Video Announcement on our Name Change

Here's a video announcement from our CEO Lynn Fahey on our new and expanded course for the future as BCCS!

We Are Now Brandywine Counseling & Community Services!

New Name, New Logo, New Service Offerings.

Dear Friends,

For 25 years, you've known Brandywine Counseling as a provider of outstanding substance abuse and mental health treatment, HIV/AIDS prevention and education initiatives, and advocacy services.

You've come to expect the best from us. The best possible care; the most compassionate and knowledgeable staff; the most services, for all areas of your life, all in one place. Your best chance at a new life. Now, the best is about to get even better.

Today, August 2nd, we become Brandywine Counseling & Community Services (BCCS).

We're setting a new and expanded course for the future by adding Community Services to our name. It's a distinction that acknowledges our wide range of existing services and successes, while also recognizing our growth and expertise as a community-focused behavioral health organization.

Our new look and logo is a true alignment of our heritage and vision. It's an authentic expression of BCCS' unique strength, values and goals - and the greater hope and life transformation we continue to bring you.

BCCS' expanded services in behavioral health will benefit the entire Delaware community, from our most vulnerable populations through to baby boomers heading towards retirement. Our focus will remain on 4 areas of care: prevention, education, treatment and advocacy, and soon we plan on including adolescence and primary care. Healthy behaviors result in healthy lives.

Change is good. That's something we often tell our clients. Now, Brandywine is changing, to be even better at meeting your needs. We know this change will be good for you, for us, and for the community.

As always, we thank you for your support and for helping make our work possible. Together, we help people get better.

Sincerely,

Lynn M. Fahey, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer


P.S. - Please visit brandywinecounseling.org for continued updates from BCCS, and to learn what you can do to help!

Countdown to our Big Announcement

Ten days to go until we announce our exciting news! Have you joined our email list or our Facebook page? Be the first to hear it, the morning of August 2, at 10 AM. You don't want to miss this!

We’ve given you a hint of what’s coming. Brandywine's going to get even better at meeting your needs.

So, what does that mean? How do you think Brandywine could get better? We’d like to hear from you! Tell us what more you'd like to see us do to meet the needs of the people we serve.

Be Here for Exciting News, August 2!

At Brandywine, you’ve come to expect the best.

The best possible care.

The most compassionate and knowledgeable staff.

The most services, for all areas of your life, all in one place.

Your best chance at a new life.

Now, the best is about to get even better. We’re changing, to be even better at meeting your needs.

Exciting news is coming from Brandywine Counseling! Be the first to hear the big announcement, Monday August 2. Sign up for our e-newsletter, and become a fan on Facebook.

Top 10 Posts of 2009

Happy New Year! We’re starting off 2010 with a look back at your favorite posts of last year. These were the posts you viewed the most in 2009.

1. A Life Saved by Inches
2. 5 Questions for Lynn Fahey, Executive Director
3. Recovery Month Contest: Make A Movie, Make a Difference
4. BCI Awarded Federal Funds for Homeless Program
5. Out of the Dark, A New Dawn
6. This Door Leads to Treatment, Not Back to Detox
7. BCI Names Lynn Fahey As Executive Director
8. Free Tax Preparation In Delaware
9. Remembering Iris Berman, Dedicated BCI Board Member
10. Lower the Drinking Age? How Would That Help?

There's Still Time to Donate in '09!

Dear Friends,

We at BCI hope you had a wonderful and joyous holiday, and we want to say thank you for your support all year!

If you're considering a year-end charitable gift, there is still time! And if you've already contributed, please forward this post to a friend.

There were so many BCI success stories to celebrate in 2009: Dawn's story, James's story, and Kevin's story, just to name a few. Right now, over 2,000 people are working on their recovery and trying to become the next success story. Your donation to Brandywine Counseling just might make a big difference for that person. It just might save a life.

You may donate conveniently and securely on bcidel.org. All donations are tax-deductible. Your help makes our work possible.

Have a very Happy New Year, and thank you in advance for your generosity!

Last Minute Shopper? Use GoodShop and Earn a Donation for BCI.

