09-17-2023 GAR - Flipbook - Page 17
A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Sunday, September 17, 2023
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MARC
continued from page 6
think that once an addict enters a program, recovery immediately ensues.
That’s not even close to the truth. As
ASAM says, “Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles
of relapse and remission. Without
treatment or engagement in recovery
activities, addiction is progressive and
can result in disability or premature
death.”
The biggest issue with recovery is
that after rehabilitation, they eventually have to go back to their lives, to
their family and friends, often to situations that contributed to or are reminiscent of their addiction. That’s when
they learn the truth: that addiction is
a chronic illness, and most people recovering from their addictions fight
the desire, the need, even the imagined
comfort of what they’ve given up, for
the rest of their lives.
MARC employs a phased model
of treatment: clients move through
the stages of treatment and recovery
based on their individual progress
and engagement in the process. It is a
well-established treatment paradigm
that a patient suffering from drug
addiction, alcoholism or substance
use disorder (SUD) is given the best
chance of a successful recovery if they
are under the care of a team of professionals while being appropriately
integrated back into their daily lives.
It’s this last step – reintegration – that
is so critical to long-term success.
Arielle Seidler, LCSW-C, clinical director of MARC, oversees the clinical
team and all program development
for MARC’s treatment programs. One
aspect of treatment that’s important
to her is involving and incorporating
the family and/or friends into understanding their roles in helping the individual who is addicted recover.
“Each person with an addiction
comes from a different family system.
To have the best chance at recovery,”
says Seidler, “every person who touches an addicted person’s life – family
members (parents, spouses, siblings,
even children when age appropriate),
and friends – will struggle with the
person in treatment. We teach fami-
ly members that if they are reacting
or responding to their addicted loved
one from a place of fear, guilt or anger, chances are they are enabling or
in some way contributing to the problem. Families need to modify their
own behaviors and learn to manage
their own anxieties instead of jumping into old patterns of behavior with
their loved one. We at MARC need to
support them as much as we need to
support the patient. For the best outcome, the recovery program has to be
long-term.”
It is these long-term solutions that
set MARC apart from other existing
treatments and recovery programs.
Plus, the program addresses core underlying issues that interfere with the
recovery process.
“Many individuals suffering from
addiction also have co-existing mental disorders,” explains Snitzer, “such
as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder
and/or trauma-related PTSD. Because patients are with us for up to a
year, there’s a continuum of care and
treatment, starting with very intense
interactions – daily sessions with individual therapists, group therapy,
psychiatry and other rehabilitative activities – eventually segueing to more
moderate levels: helping them find
work, reentering higher education,
finding a place to live, implementing
an improved lifestyle, but still supporting them with weekly sessions as
they integrate back into the community, living their lives.”
Most individuals in early recovery
experience a jolt when leaving the
initial withdrawal program. MARC
provides a cushion with its transitional care, something critical to success.
“The patient’s is not the only one
learning,” says Snitzer, “the family is
learning at the same time. And there
can be hiccups. It’s an educational
process for everyone involved, and
that just takes time.”
“We think in terms of community,” says Seidler. “Even though we
are a treatment provider, addiction
is a complex illness, and we can’t be
all things to our patients. Since real
recovery means there will be a lot of
changes, we involve other organizations to help the person recovering
from addiction develop new life skills
and new routines.”
What organizations help out?
“MARC works with local colleges
and universities, vocational programs
and a variety of employers,” says
Snitzer. “Individuals in early recovery from addiction often face a stigma as they resume their lives. When
we place them in situations where
they feel safe, such as volunteering at
nonprofits or doing internships and
practicums, it helps their recovery by
teaching them about giving back, selfcare, and setting boundaries.”
At MARC, patients are given tools
to help them cope in the future, along
with the ability to implement them.
This makes all the difference in the
world: Knowing you have a safety net
if you ever need it.
The journey is difficult but the result, the outcome, is worth it.
Assisting young men
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on the street from West Baltimore,”
says Palermo. Sheldon was even featured on a profile of Roca that aired
on “CBS Sunday Morning” this past
February.
“I’ve been here ten-and-a-half years
and one of my proudest moments is
that Sheldon is with us at Roca,” says
Palermo. “He is a Roca success story,
and there are so many more.
“We have lost so many young people
to violence, but we can point to people like Sheldon and show others that
they can do something different with
their lives,” Palermo continues. “We
help them find out what’s important
to them, whether it’s being at home at
night to put their child to bed to finding a good job, getting an education
and more. Then we give them the tools
to help them identify what they want
their life to look like and provide them
with the job, education and life skills
to achieve it.”
Roca Baltimore also works with the
local police to foster strong and supportive relationships so that members
of the community come to trust them
and realize that not every interaction
with the police has to be negative.
“We push these young men toward
change,” says Palermo. “It’s not easy
to change and it doesn’t happen overnight, but by having conversations
with them, getting them to slow down,
and become more intentional, we can –
and do – change their behavior.”
In its first four-year report, published last year, Roca Baltimore proudly points to its success thus far: “In a
city with the nation’s second highest
murder rate, and where over 25% of
the population lives below the poverty level, we are witnessing remarkable
changes big and small for young people at the center of urban violence, and
we have reason to be hopeful.”
For more information, visit
www.rocainc.org.
Enhanced Programs
A holistic and therapeutic approach to addiction recovery
We Only Accept Medicaid Clients
Chrysalis House Inc.
1570 Crownsville Road, Crownsville, MD 21032
410-974-6829 info@chrysalishouses.org
Chrysalis House Healthy Start
4500 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215
410-483-8870 info@chrysalishouses.org
Individualized Care For Our Clients
