FALL 2013
News from Inside Freedom Institute
Bob Miller:
A Word from Our Chairman The past several months have been an exciting and active time at Freedom Institute. Most significantly, we’ve named a new Chief Clinical Officer, Rachel Russell, who moves over from the administrative side of Freedom Institute. Michael Noth, who was our Clinical Director, is staying on as a Senior Counselor. For Rachel, it’s a return to clinical work with our clients and staff — where her true passion resides. You will see some remarks from Rachel in this issue, which will give you a sense of Freedom’s and her priorities as we continue to fulfill our mission. We held our annual benefit dinner in May and honored Jerry Moe with the Mona Mansell Award (article on page 3). It was an exciting evening and, for those of you who were there, you heard more about how our industry is in a state of rapid change and evolution. (David Sheff, who spoke at last year’s benefit dinner, has recently authored a new book, CLEAN, which chronicles much of that change and gives a good assessment of the alcohol and addiction field as it exists today.) At Freedom Institute, we are leading the way in this area and pioneering new programs to provide more valuable treatment, education and prevention initiatives. In addition to initiating and
pioneering, we’re growing our programs as well. Each week we see more and more clients seeking counseling and treatment through Freedom Institute and recognize an even greater need for education and prevention programs surrounding substance abuse. As a reflection of this trend, our first half revenue for 2013 was up more than 40% over 2012 for the same period. The atmosphere at Freedom Institute is busy and positive. Our goals and our mandate are clear. Over the course of the coming months and into next year, much of our energy and resources will be directed towards critical initiatives and new programs at Freedom
...we’ve never been more focused on our core mission and more active in helping individuals, families and adolescents who are dealing with the impact of alcohol and substance abuse. Institute. Suffice it to say, we’ve never been more focused on our core mission and more active in helping individuals, families and adolescents who are dealing with the impact of alcohol and substance abuse. The future is bright for all who are involved with and pass through the doors of Freedom Institute and we’re excited about building more programs to expand our reach and the work we do even further.
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UPCOMING EVENTS AT FREEDOM INSTITUTE We are planning a calendar of events at Freedom Institute for 2013/2014. A series of speakers, including authors and experts in the field, will join us to help educate our community about the work we do, the methods we use and how we help parents and families prevent, cope, get help and heal. Look for our announcements and please log on to freedominstitute.org for our latest news and upcoming events.
RACHEL RUSSELL:
A Word from Our Clinical Director My transition from running the administrative side of Freedom Institute to directing our dynamic team of counselors has been a smooth one. I am thrilled to be returning to clinical work, and glad to bring all I learned about nonprofit management to support our exceptional counselors. We have completed the incorporation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into all our primary treatment groups (Morning Intensive Outpatient, Morning Outpatient and Evening Outpatient). The DBT team, under the solid leadership of Jennie Klein, is working hard on its final implementation evaluation. Research supports the efficacy of DBT in helping people with early recovery, and feedback from our clients has been very encouraging. We have set lofty goals for the coming months. Our Family Program remains a core focus and it continues to grow and thrive. We have added another Family Therapist to our staff, and Program Director Carrie Sanders has worked with her team to develop new groups for the fall, including our first-ever Multi-Family Group, in which entire families (including the chemically dependent) get together with other families to learn from and support each other in the struggle against addiction.
We remain as committed as ever to Freedom Institute’s education and prevention programs for adolescents, and plan to expand throughout the 2013-14 school year. Over the summer break, we met with several school heads to do some collaborative planning. Freedom Institute’s Independent School Program staff has also reorganized our prevention curricula into developmentally appropriate themes and created new opportunities for both parent education and faculty support. You will be hearing a lot more about this during the fall months.
I look forward to carrying forward Freedom Institute’s strategic initiatives, and welcome input from our friends near and far.
All these efforts at Freedom Institute derive from a shared belief in the absolute necessity of substance abuse prevention, intervention and outpatient treatment, and a shared commitment to be the best provider of services to families impacted by alcoholism and addiction. I look forward to carrying forward Freedom Institute’s strategic initiatives, and welcome input from our friends near and far. Stop in and say hello, and log onto freedominstitute.org to join our community.