Hey, are you doing your last-minute Christmas shopping? Here's a great way to support BCI while you shop. Buy your gifts through GoodShop, select BCI as your charity, and a percentage of your purchase goes to us!

The snow is coming this weekend... no need to go out to the mall in the storm, stay inside and shop with GoodShop!

And, don't forget to use GoodSearch, which raises a penny for BCI with every Internet search you do. You can download a convenient toolbar to use with Explorer, Firefox, or the browser of your choice.

GoodSearch & GoodShop

YOU SEARCH OR SHOP... WE GIVE!

Raise money for BCI just by searching the web and shopping online!

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Add to your site

Your Donations In Action!

What do a roller derby team, a yoga organization, a Cleveland Browns fan club, and a retirement plan consultant have in common?

They all made donations to Brandywine Counseling in the past year. The Wilmington City Ruff Rollers helped us test 56 people for HIV. The Greater Wilmington Yoga Association helped us plan therapeutic activities to our clients. The Beach Dawgs helped brighten the holidays for recovering moms and their kids. And IPA Northeast helped us replace outdated computers with new ones. We are so proud to have such an eclectic group of donors!

These organizations may be very different, but they have one thing in common – they believe addicted people deserve help to recover. And they know that by supporting BCI’s work, they can help make sure that help is there. They took action, and they got something back: the joy of knowing they made a difference!

You can feel that joy for yourself. All you need is a desire to help. Contact BCI today to find an opportunity that fits your own personal vision. We will work together with you to turn it into meaningful action.

2009 Annual Report

Brandywine Counseling proudly presents our 2009 Annual Report. Click to view our highlights of the past year and our goals for 2010, over a backdrop of artwork created by our talented client artists.

Here is just a small sample of what we achieved this year:

• The Delaware Needle Exchange has exchanged over 28,000 syringes, enrolled over 650 participants, and identified 14 HIV positives in nearly three years of operation.
• 449 methadone patients (40%) have at least 90 days of abstinence.
• The Alpha outpatient program discharged 44% of patients successfully or with some goals completed.
• Intensive Outpatient Services were introduced at Lancaster, Alpha, and Lighthouse to offer a higher level of care to individuals not succeeding in the traditional program.
• The Newark Center saw a 25% increase in the number of patients remaining in treatment for one year or more.

We could not do the work we do without your support. Thank you for making 2009 a year of success for us and for those we serve!

Our New Shortcut: bcidel.org

We all know there are no shortcuts to recovery, but now there's a shortcut to find BCI online. Just type in bcidel.org. So for all of you whose fingers got tired typing out brandywinecounseling.org, use the shorthand! Of course, the full domain name still works, too, so now you have two ways to find us.

You can also email our staff @bcidel.org by their first initial and last name.

Presenting Our New Mission Statement!

Brandywine Counseling proudly presents our brand new mission statement, approved by our Board of Directors July 21, 2009.

Brandywine Counseling is a community organization that provides holistic care to persons and their families living with addiction, mental health, and HIV-related challenges.

We’re excited about this new statement. We think it really articulates the range of services we provide today. But we want to hear what you think! Vote in our poll below. The Board has agreed to revisit this mission statement later this year based on your feedback.

Also, stay tuned to find out how you can have input into a new BCI vision statement. This is different from a mission statement and something we’ve never had before. The process will be much more collaborative. So watch for information soon, and thank you for your continued support of BCI.

What do you think of BCI's new mission statement?
	I love it!
	It's good, but could be even better.
	It needs more work.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

How Would You Write BCI’s Mission Statement?

Our new Executive Director Lynn Fahey has said she would like to expand BCI’s mission statement to include our mental health and HIV services. As we start thinking about how this would look in writing, we want to hear from you. If you were writing BCI’s mission statement, what would it be? This is the current mission statement:

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.

Join Our Email List!

There have been lots of great stories at BCI recently. If you’re a regular reader here, you already know it. We told you the story of James, who wanted to end his life, and now is grateful to be alive. We brought you Q&A interviews with Sally and Lynn. We even brought you stories in video form and in our clients’ own words. You know about these stories, but does everyone know it?

