T-shirt. But once that was said to me, I went a little further. There were people that didn t have rides, they lived in Continued on Page 4

2 Page 2 BCI Celebrates Recovery Month with Picnic, Softball Lancaster Avenue Center 2713 Lancaster Avenue (302) Alpha Drug Free Center 2814 W. 2nd Street (302) Outreach Center 2814 Lancaster Avenue (302) Newark Center 24 Brookhill Drive Newark, DE (302) Alpha North Wilmington Center 98 Harvey Road Claymont, DE (302) Georgetown Center 528 E. Market Street Georgetown, DE (302) Board of Directors David Oppold, President David Jones, Vice President Carole Franzoni, Secretary Lisa Sherwood, Treasurer LaShawn Carter Lawrence Hawkins Jamie Hummell David Isaac Executive Director Sara Taylor Allshouse Writer/Editor Matt Friedman Brandywine Counseling celebrated National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in September with two events, a picnic in Wilmington, and a softball tournament in Georgetown. The annual observance of Recovery Month aims to promote the societal benefits of alcohol and drug use disorder treatment, laud the contributions of treatment providers, and promote the message that recovery from alcohol and drug use disorders in all its forms is possible. Our Alpha Recovery Month Picnic, held September 19, was a great success. An estimated 75 clients, staff, and family members came out to the Mack Park in Wilmington to enjoy food and fellowship and celebrate recovery. The weather was perfect! Many of the clients, as well as our staff, put a lot of work into this event getting donations of food and raffle prizes. They really did a great job. The food was provided at a discount through a client s family catering business. The meatballs were fantastic! After the meal everyone stayed around for the raffle drawing. There were so many prizes, it looked like this raffle was never going to end - candy, gift certificates, stuffed animals, picture frames, plants all donated. All in all, a nice afternoon of socialization outside of the usual treatment environment. Mission Statement On September 20, the 2nd Annual Sober Softball Tournament featured teams representing various treatment providers in Sussex County. BCI, Thresholds, Fellowship Health, the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Aquila, Hudson Health, and Ellendale Detox all took part. There were hot dogs and cracker jacks and fun for all. Elimination games were played and the final teams were Fellowship Health and BCI. BCI was leading 9-1 till the last inning. Fellowship had a strong comeback, scoring 6 runs in the 9th. But thanks to two Thresholds players joining the BCI team, we held them off to secure a 9-7 win and bring home the trophy for the second year! The 2nd annual games have sparked interest by the Fellowship Health team and their coach in starting a recovery league. Thanks to the Outreach crew and to Krystal Cooper from the Georgetown office for a great job putting it all together this year. BCI thanks the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health for funding these events and providing the Recovery Month T-shirts. To learn more about Recovery Month, please visit Brandywine Counseling, Inc. is a substance abuse treatment agency that provides counseling and related assistance to addicted persons and their families for chemical addiction and related problems.