Freedom Institute’s 2013 Spring Gala Mona Mansell Award There were tears as well as laughter and it was abundantly clear that the work that Freedom Institute does is more important now than ever. Freedom Institute’s 2013 Mona Mansell Awards Gala, our largest annual fundraiser which pays tribute to individuals and organizations that have had a significant impact on the field of substance abuse prevention, treatment and education, had its 30th anniversary this year. The evening at the St. Regis in New York City focused on the importance of treating adolescents and their families, an urgent priority for Freedom Institute. “Drug use among young people in this country is soaring to epidemic levels,” said Bob Miller, Freedom Institute’s Chairman of the Board, in his opening remarks, which set the stage. “The median age of initial drug use is 14 years old, and 90% of those who become addicted begin using before the age of 18.” Why are so many adolescents in trouble? The vast majority of adolescents that Freedom Institute sees do not have a substance abuse problem…yet. They have other problems such as anxiety, depression, social anxiety, undiagnosed learning issues, diagnosed learning issues, or family problems, that are at the root of their substance use. Freedom Institute treats these problems in the hopes of preventing high-risk adolescent substance use from escalating into adult substance abuse. “Treating families and adolescents is now a significant part and the fastest growing piece of what we do at Freedom Institute,” continued Mr. Miller. He then cited CLEAN, David Sheff’s recently published book on addiction.
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“As with any other illness, the prevention strategies and treatments most likely to work with addiction aren’t based on tradition, wishful thinking or faith, but on science.” Mr. Miller continued, “We at Freedom Institute focus on the prevention, treatment and integration of science into the treatment process.” The evening’s honoree, Mr. Jerry Moe, Vice President and National Director, Children’s Programs and Training Academy, Betty Ford Center, told the story about starting his career in drug and alcohol abuse and addiction counseling. He asked his professional mentor who were the people to whom he should speak if he wanted to make a difference in this world through his work. “There were five names on that list…and one of them was Mona Mansell.” Jerry Moe has been developing programs and facilitating groups for children from addicted families since 1977 and is a pioneering and passionate leader in this area. Mr. Moe spoke about the work he does giving a voice to children who are growing up in
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families devastated by addiction and praised the work that Freedom Institute has done as pioneers in the field of family counseling where addiction is concerned and for stepping up its work with adolescents and addiction. The evening included two moving presentations by Pamela Hanson, the world renowned fashion photographer and director of the film, “I thought I Knew” of which an excerpt was shown, and Robin Kellner, a spokesperson for substance abuse and addiction and the founder of the website Zoe’s Story. Both women lost children to drug overdoses and made the point that no one is immune to this disease or to this tragedy, and both showed the way to hope and healing through education and prevention. More than 200 people attended the evening and left educated, more aware and ultimately uplifted. Freedom Institute plans to hold more events for parents, children and families to continue spreading the word on substance abuse prevention and treatment.
If I Had a Hammer... by Alex Dayton, Adult & Adolescent Counselor
A Curriculum for Prevention: Social-Emotional Wellness by Kate Miller, Counselor, Independent School Program
As the saying goes, “If the only tool you have is a hammer then you tend to see every problem as a nail.” A similar analogy could be made about people’s ways of functioning in the world. To handle the challenges of everyday life, family, professional and social pressures, it’s essential to have a variety of tools. When people don’t have the right tools to work with they may rely on destructive ways of coping, such as the abuse of alcohol or drugs, which only serves to intensify both long and short-term problems. Many forms of therapy are directed at providing people with a broader range of effective coping skills. One of these forms is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Originally conceived by Dr. Marsha M. Linehan to treat people with borderline personality disorder, DBT is a comprehensive, evidenced-based treatment approach that aims to help clients discover and cultivate “a life worth living.” DBT embraces a directive, skills-focused treatment model. The word dialectic refers to a core principle of DBT, the promotion of two opposing goals, for clients: change and acceptance. One must learn to accept not only oneself non-judgmentally as one is, but also strive towards effective change within one’s life. DBT works towards giving people the tools they need to cope with life and more effectively pursue a life that feels satisfying to them. Because the objectives of DBT run parallel to the goals of recovery, such as acceptance and learning to cope with life without abusing substances, it makes sense that DBT and substance abuse treatment are a good fit. DBT takes a systematic approach to achieving goals that are consistent with recovery, and recent research has proven its effectiveness in treating substance use disorders. As a result, DBT is now being used by treatment programs around the world to help treat substance abuse and dependence, and has been successfully integrated as an important component of Freedom Institute’s Chemical Dependency Program.