Now, our Email List makes it easier than ever to share our stories with others. Our latest newsletter has all of them. It’s free, and easy to sign up, and you can unsubscribe whenever you choose. You can even visit our Email Archives to see examples of what you’ll get.

We think stories of recovery are great, and we want everyone to know it. If you agree, help us spread the word. Subscribe and share today!

5 Questions for Lynn Fahey, Executive Director

5 Questions is our ongoing feature where we introduce you to the people who make Brandywine Counseling run, spotlighting a different staff member every two weeks.

Name: Lynn Fahey
Job: Executive Director
Time with BCI: 16 years


1. Lynn, congratulations on becoming BCI’s new Executive Director. Tell us how you got your start in addiction treatment, and how you got to where you are today.
It’s funny, I kind of fell into addiction treatment. Coming out of college, all I knew was I wanted to help people. I applied to a couple of different non-profit organizations, and was offered a position at Brandywine, took it, and pretty much fell in love with addictions counseling. I started off as a Core Counselor. Cindy Lobis hired me, and Janice [Sneed] was the Clinical Director. Brandywine was one building. There were 30-35 employees at the time. I worked there for about two and a half years. I left and worked in the mental health field for about two years, and came back to Brandywine in the adolescent department.

The reason I came back to Brandywine was because of the organization. I think a lot of it had to do with Sally and the environment she created here. I actually took a cut in pay to come back to Brandywine, because the atmosphere and the supportive environment was more important to me than the money. The ability to focus on the treatment and care we provide, and the compassionate side of what is still a business, and that compassion and care extended not just to the clients, but to staff as well. So, to be able to help people, and to be able to grow as a person at the same time, I thought was an extraordinary opportunity, and something that I just wanted to continue to do.

And then I went back to school, got my certification, worked in the adolescent unit, then worked in the women’s department, eventually ran the women’s department. When Brandywine continued to grow and get bigger, I took on more and more responsibilities, and eventually became Site Director. I was moved around from Riverfront to Alpha, wherever I was needed. When [we started] Alpha, we only had two counselors, and maybe thirty clients in the drug free program at Brandywine, and of course since then, it’s been expanded to over 300 clients, and lots of staff. And from there, I worked closely with Sally and everyone else. Learned a lot. Went back to school again, got my doctorate in administrative, because by that point, I’m realizing that I’m more and more in administrative, and less in the clinical end, and knew that could be very beneficial to myself and Brandywine.

2. Tell us about your plans for Brandywine. What challenges are ahead and how will you approach them?
It’s all very exciting. [I’m looking forward to] working with everybody in the organization to take Brandywine to the next level. As far as the organization’s mission, just expanding that a little bit, to verbally include things we’re already doing, like our HIV services, mental health, and co-occurring treatment.

What Sally’s managed to do with this organization is nothing short of extraordinary. So, to take it and continue to grow and look towards the future, and what’s coming in the field, and being a viable, sustainable company that continues to provide the best services available to our clients, is very, very exciting. What has been said to me, even by Sally, is, I’m not Sally. So, to say that there won’t be change, wouldn’t be realistic. To say that I want to change the culture of Brandywine, is not what I want to do. I want to expand and change some of the services we provide to our clients. Those are the types of changes that I would focus on.

To state the obvious, [our biggest challenge is] the financial situation that the state of Delaware, and obviously, the country at large, finds itself in. When I talk about expansion of services, it’s all contingent upon obtaining additional funds, so there may be some really tough decisions coming about where to maintain our focus. Some of the goals that we have may end up being more long-term than short-term. I would love to see us create programs, or come up with plans for programs that we want, and look for funding to fit those programs. That might mean being more selective about what funds we go for, too.