3 Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 3 BCI Awarded Funding for Two New Programs The Lighthouse: Women and Children s Residential Treatment First Program of Its Kind in Delaware Brandywine Counseling will be opening Delaware s first Women and Children s Residential Program. The program will be located in Ellendale and will serve up to 15 women and 20 children per year from throughout the state. The program will be funded by the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. This residential program, to be called The Lighthouse, will fill a critical treatment gap in the state by improving substance abuse treatment outcomes for mothers with co-occurring disorders. Women who were not able to engage in treatment because of their parenting responsibilities will now be able to bring their children with them to treatment. The Lighthouse will provide a safe, therapeutic environment where women and their children will learn skills for healthy lifestyles. Integrated services will include substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, medical care, trauma services, GED services, employment readiness, parenting education, child care, and social activities. Children will receive assessments, developmental and therapeutic counseling, health care, health education, and prevention services. The long term residential program is designed as a 9-12 month program. It will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and offer therapeutic activities daily. We expect to begin accepting clients by December. BCI is collaborating with a multidisciplinary provider network including Delmarva Clergy United in Social Action (DCUSA), and La Red Health Care Center. Together we have a strong presence in the community that will ensure community acceptance and support. BCI s past experience serving women and their children, those with co-occurring disorders, and other challenging populations prepares us to meet the goals of this project and produce meaningful results. This program promises to have far reaching positive effects on Delaware s women, infants, children, and families as well as on the child welfare system and health care system. For more information, please contact Shay Lipshitz at Want to help by donating items for The Lighthouse Program? See page 5. Safety Net Services: HIV/AIDS Treatment and Pre-Treatment Designed to Help Those Most At Risk Brandywine Counseling has been awarded a fiveyear, $2.5 million federal grant from SAM- HSA/CSAT to enhance and expand substance abuse treatment, pre-treatment, and HIV/AIDS services in Wilmington, Delaware, with a multifaceted program we call Safety Net Services. Safety Net Services will be an umbrella program that includes outreach, pre-treatment, and treatment. The goal is to create a safety net for at-risk and HIV positive substance abusers at various stages of readiness to enter substance abuse treatment. Some individuals are accessing expensive crisisoriented services like the psychiatric emergency room, when they could be serviced at a lower level of care. Others simply need additional support to increase their readiness for treatment or ease their wait for admission. Safety Net Services will provide the services and stability they need, including a satellite orientation unit at Wilmington Hospital. We will connect the client to the services they are willing to access now, while helping increase their willingness to access more services later. Delaware is currently 7 th in the nation in per capita HIV/AIDS cases. This project targets two populations. The first is women, whose AIDS rate in Delaware is three times the national average. The other is ex-offenders returning to the community in the past two years. Up to 80% of those incarcerated in the state have a substance abuse problem accompanied by high HIV risk. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Delaware s congressional delegation, Sens. Joe Biden and Tom Carper (both D-Del.) and Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) said of the grant, Brandywine Counseling does wonderful work in our community. This funding will allow them to expand and enhance existing services, as well as reach out to individuals who might not otherwise be afforded such helped. It will aid those Delawareans who are most vulnerable, and we are optimistic this added assistance will provide them with hope and brighter futures. To learn more, visit brandywinecounseling.org.

4 Page 4 Welcoming (continued from Page 1) very harsh places in the city of Wilmington. We would get out of our bed at 5:00 in the morning, and go to these people s homes and pick them up, just to get them in, because these people were either HIV positive or AIDS defined. And once getting them through the front door, we were able to have the assessment done to get the type of treatment they really needed. 5. Many of our staff decorate their office with personal items tell us about what you have in your office. First of all, I m lucky to have this job. I m a recovering addict, and I had said, There s no way in the world these people would hire me because of my background. The question was asked of me, being a recovering addict, what did I want out of life? I said I wanted an opportunity to build a life for myself and my son. And [Medical Director] Kay Malone, and Sally Allshouse, God bless her soul, said, we re going to give you the opportunity to do so, and they did. I have actually built a life here. I ve bought a home here. I have my son in my life, Needle Exchange Surpasses 100 Participants The Delaware Needle Exchange Program signed up its 100th participant August 30, To date, we have 127 clients enrolled and 1325 syringes have been exchanged since startup February 1. The program continues to catch on with at risk drug users who are in need of the service. The BCI outreach staff has worked hard to generate word of mouth on the streets about the program, which is the best way to get the word out. The benefits of the NEP program extend not only to the 127 participants, who are reducing their risk, but to their family and friends, and to the community at large, by reducing the harmful effects of HIV and the disease of addiction. BCI is grateful for the community support that allows us to provide help whenever someone needs it, whether it is a clean needle, an HIV test, or a ride to treatment. We currently provide needle exchange at four sites within the City of Wilmington. We are planning to add four more by the end of this year. At this time, we are operating out of a small mini-van on the sidewalk. 17 participants have consented to the HIV test, a number we expect to increase dramatically when we begin to use the Needle Exchange Program Van which will provide us with a real private office on wheels. cars, a mortgage. I ve built a life here. The only thing that means more to me than anything else in this world is my son. His name flows across my computer [on the screensaver]. That s all I need. That reminds me why I changed my life. It reminds me why I m still here, raising him and making a better life for him than I had for myself. That s important to me, and whenever I turn around to that computer, I see his name come across, it makes all the difference in the world. I don t need a picture of him, he s in my mind all the time. Want to read more 5 Questions? Go online! The BCI Blog at brandywinecounseling.org is an online community of people who support addiction treatment. You ll also find: More pictures from the Recovery Month Picnic Renovations pictures at The Lighthouse Program Clients honor their staff member of the month Join in the discussion today! Fifteen guests of honor were recognized at our celebration for making needle exchange a reality. On May 24, we celebrated the NEP program s launch at Theatre N. Our guests heard two powerful testimonials from people whose lives were saved by addiction treatment. David Isaac of our Board of Directors gave a firsthand account of what it was like to go out on the NEP van. Fifteen guests of honor were recognized for their role in making the program a reality. We have multimedia coverage of this special night on brandywinecounseling.org. Visit our photo gallery for more pictures, and the BCI Blog to hear audio clips of the inspiring speeches. Needle Exchange services are funded by the Delaware Division of Public Health. For information, hours, and locations, please visit brandywinecounseling.org or call ext. 22.