Drugs and alcohol become a problem when they are used to cope with or avoid tough emotions and issues that feel unmanageable. Individuals in treatment for substance abuse are often at a loss of how to manage their suffering without the use of substances. Learning to tolerate the feeling of vulnerability that arises in the absence of tools and coping strategies, especially in the early stages of sobriety, can feel overwhelming. DBT aims to promote acceptance and tolerance of distress while at the same time promoting the acquisition of skills to manage it. DBT includes five essential functions, each of which relates directly to aspects of substance abuse treatment, not only in helping people achieve sobriety but also maintain it: •
Improving client motivation;
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Enhancing client capabilities;
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Generalization of skills into the natural environment;
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Structuring the environment;
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Enhancing therapist capabilities and motivation to treat effectively.
Freedom Institute has incorporated DBT into our Intensive Outpatient Therapy and Outpatient Programs to great success. In using DBT towards the goal of recovery, we provide clients with important life skills and teach techniques and methods essential to coping with the ups and downs of life without the use of substances. We also have groups that are devoted to teaching DBT skills and to helping people apply those skills in the real world, in real life situations. Freedom Institute’s DBT program focuses on encouraging more mindfulness in day-to-day life, learning to tolerate distress, learning to regulate emotions, and learning to live life more effectively. With the use of DBT at Freedom Institute, we’re striving to put more tools in the emotional and psychological toolboxes of our clients to help them cope with what life throws their way so they can build a life worth living.
Everyone is now settled into the fall routine. The schedules of rehearsals, sports practices and school trips have been coordinated. Students are familiar with their teachers and are back into the swing of homework and projects. The Independent School Program at Freedom Institute also has returned to the bustle and busyness that comes with the start of any school year. We are excited to be returning to visit the schools and see the students with whom we have developed deep connections over the years, as well as beginning new relationships with school communities. Anyone who works with teenagers knows that part of the work is continuously taking the pulse of the culture and tuning into the ever-changing trends, beliefs, behaviors and needs of this demographic. For many years the counselors who are part of the Independent School Program at Freedom Institute have affectionately been referred to as the “drug ladies,” because so much of our work with students has been about preventing substance abuse in teens. Although educating students (as well as parents and faculty) about the risks of adolescent substance use is still a major focus of our work with schools, we have also found that there is room for expansion in our curriculum. In addition to providing school communities with vital information about substance abuse and addiction prevention and treatment, our School Program is increasingly having conversations about students’ overall social-emotional health. We recognize that the facets of students’ lives rarely fit into neat and tidy boxes. Stress about academics bleeds into how someone feels about him or herself, which can impact relationships with friends, how they interact online and how they view and treat substances such as drugs and alcohol. We have found it to be of growing importance to address the needs of students as whole, and have revamped our curriculum to reflect this. Our workshops are now designed around five major social-emotional themes.
Social Norms and Perceptions – focusing on where students get information from and what their beliefs are about what is considered “normal.” Risk Assessment and Decision Making – helping students understand how to assess situations for levels of risk and how to best make healthy decisions for themselves. Facts and Research – a scientific approach to highlighting important information about adolescent brain development and important facts about alcohol, drugs and addiction. Coping Skills – helping student acknowledge the plethora of feelings that may occur in various situations and aiding them in developing healthy coping skills for difficult emotions and challenges in life. Healthy Relationships – helping students build the skills to create and maintain healthy relationships and practice self-advocacy. Teenagers are at a pivotal time in their development as they continue on the path towards being independent, thriving and fulfilled adults. It is obviously important that students understand the reasons to stay away from drugs and alcohol. However, we find it to be equally important to address the social and emotional factors that may lead an adolescent to want to use drugs or abuse alcohol in the first place, and to provide guidance in developing healthy coping skills and decision-making strategies. All of our clinicians in Freedom Institute’s Independent School Program are excited about the opportunity to share our expertise with school communities in this way and we look forward to many fruitful workshops with parents, faculty and students this year and beyond.