3. What would you like to say to our clients?
I want to reassure them that the high quality care that they’re getting will continue. And that, as always, I welcome constructive suggestions on how we can improve. If they’re noticing things that are lacking, or not quite working, I would want to hear that in a way that provides solutions to those issues. I’m going to try, in the next couple of months, to make myself available to them. Maybe I’ll come into some groups in the different locations, or have a town hall meeting in each location, so they can speak, and meet me directly. I know a lot of the clients know me, but a lot don’t, so I think it’s important for them to know who I am and what I’m about, and to hear it directly from me, in person.

4. What’s been rewarding to you about working at BCI?
When I get a call from a client I worked with, years and years ago, and they tell me that they’re doing well. They mention the counseling they received from Brandywine, but just to hear that people are changing and growing, and creating better lives for themselves and their families, is why we’re all here. So, to hear those stories, and hear from recovering people, and know that we’ve been able to make a difference in their lives.

When I worked with the women and children’s program, we had an individual come in on a Friday afternoon at 3:00. She was pregnant, homeless, some health issues. Unfortunately, she was prostituting. Heroin, cocaine, relationship issues, mental health issues. She came in, basically, with most of the issues that someone can have, suffering with addiction. And I was able watch her, in the program, get into sobriety, and give birth to a healthy, beautiful, gorgeous baby girl. And she went back to school, because she didn’t have a high school education. Just the transformation, physically, mentally, spiritually, that this woman went through. Watching it happen, and then watching the way she was able to parent her child, was very exciting.

5. If you had $30,000 to donate to BCI, what would you do with it?
There’s so many important things. I think I might focus on developing a parenting curriculum that targets the parents and the children, so that I would be able to train the staff appropriately in an evidence-based practice, that would impact and break the cycle of addiction, and the generational issues that addiction has. It’s sad when you see individuals come in and they report that mom and dad had an addiction issue, and they were raised in an abusive home, and grandma and grandpa had an addiction issue. Some of our clients aren’t here for extended periods of time, and if we can get to their children, then maybe we can plant a seed that will help them take a different direction in life, and obviously help the parents become better parents as well. So to me, taking that $30,000, and utilizing it that way, has the potential to have a magnifying or rippling effect in the community, and with our clients.

A Dedication and Celebration, BCI Style (Complete with Water Guns)

BCI staff past and present, and our friends outside the organization, gathered June 24, 2009 for a twofold purpose. We dedicated our Outreach Center in honor of our first Outreach Director Linda DeShields, and we took time to pay tribute to our retiring Executive Director Sally Allshouse. In true BCI fashion, it was an afternoon of fellowship, recovery, and fun.

The afternoon began with a proclamation by Board President David Oppold dedicating the Linda DeShields Outreach Center. To the sounds of cheers, the ribbon was cut and a plaque was unveiled inside. Lunch was served, including dishes home cooked by staff, and tours were given of the renovated facility. Guest speakers then reminisced about Linda and honored her legacy.

James Harrison shared the story of how Linda recruited him as the first BCI employee to be previously a consumer on the methadone program. He also tells the story here. James recalled Linda’s work ethic, how she didn’t have a watch, or understand the concept of 8 hours and you were done. He recalled Linda sending him into a crack house to find a person. “I can’t go in there, I’m a recovering addict,” he said. Linda answered, “That’s why I hired you, go in there and get ‘em!” So James went in, because you don’t say no to Linda DeShields, and that person is doing well in treatment today.

Jack Booker, Linda’s oldest son, noted her unconditional love for her children. “When I think of my mom, I think about God, and to me, God is loving, caring, sharing, and helping.” In an emotional tribute, he thanked her for giving him the skills to be successful in life and for never giving up on her family. Her legacy includes daughter Rochelle who’s following in her footsteps as supervisor of the Needle Exchange.

Laurie Dyer, a past employee of BCI, recalled running a women’s group with Linda, and getting them makeovers at Wannamaker’s. Another time, they attended a workshop on African American heritage that ended with Linda initiating Laurie as an African American woman. “I was honored! I came back and told everyone, ‘I’m a black woman!’ and I am proud to say that today!” Finally, she recollected what it was like to take a trip with Linda as your backseat driver, pretending to be asleep, but somehow awakening at the moment you start to talk about her.

