5 Questions for Domenica Personti, Program Manager

5 Questions is our staff spotlight feature where we introduce you to the people who make BCCS run.

Name: Domenica Personti 

Job: Program Manager, Lancaster Center

Time with BCCS: 4 years

1. Tell us what you do at Brandywine.

I was recently promoted to Program Manager at the Lancaster site. I do a lot of trainings for the staff, supervise the Perinatal program, the NSAFE program, the Core department, as well as all the support services, Anger Management, Partial, and IOP.

This position still allows me to do front line work. I still have the opportunity to meet and talk with clients on a daily basis. I want to make sure that I am available to them. Recently, I set up a “sound-off” for clients, twice a day every Tuesday for the whole month of October. Anyone who wants to can come and sit with me, and just have a conversation about things that they like, and things that they want to change, and things that they think we are doing well. Hearing what the clients have to say is really important to me.

My biggest challenge is probably slowing myself down. I would like to just do everything, like, tomorrow! And I’m constantly working on me, to slow down and look at things realistically. It’s challenging for me to not be spontaneous, especially when you see this great vision that we have. I see Brandywine with this great vision, so it’s exciting, and sometimes it’s hard to slow yourself down and work through it.

2. Anger Management and Partial Hospitalization are some of the new programs you’ve introduced at Brandywine. Tell us about these programs and why they were introduced.

We offer Anger Management in a one day, eight hour course on Fridays and/or Saturdays. It made sense to do it here, to make it an affordable and allow the clients to “one stop shop,” like we do everything else at Brandywine. It provides easier access. They’re right here. They can take it here. It’s also open to the public. Anyone can come and take it, but originally, it made sense for our clients.

Partial Hospitalization is for our clients who are having a little bit of difficulty at our other levels of care. So when we see that they’re struggling and need a little bit more intensive treatment, we can refer them to our Partial program. That runs 7 AM to 1:30, Monday through Friday. It includes education and group therapy sessions. They get a half an hour to 45 minute lunch. So it’s kind of like school, so to speak.

3. You’ve also been very involved in addressing the educational needs of Brandywine staff. How important is ongoing training to the services our staff provides?

This is so important. Our field shifts and changes so often, that we have to be up to speed as to what new treatment modalities are out there, and what new tools we can use to treat our clients. I feel like it’s such an important tool that the staff need, as well, if we can constantly keep them fresh, even if it’s retraining in certain areas.

I want the staff to be cross trained, so that everyone can work in any aspect of treatment here at Brandywine. My vision is for all staff to be able to work in multiple areas, fill in when needed and be true team players. For example, anyone can do intake, and everyone understands and knows what NSAFE does. So if an NSAFE client doesn’t have access to a case manager right away, one of the Core counselors should be able to meet with that client, and at least occupy them and help them a little bit until their primary is available. This will improve the quality of our care, and we will treat the clients better. I think that’s all part of training.

Education is so, so, so important now. When I came into the field, you just had to have an Associates degree. That was in ’99. Now, there’s such a focus on education, as well there should be. The day I stop learning, I’m really not any good to anyone else, and I believe that. That’s why I’m still in school. I just try and push education, absolutely. You can’t really do a whole lot without that anymore.

4. Tell us your favorite client success story.

I had a client that I worked with as support for the counselor, when I was a supervisor. When I met him, [he] had just went through a pretty bad relapse, had been using for about 10 months. I met with him pretty often for a good 3 or 4 months, got him linked up with a lot of support services that he needed. He ended up going to school for ten weeks, got a skill certification, and then got a union job, and he’s now a 13 day client [with 3 years clean and twice a month pickups.] So that’s a pretty awesome success story. And I still see him pretty often and I still look and see how he’s doing, so that’s a good feeling.

5. If you had $30,000 to donate to BCCS, what would you do with it?

I would do criminal re-entry, absolutely, without a doubt. I went into this field when I was 19 years old, gaining my first experiences working at Gander Hill Prison and with AmeriCorps. We went into the prison and did a project based around vocational rehab, and how it benefits people who are at risk for substance abuse and incarceration, due to any kind of history of crime. While I was there, I was exposed to so many intelligent people who had just fallen into the wrong crowd, or used drugs at a young age, and I was amazed at the level of intelligence a lot of them had, and their current situation kind of held them back.