If the only tool you have is a hammer then you tend to see every problem as a nail. — Abraham Maslow, Psychologist b. 1908 4
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Dear Dr. Jennie, ...I wanted to thank you for being there in my darkest hour. I never want to be in that place ever again! That night, I begged God to take me away. I kept saying “IT ” won, the disease won and there is no hope. In many ways, you saved my life that next day. If you were not there, if you didn’t guide me here, I don’t know if I would have made it. Thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t see it for myself. Thank you for guiding my parents through the trenches too. I am forever grateful for everything you have done for me and my family. Many thanks and hugs, Anonymous
Monitoring the Future Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Monitoring the Future (MTF) annual survey measures drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and related attitudes among 8th through 12th graders. Following are facts and statistics about youth substance use from the December 2012 MTF report.
Illicit drug use among teenagers has continued at high rates, largely due to the popularity of marijuana. In 2012, 6.5% of 8th graders, 17.0%of 10th graders, and 22.9% of 12th graders used marijuana in the past month—an increase among 10th and 12th graders from 14.2%, and 18.8% in 2007.
As perception of risks goes down, use goes up (and vice versa). (see figure)
Resilience is not a character trait - it can be learned
Psychologists have identified some of the factors that make someone resilient, among them a positive attitude, optimism, the ability to regulate emotions, and the ability to see failure as a form of helpful feedback. Even after a misfortune, blessed with such an outlook, resilient people are able to change course and soldier on.
Your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your permission.
Resilience is not a character trait - it can be learned by anyone, but learning it does require time and effort.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Resilience is the process by which people adapt to changes or crises. It is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes.
There is a growing perception among young people that marijuana is a safe drug due to the public discussions over medical marijuana and marijuana legalization.
Synthetic marijuana is a new and major concern. Also known as Spice or K2, synthetic marijuana refers to herbal mixtures laced with synthetic cannabinoids, chemicals that act in the brain similarly to THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana. These mixtures are wrongly perceived as a safe alternative to marijuana. In 2011, 11.4% of 12th graders—one in nine—reported using it in the past year. This year 4.4% of 8th graders, 8.8% of 10th graders, and 11.3% of 12th graders reported past-year use.
Nonmedical use of prescription and over-the-counter medicines remains a significant part of the teen drug problem. (see figure) In 2012, 14.8% of high-school seniors used a prescription drug non-medically in the past year. The most commonly abused prescription drugs by teens are the stimulant Adderall and the pain reliever Vicodin. Source: http://www.drugabuse.gov. National Institute on Drug Abuse MTF Report 2012
Source: University of Michigan, 2012 Monitoring the Future Study
Source: www.psychologytoday.com 6
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515 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022 www.freedominstitute.org
Mona Mansell, Founder BOARD OF TRUSTEES Robert L. Miller, Chairman, Treasurer Clarke R. Keough, Secretary Peter Boeschenstein Henry Christensen III, Esq. Anson B. Frelinghuysen, Esq. John Loeffler Patrick M. Robinson Jacqueline R. Williams ADVISORY COUNCIL Mary Condon Tian Dayton, MA, Ph.D, T.E.P Dan Mierlak, MD Connie Murray TRUSTEE EMERITUS William C. Ford
CLINICAL STAFF Rachel Russell, Chief Clinical Officer Michael Noth, Senior Counselor Shawnee Benton-Gibson, Counselor Barbara Bock, Adult Counselor Anne Bresnahan, Adult Counselor Fran Calafatello, Adult Counselor Letitia Coburn, Adult Counselor Alex Dayton, Adult & Adolescent Counselor Dr. Michael Fayne, Clinical Supervisor Syd Hap, Art Therapist Laurie Kaplan, Clinical Supervisor, Family Program Tessa Kleeman, Adult Counselor Dr. Jennie Klein, DBT Program Coordinator, Adult & Adolescent Counselor Maria Kratsios, Adult Counselor Billy Lawson, Adult Counselor Dr. Dan Mierlak, Medical Director Mildred Pisciotta, Adult Counselor Rachel Ravin, Adult Counselor Carrie Sanders, Family Program Director, Family Therapist Mark Sturgeon, Adult Counselor Tom Wasik, Adult Counselor Frank Wells, Family Therapist
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ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM Taina Cunningham, Administrative, Billings Manager Anthony Daverese, Office Manager Jennifer Flores, Compliance Officer INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PROGRAM Kathryn Crosby, Director, Counselor Kate Miller, Counselor Katherine Prudente, Counselor
WHERE ADDICTION PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ARE FAMILY MATTERS