by: Yvette Salinas, Southern Regional Re Entry Coordinator/ T4C Facilitator Trainer
Not every change is an improvement, but every improvement is made by change. That was evident last week at the Thinking for a Change (T4C) celebration ceremony.
Friday April 27, 2012, was also a day to remember as 11 women from the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center; one of the departments contracted facilities; celebrated their first four (4) month T4C program completion. Dr. Krista Bloom, Clinical Director at Susan B. and Beth Atchison, Community Corrections Regional Director opened the program with welcoming remarks and inspiring words. Out of the 11 that completed, seven (7) are currently on supervision with Community Corrections. The entire Susan B. community was there to celebrate the hard work and dedication that goes with completing such an intensive program. These women often attended group with their small children and still managed to pay attention and participate.
One stated, “Before the class I did not think about different ways to talk to somebody. I never really listened to the other person and how they felt and thought. Now, today, if I have a problem, I find out if it’s an in my face problem or time to think problem. Then I think about how I am going to say what I need to say and who I need to say it to and when and where. People see a change in my reactions and how I deal with my problems with everyday life. Thinking for a Change has even helped me with my child.”
Operations Manager Tom Sharrard; Circuit Administrator Pam Poleszak and Program Manager Arnia Perpignand also came out to show their support. Three (3) FAU interns, who also co-facilitated the program at Susan B., were inspired by the women at the center and shared their experience with facilitating T4C and how it has impacted them. They all thanked the women for allowing us to be a part of their lives and their recovery.
All group members at both ceremonies were awarded certificates of completion and enjoyed refreshments as we all celebrated our journeys.
As I sit and write this article, I am filled with hope and inspiration to continue running groups and training new T4C facilitators. We plan to continue Thinking for a Change and will be starting groups in several Community Corrections Probation/ Parole offices in the near future.
Photos:
Beth Atchison, Regional Director; Rosalyn Baker, Circuit Administrator;Craig Spatara, Restore Project and Warden Lawrence, Sago Palm Re entry Facility attend the T4C ceremony at the Lake Worth Probation/Parole Office.
Beth Atchison, Regional Director and Yvette Salinas, Southern Regional Re entry Coordinator
at Susan B. Anthony T4C ceremony
Susan B. group members posing for a photo after the ceremony with FAU intern
For more event photos check out our Facebook.
For more information on any of our events, to sign up, or to get involved, please contact Amanda Levison, at amanda@amandalevison.com.
Check out this Press Release for the Leadership Broward Foundation and how you can become part of this amazing project!
Press Release:
As participants in Leadership Broward Class XXX, we have undertaken a project in conjunction the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center that will result in measurable benefits to the organization and our local community.
The project that we have been selected for is to assist The Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center (the “Recovery Center”) by preparing a feasibility study and business plan for a proposed thrift store to support the operations of the Recovery Center. The Recovery Center is a private, non-profit organization, whose mission is to transform the lives of its clients’ families by providing help, hope and healing for mothers and their children to live responsible drug-free lives.
Our project goal is to assist Recovery Center in performing a feasibility analysis, develop a business plan, and obtain start-up capital to open a thrift store. The thrift store will allow the Recovery Center to monetize donated items which cannot be used directly at the Recovery Center by selling them to the public and using the funds to support the Recovery Center’s operations and programming.
Our team is looking for leads to help the Recovery Center secure appropriate retail space for the thrift store. We are reaching out to local business people such as yourself, who may have or know of available space for the thrift store. Ideally, we are looking to identify locations between 700 and 1000 square feet of retail space in the Pembroke Pines, Miramar or Hollywood area. In addition, the Center is seeking any possible assistance in obtaining free or reduced cost space until the store is fully operational and can generate enough revenue to cover the cost of rent.
If you are able to assist or know of anyone who would be willing to donate space, please contact us and let us know. As the Recovery Center is a charitable organization under section 501 (c ) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, a donation space to support the center may be tax deductible to the donor.[1] Our team appreciates any leads you can provide us to assist in our search for potential thrift store location(s).
Any one of us can be contacted as the phone number or email address provided below.
The Susan B. Anthony Thrift Store Project Team,
Matt Tornincasa 561-241-2323 or matt@shendellpollack.com
Jonnine Porter Morejon 954-439-6615 or jporter@cbbfla.com
Qunea Gordon 954-357-5936 or qgordon@broward.org
Beth Gillon 954-629-8662 bethgillon@hotmail.com
Jessica Hughes 786-972-1053 or seflhughes@gmail.com
Lisa Vecchi 954-764-2890 lisav@browardhousingsolutions.org
[1] Please consult with your tax professional regarding the deductibility of any contribution to the Recovery Center based on your unique situation.
In January 2012, Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center was given the unique opportunity to begin offering Thinking for a Change Program lead by Yvette Salinas and developed by The Florida Department of Corrections/Office of Community Corrections. The classes have taken place twice per week for 12½ weeks and has serviced 24 females. We will be having our first graduation ceremony Friday, April 27th!
Thinking for a Change (T4C) is a cognitive-behavioral program, governed by a simple, straightforward principle; thinking (internal behavior) controls actions (external behavior). The program focuses on Social Skills, Cognitive Self-Change and Problem Solving to assist in the recognition of high risk thoughts that lead us in to trouble. The goal is to provide instruction, modeling and related experiences so offenders are confident and motivated to use pro-social skills when faced with interpersonal problems and/or anti-social or stressful problem situations.