Shay Lipshitz said she is forever indebted to Linda, who hired her at BCI. Having been called away for a presentation and nearly missing today’s event, Shay recalled Linda’s words, “You always have to give something back to the house, and I hope I did that today.”

Sally Allshouse told of meeting Linda on her second day at work. “She looked at me, looked me up and down, and said, ‘Time will tell.’ She was the most amazing, strong, black woman. She loved her family, she loved God, and she loved working. She knew by giving back to her community, she would be rewarded. She adopted us. She would go eat anywhere. Every Thanksgiving, every Christmas, if she knew where you lived, she would show up. She was a Delawarean, she knew what it meant to live in Wilmington, to be raised in Wilmington, to have trouble in Wilmington, but she believed in Wilmington.”

Rochelle Booker, Linda’s daughter, thanked everyone for coming to celebrate her mom. She then introduced Sally and informed her this was a surprise going away party. (Actually it was not that surprising, as Sally found out a day before.) Rochelle noted that it was Sally who gave her her start. “I know when she saw my application, she probably said uh-uh. Another Booker? When you’re introducing someone this good, you can’t write nothin’ down. All I can say is thank you from my heart and I love you.”

Rochelle presented Sally with a baton to symbolically pass the torch to her successor, Lynn Fahey. Sally, in turn, brought some gifts for her staff. Explaining she was cleaning out her office and returning confiscated materials, she presented each manager with a toy water gun, to much laughter and applause. “If you know my staff, they can be a little raucous, and some of them have criminal histories!”

But this was only the beginning, as more toys were bestowed upon Lynn. Juggling balls, which every Executive Director needs. Punching bags for the days you get really angry. “Character In a Jar” for dealing with funding agencies who never play fair. “Whack a Mole” for dealing with all the BCI sites. “There's Alpha! There's Outreach! There's Lancaster! There's Newark! They keep poppin’ up!” “Grow a Therapist.” (Self-explanatory.) A foam sword to cut through the bull. Last but not least, the biggest water gun of all, because “When you have staff who are criminals, you need a really big gun. This thing will squirt, and Lynn, you’re gonna need to squirt!” All joking aside, Sally said she’s had the best 21 years at BCI, and 39 years in the addiction field, and it’s been a moment of joy every single day because she gets to see miracles.

Lynn Fahey thanked Sally for her caring over the years, for the opportunities and the life lessons, saying, “I will be doing everything in my power to continue what you’ve created and built.” She then presented gifts to Sally from the staff, reading a letter of gratitude for her leadership and dedication. Since Sally would not allow us to buy her anything, the staff made a donation of $600 to Brandywine Counseling in her name. Lynn also announced we will rededicate the Sara Allshouse Tree of Excellence, noting the tree trunk is a fitting symbol of her stable and strong leadership that enabled BCI to achieve such growth. Sally was also presented with a real, potted tree.

David Oppold read a letter from Senator Carper’s office thanking Sally for her dedication that has touched thousands of lives. The floor was then opened up to all the guests to share their stories, thoughts, and gratitude.

Steve Burns was given his start at BCI by both Linda and Sally. He recalled working as a counselor in Riverside, and one day Linda came and got everyone to go do outreach. Steve said, “I’m a counselor, not an outreach worker.” Linda replied, “Everybody’s an outreach worker today. Get your a** outside!” Steve thanked Sally for encouraging him to go back to school, and for her longtime support of the 1212 Club.

James Harrison described Sally as someone “to take a nobody and say you’re a somebody.” He also remembered spiritual experiences, like the time a Joint Commission challenge resolved itself not even an hour after Sally’s words, “Let’s pray!” Marge Flynn gave thanks for Sally’s support after her relapse after years of recovery, and eventually rehiring her. “That’s love! That’s recovery!” Laurie Dyer recalled how Sally made work pleasurable to come to every day, complete with pranks at the office and staff retreats.

Former staff member Joanne Coston noted Linda’s and Sally’s personal influence on her and on how she raised her kids. Consultant Dorothy Dillard presented Sally with the “Nth Chance Award,” after all those she gave a first, second, 50th, and 100th chance. Sally thanked us all and left us with these words: “If you don’t believe in recovery, and if you don’t believe people get better, then get out of the tent, because this tent is about recovery!”