I would take $30,000 and I would do a criminal re-entry program, and I would help the offenders coming out of prison before they even got out. Case management services for the couple weeks before they get out, and then assist them with housing, employment, and record expungement. That’s a really big deal. I think that’s one of the biggest hindrances that our clients who have criminal history have, in getting employment. So that would be, without a doubt, what I would do with it.

DWI Consequences as Seen Through Driver's Status Updates

This is an amazing video that follows a young partygoer from happy hour to a DWI charge and all its consequences. The story is advanced entirely through status updates on social media. At the end, we see it all could be avoided by designating a driver. What better educational tool to reach the under 25 age group?

The video is by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Thanks to Osocio for the tip.

Housing, Rehab Services Grow for Delaware’s Recovering Persons

Jim Martin, a housing and recovery advocate from downstate, wrote to us with an update on some new services available for recovering persons in Delaware.

You might remember our previous posts here and here on Jim’s past as an Oxford House resident and volunteer. Now a graduate in good standing, he still volunteers with Oxford House. “Throughout the past 2 years, I have successfully placed over 150 men and 8 women in affordable recovery beds and my plan is to keep going because I see how the need keeps growing and growing,” he says.

Jim passed along a number of resources we wanted to share with you:

• U Count Family Home is a new 3/4 recovery house in Georgetown with a special focus on dads in recovery. Located at 1 New Street, it has space for up to 8 men. The typical resident is coming from prison, homelessness or rehab, and working toward reunifying with their children. Jim is the volunteer organizer for U Count, and wants to thank BCI Georgetown for sending many housing referrals. “Both Kelle [Paynter] and Rachel [Eaton] have been doing tremendous work in our communities down here in Sussex!!” he says. “They are excellent resources and have so much knowledge about the area."

• The new I-ADAPT team in Kent County has monthly meetings open to the public. I-ADAPT helps place substance abusers and others into employment and housing after release from prison. "We are all coming away with a better understanding of how the state agencies and committees have been working together for effective prisoner reentry," Jim says. "Obviously, there is much to be done and we must continue to work together to bring about significant change."

• The Delaware Department of Labor is offering a summer Job Club to provide assistance with resume writing, interviewing practice, and job searching. This is specifically intended for people with difficult employment barriers. Contact Jim for more information.

Jim invites you to reach out to him with any questions about Oxford housing or any of the items above. You can reach him by phone at (302) 858-6980, or by email at james.martin@state.de.us or green1980580@yahoo.com.

Thanks Jim for the update, and for all the work you do.

Treatment Cuts Recidivism Nearly in Half

From the Harm Reduction Coalition:

Criminal offenders who completed in-prison and community-based treatment were far less likely to end up back in prison than those who did not get services, according to a new report from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

Corrections.com reported Oct. 8 that the report -- released as the state of California planned to slash funding for prison-based treatment programs -- found that the return-to-custody rate among treatment graduates was 21.9 percent at one year and 35.3 percent after two years, compared to 39.9 percent and 54.2 percent, respectively, for all offenders.

The research showed that treatment was especially affected for female offenders, just 8.8 percent of whom reoffended within a year of release if they completed treatment. That compared to a recidivism rate of 30.1 percent overall. After two years, the recidivism rate was 16.5 percent for women who completed treatment, compared to 43.7 percent among all offenders.

That's an impressive return on treatment.

Prison Ignored Pleas for Help from Inmate in Heroin Withdrawal

An inmate in Pittsburgh died unnecessarily after prison staff failed to treat his symptoms of withdrawal from heroin, according to this article.

"The inmates continuously told the nurses that Mr. Kardos needed medical assistance. Mr. Kardos was ridiculed and laughed at by the nursing staff and Defendant Nurse Mark Knapic stated, 'He'll live. He's not going to die,' " the suit said.

In one form he filled out, Mr. Kardos wrote: "I need to see a nurse asap. I'm recovering from dope sickness. I'm vomiting up everything I've put in my stomach. I have a very bad headache. I can't stand without starting to black out. I really need something for these problems, asap. Please see me and give me something soon."

Still, the lawsuit states, Mr. Kardos received no treatment.

This is outrageous if it happened as described. Hopefully it would not happen in Delaware, where an estimated 500 people a year enter prisons in withdrawal from opiates.

Join Us for a Workshop: "Human Trafficking in Delaware"

Brandywine Counseling and the Ministry of Caring invite you join us April 29, 2009 for an Information Session, "Human Trafficking in Delaware," by Ron Chance.