We are very excited about this partnership with the Department of Corrections and working together to build positive role models and strong community members within Susan B Anthony Recovery Center.
Update: The Thinking for a Change program was not created by the Florida Department of Corrections. It was created by the National Institute of Corrections.
Susan B. has some incredible therapeutic staff members. This feature is to highlight one exceptional professional, Dr. Sigal Levy, Ph.D. “Dr. Sigal” as she is fondly called has worked at Susan B. for over 14 years, since 1998 and was the very first therapist seeing all of the residential clients in the old Ft. Lauderdale location? Dr. Levy found out about Susan B when a friend at Nova told her about this exciting new program that housed addicted women and their children together as the mothers pursued recovery.
Dr. Levy is a Clinical Psychologist, and like others at Susan B has many facets to her position. She sees residents in individual session, conducts family and group sessions, specialized trauma groups, grief and loss groups and offers couples/relationship counseling to the residents who are in or contemplating a relationship. Sometimes she even intervenes when room mates are not getting along conducting sessions that uncover hidden issues from past hurts that are impacting the present. Teaching skills that some of us take for granted is also a part of her day. Residents may arrive at Susan B. not knowing how to shop, clean, or care for themselves. “Not rehabilitation, but habitation” is how Dr. Levy puts it.
Dr Levy likes her job because every day offers a chance to impact someone’s life for the better. The clients may have low self-esteem, suffer from loss of hope and have no appreciation for themselves. Through the programs offered at SBA and the dedication of people like Dr. Levy lives change for the better, and as the mothers become stronger and more self caring life improves for the children too.
Dr. Levy attributes most of her success to the clients themselves; “hands on teaching” as she refers to it. The women teach her what they need: helping her to understand and tailor interventions to meet those requirements. It is not one therapy for all, but many different therapies to fit many different people. Building trust with the clients is key and may be difficult at times especially when the client is afraid to trust. “Trust is built by offering consistency and structure so that the client can begin to feel safe. It is this bond that helps the client to move forward out of helplessness and hopelessness, to the light at the end of the tunnel. “
Originally from Israel, Dr. Levy spent 3 years in the Israeli army as part of a special service branch helping settlers in villages near the border. She now works with Israeli vets in her small private practice, bringing a special understanding sharing the army view: that “every unit must work as a team”. In fact she praises her colleagues at Susan B as “the best team ever, everyone cares”. There was never a question in Dr. Levy’s mind as to what career she wanted to pursue. Ever since high school she knew she wanted to be a psychologist: she had in intuitive understanding of people even then. She did not choose the field, the field chose her. Her experience in counseling began working with students at the University of Miami, which she really liked because although there were many clients coming to see her, there was much less paperwork! Here it’s different. The stress level is higher and there is little time for yourself. “It takes will to recharge the batteries” that is one reason Dr. Levy is grateful that acupuncture is offered to the staff now.
Dr. Levy’s favorite part of her position at Susan B. is conducting the relaxation/meditation groups, although she readily admits it might be just “a little selfish”. With her packed schedule she has little time to de stress on her own and appreciates these sessions, although she still must monitor the clients to ensure they are not giving in to distraction.
In addition to her work with clients Dr. Levy has another passion: dancing! Ball room, salsa, Israeli folk; if it involves music and movement she is there!
What would she like to tell the world about SBA? That the mission of Susan B. Anthony is unique: she likened it to a “2 for 1” sale. “It costs more to incarcerate than to treat; and we are treating the whole family, perhaps even future families. We are transforming the world, and seeing the little ones melts my heart.”
Tomorrow at 5pm we’ll be on Local 10 News! We’re so excited to be featured and share our story.
Will you be tuning in?
Tell us!
Studies have shown that both genetic predispositions and environmental causes are factors that equally contribute to the development of alcoholism and drug addiction within the family system. More than 28 million Americans are children of alcoholics, and nearly 11 million are under the age of eighteen. For children of parents addicted to drugs or alcohol, life can be a nightmare riddled with confusion, fear, anger, and resentment. The task of knowing how to effectively deal with drug-addicted parents is further complicated by the fact that children of addicts and alcoholics are at a higher risk of developing their own addictions and alcoholism based on their biology and upbringings. Unlikely as it may seem, dealing with drug-addicted parents and shaping a healthier, happier life is possible for children of addicts and alcoholics.
Alcoholism and drug addiction tend to run in families; children of addicted parents are more at risk for alcoholism and other drug abuse than are other children. Additionally, the use of substances by parents and their adolescent children is strongly correlated; generally speaking, if parents take drugs, sooner or later their children will take drugs too. In this case, knowledge is a very powerful tool in learning how to deal with drug-addicted parents: if the child of an alcoholic or addict learns all he can about drug addiction, he may be able to avoid falling victim to the disease of addiction himself. Understanding that alcoholism is a disease of perception and the result of warped thinking can help to combat feelings of sadness, anger and resentment toward an addicted parent. Read More >>
Wednesday night, April 4th the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center Auxiliary will be hosting a Membership Mixer from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Riverside Hotel (620 East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale).
Join us for delicious refreshments, inspiring presentations, and an opportunity to learn more about the Auxiliary’s exciting volunteer opportunities and fundraising events.
We hope to see you there!