What a day it was. Many more of us could have spoken yesterday if time permitted. Since I did not get my chance, I’ll do so now. It’s well known that Sally took a chance in hiring people new to recovery. But she also took a chance in hiring me to be her assistant. I came in with no non-profit experience, some grant writing ability, and a degree in chemical engineering, of all things. I knew nothing of addiction, and was dead set against working with “those addicts.” So much so, that I even turned down my second interview at first. But something stuck with me and eventually made me change my mind. I had interviewed at many non-profits, but this one was different. BCI was more rough around the edges, but behind that I saw passion, potential, and a refreshing frankness. Without meeting any other staff, I knew this attitude came from Sally, and I decided I wanted to work for her. And so it was that I got my big break in the non-profit sector, and also learned to open my mind to the unfamiliar and the exciting.

As yesterday’s celebration shows, that spirit is still here at Brandywine. It started with Linda DeShields and with Sally Allshouse, but will remain even after they’ve left. Thanks Linda, and thanks Sally.

Use GoodSearch and Raise a Penny for BCI with Every Search

What if BCI earned a donation every time you searched the Internet? Now, we can. BCI is now registered with GoodSearch and GoodShop. Like more than 80,000 nonprofits and schools, we can make money every time you do an online search.

Here's all you need to do. Just start using Yahoo! powered GoodSearch.com as your search engine. Go to www.goodsearch.com and enter Brandywine Counseling as the charity you want to support. They'll donate about a penny to us every time you do a search!

In addition, do all of your shopping through their online shopping mall, GoodShop.com. You can shop at more than 900 top online retailers including Amazon, eBay, and Target, and a percentage of your purchases will go to the charity of your choice. You pay the same price as you normally would, but a donation goes to BCI!

GoodSearch.com is the search engine with a unique social mission. They've been featured in the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Oprah Magazine and more. There is no cost to BCI or to you, as the money comes from advertisers. And, be sure to spread the word! Please tell 10 friends that BCI is on GoodShop and GoodSearch. You can also get badges like the one below, logos, flyers, and more here. This is such an easy way to raise much-needed funds if lots of people do it, so we need your help!

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5 Questions for Sally Allshouse, Executive Director

5 questions is our ongoing feature where we introduce you to the people who make Brandywine Counseling run, spotlighting a different staff member every two weeks.

Name: Sally Allshouse
Job: Executive Director
Time with BCI: 21 years

1. You’re retiring at the end of June after a long and distinguished career in addiction treatment. How did you get started in the field?
It was sort of like a coincidence. I student taught in 1969 at Forwood Elementary School. And I ran into the woman who I taught under, at a department store where I was working, and she asked, “Why are you working here?” And [she] had a friend, Rev. Richard Hamilton, who had just been appointed by the Governor to start drug abuse services in the state of Delaware – because before then, there wasn’t any, it was only alcohol services – and she hooked me up with an interview with him. And I was one of the first outreach workers in the State of Delaware back then. So that was 1970.

2. What would people be surprised to know about your job?
One, I love it. That I do know about the clients, still. I do, through incident reports and through talking to the site supervisors, still get very involved with client issues. Every day’s different. There is no typical day. The biggest challenge over the years has been to keep my stress level down, not to prejudge things, try to be fair about situations, and keep a fresh look at what we do and how we do it. I dislike hearing, “That’s the way we do it.” And to me, that’s important, to be able to keep looking at things in a fresh way.

3. What advice do you have for someone who would like to do the job you do?
A student intern, maybe 5 or 6 years ago, asked me that question, and my response to her was that she should learn how to juggle. And I think that’s true. You need to be able to have more than one ball in the air. You need to be able to realize that everything you do is connected, so if you drop one, they could affect the whole organization. So someone needs to be able to think on their toes, and remain calm, and try and get a perspective about what’s going on.