5 Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 5 Thank You Brandywine Counseling thanks the following for their donation: Anonymous Sally Allshouse The Avram Katz Foundation Pamela Baker Karen Barker Maria Bedolla Claudette Bell Rochelle Booker Reanard Britt Stephen Burns Frank Cassidy Abraham Cheluget Basha Closic Claudia Cobble Krystal Cooper Linda Cote Tracy Dale Dianna Dorsey Lorina Dryden Lynn Fahey Matt Friedman Morris Gardner Renee Gill Susan Hammond Elizabeth Hayes Jason Humphries Kathy Kelley Mark Lanyon Sheera Lipshitz Cindy Lobis Carol Ludwig Emily Maguire Edna Maldonado Sylvia Martin Dawn Mason Volunteer Appreciation Kefa Mongare Tiffany Mormon Marty Nagy Daniel Norvell John Okada Eileen Pavlic Linda Phillips Jeannie Reynolds Ruth Rono Stanley Salaam Michele Smelstoys Janice Sneed Mary Starkweather- White Rhonda Swanson Thomas Sweeney Monalee West Luther Whiting Wanda Wyatt-Furrowh Christian Yoder Jeremy Zane In kind donors: A-Plus Mini Mart Charlie s Pizza Claymont Steak Shop Dunbar Cycles Einstein Brothers Bagels Friendly's Gift Shoppe The Grand Opera House John's Doggie Shop Pat s Pizzeria Ryan s Deli Total Beauty Supply Wawa Emma Glencross, Mosaic Mural Artist Now when you walk in the door to Brandywine Counseling, you ll literally see addiction growing into recovery. A ceramic tile and glass tree made up of treatment-related words and phrases covers the wall in the entrance hall of the Lancaster Center. This attractive and inspirational addition will be appreciated by our clients, staff, and visitors for years to come. We d like to send a big thanks out to the artist, Emma Glencross, who volunteered her time to do this mural for us. Emma truly went above and beyond our expectations for this project. She spent several hours a day over two weeks to singlehandedly create this original artwork. This is in addition to meeting with staff to plan the concept, collecting all the materials she used, and firing the tiles in her pottery kiln. It was a pleasure to work with Emma. She not only has great artistic talent, but great dedication to serving others. Jack Stucker was our college student intern with the Alpha Program this summer. He helped out in a variety of areas and even ran some groups. Our volunteers really make a difference here at Brandywine. They have lots of fun too. We ve got many more projects available, so if you re looking to give back to your community, check out our list to the right. Volunteer Projects Board of Directors - We seek talented, dependable people to work alongside BCI's leadership in support of our mission. Experience is desired with non-profit fundraising activities, including: campaigns, strategic planning, and donor relations. Mural Artist/Decorator for Patient Waiting Room - Use your artistic or decorating talent to spruce up the Alpha Center s cinder block walls with a mural, artwork, plants, etc. Outreach Support - Get an up close look at HIV/AIDS prevention in Wilmington by helping out in our Outreach Center. Assemble supplies and HIV testing packets for outreach workers. Also, work in our clothes closet sorting donated items by size and gender. For more information on volunteering, go to brandywinecounseling.org. The Lighthouse Wish List Kids furniture (chairs, tables, ages 0-8) Age-appropriate learning tools Computers for 5 classrooms Kitchen supplies (pots, pans, silverware, plates, cups, bakeware, decorations) Fax/copier for office Toiletries for adults and kids Toys for ages 0-8: Lincoln logs, action figures, wood blocks, cars, BOOKS!, milk crates, lanyards, puzzles, bins for toys, legos, easels, any art supplies, and coloring books. If you have an item to donate, please contact Matt Friedman at

6 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID WILMINGTON, DE PERMIT NO Lancaster Avenue (302) Where the Journey to Recovery Begins Joint Commission Accredited A United Way Member Agency It could make all the difference to somebody - An HIV test A clean needle A ride to treatment Brandywine Counseling is there to do it, thanks to your gift to United Way.