4. If you had $30,000 to donate to BCI, what would you do with it?
You know, there’s so many areas. And I’ve read what people have said to you about what they would do. I would really like a fund established for the kids. There are so many children that are affected by this disease. They stand in line with their parents, or we see them in our outreach, and we see them in all the programs. We have people who are generational here, whose parents were here, and now they’re here. And if we could do something in the prevention area for those kids, I think that would be wonderful.

5. What are you most proud of in your time at Brandywine?
So many things. Services for women, and their children. That’s always been a priority to me. And outreach, I think. Doing our outreach has been very valuable. There’s been a couple of clients that I’ve been really proud of, that have gone from being clients [to being employees.] Someone who served on our board for awhile and then became an employee, I think he’s a great success. Clients who have gone from entry into our medication-assisted programs, all the way to Newark and just coming in monthly. I think there have been great successes for that.

Brandywine Counseling Names Lynn Fahey As Executive Director

Brandywine Counseling, Inc. (BCI), a non-profit provider of addiction treatment and HIV/AIDS prevention services, today announced the appointment of Lynn M. Fahey, Ph.D. as its new Executive Director. In this role, she will direct, supervise, and coordinate administrative functions and the activities of the organization. Dr. Fahey will take over as Executive Director July 1 for Sara Taylor “Sally” Allshouse, who is retiring after 21 years.

“I am honored to continue Sally's legacy of innovative and extraordinarily high-quality care to individuals with substance abuse and mental health issues,” said Dr. Fahey.

Dr. Fahey has worked for BCI for 16 years, progressing from Counselor to Clinical Supervisor to her current position of Site Director for the Alpha Outpatient Program. She has developed, implemented, and managed programs serving over 300 active clients. She has worked with a variety of populations including adolescents, dual diagnosed, pregnant women, mothers and criminal justice. Under her leadership, the Outpatient Program has consistently met Performance-Based Contact requirements, decreased patient wait time and no-shows, incorporated Evidence-Based Practices, and created a team environment with very low staff turnover.

Dr. Fahey received her Ph.D. in Psychology in 2007 from Saybrook Research Institute. Her studies focused on organizational systems, business and management systems, program evaluation, and change management She obtained her M.A. in Psychology in 1996 from Washington College, and her B.A in Political Science in 1991 from DeSales University. She has dual certification in Alcohol and Drug Addiction (CADC, Delaware), which includes diverse counseling skills, case management, supervision, program development, and program management.

Brandywine Counseling, Inc. is a non-profit substance abuse treatment agency that provides counseling and related assistance to addicted persons and their families for chemical addiction and related problems. BCI is Delaware’s largest provider of addiction services, serving over 2,000 clients age 18 and over at seven locations statewide. For more information, please visit brandywinecounseling.org.

Take a Video Tour of BCI Alpha

Are you thinking about getting help for drug or alcohol addiction, but aren't sure what to expect? Now you can take a "virtual tour" of the BCI Alpha Outpatient Program! Meet our staff, see each step of the process, and learn what you can do to be successful in treatment.



Thanks to Will Leitzinger who volunteered his time to film this video.

Grant Writing Season

If you're a regular BCI Blog reader, you might think things have been quiet here. Why so few posts lately? Actually, it's grant writing season, and we've been hard at work on some applications for new federal funding.

Writing a grant is a long, tedious process – from the beginning when we’re throwing out ideas, trying to funnel them into a coherent concept; to the end, chasing down that last letter of support that we know went out, just not where it ended up. What a relief to upload the finished package to the agency and see the message come up on my screen, “Confirmation.”

But there’s also an exciting aspect. Grant writing is our chance, as treatment providers, to think big. To think how we can do what we do in a better way. To visualize how we could better meet our clients’ needs and try to put it into practice. To think about where we can partner with other community agencies, and where our new, most promising practices like recovery coaching fit in. And to use some pretty cool language like “treatment that works in a new way.”

Now, we wait a few months to see if we get an award. And, I get back to my regular posting duties here (after some vacation time next week). So things aren’t quiet at all here at BCI. Actually, there’s quite a lot going on. Stay tuned.