Delaware may be in trouble...we need to learn more so we can help. This workshop will give us ideas on how to identify this hidden epidemic and what to do about it.

Human trafficking is the modern day practice of slavery. It is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Every year traffickers generate billions of dollars in profits at the expense of victimizing millions of people around the world. Victims of human trafficking are people forced or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation.

The Presenter, Ronald Chance, brings to this topic a 20 year career in law enforcement. He has served with the U.S. Department of Justice to address organized crime and racketeering. As National Intelligence Coordinator he created a system to investigate major criminal activity.

Location: Community Services Building- Conference Room -2nd Floor, 100 West 10th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.

When: Wednesday, April 29, 10:00AM to 12:00PM

Parking: CSB parking is on Orange St. at 11th, bring your ticket with you and we will validate it with a stamp. Please remember to sign the book at the security desk on the first floor.

PLEASE RSVP WITH THE NUMBER ATTENDING:
Phone: 302-655-9880 ext 23
or bsilverman[at]brandywinecounseling[dot]org


Thank you,
Basha Silverman and Sister Jean Rupertus

5 Questions for Jennifer Rossiter, Assessor

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: Jennifer Rossiter
Job: Assessor, Probation and Parole/Alpha Program, New Castle Center
Time with BCI: 9 years

1. Tell us about the relationship between the BCI assessors and the probation officers. What benefits are there to being located at the same site?
I think the relationship’s great. I love working with probation officers. The benefit is, they have instant access to us. They can have a walk-in. Let’s say a client has missed an appointment because the client was working, and they come in for report day. The P.O. can come and say, “Hey, listen, this guy is working. He can’t make it any other time. Can you see him today?” And sometimes it can be right then, or we’ll see them in an hour, so that’s really an advantage for the client.

The probation officer has instant access to our recommendation, and a lot of times, they’ll stop in, [and] ask me about different drug effects. Actually, yesterday, somebody was suicidal, and one of the P.O.’s came down and asked me to go talk to the person. They might ask about meetings, they might ask about resources. So I think it’s great for the probation officers, because we’re here, and if they have a question, we can answer it as quickly as we can for them. And for the client - they don’t have to go running around town. They can see their probation officer, and come right to us, instead of having to try to get transportation - if they have a drug charge they usually lose their license - so it makes it easier for them, too.

2. Why did you decide to work in addiction treatment?
My life’s given me the opportunity to have a lot of experiences that can relate to other people. And I noticed that throughout most my life, people come up and tell me their life stories. They tell me their problems, things like that. And I figured I ought to start getting paid for it. (Laughs) And then I decided that, I got in the field and I was gonna save the world. I found out that you can’t save the world, but you can help some people save themselves. And I like that.

3. What would people be surprised to know about your job?
Sometimes we deal with people who don’t have an addiction problem. Or they may be social users of alcohol, and something happened and they broke a law and they ended up in the criminal justice system. We may be the only people in the addictions field that they encounter. And they don’t want to be here, they “know” they don’t have a problem, maybe they just made a really bad decision and they got in trouble with the law. So here they are, they’re told they have to go have this assessment, to see if they have an addiction or some kind of problem - so that in itself has got to be very uncomfortable. And sometimes the client or consumer is very uncomfortable when they come in. We may be only connection they have with the addictions field. And somebody might say, “Well, yeah, you’re in Probation and Parole, they all have an addictions problem.” No, they don’t. And that might surprise a lot of people.

4. Tell us your favorite client success story.
It was a while ago, and it was back when the “three time loser law” was actually in effect. This person was looking at a life sentence, and he was involved in treatment. He had a history of dealing drugs, and possession. And because he was involved in treatment, the judge gave him a break. A couple years later, he found me and asked me to go to an NA anniversary meeting of his. And in the meeting, he said that he wanted to thank a counselor that hadn’t given up on him. And as far as I know, he’s now a minister of a very active congregation. That was very rewarding, because he didn’t give up on himself.

5. If you had $30,000 to donate to BCI what would you do with it?
I have a pretty strong feeling about this one. I would donate it to educational resources to start training more counselors to deal with men who have been abused sexually. Other than - is Brenda still in the basement? Okay, I’d give some money to get her an office! (Laughs)

I was a clinical supervisor and provided service at a men’s halfway house many years ago. And this isn’t a scientific study, and it’s only a guess, but my guess would be, at least 80% of the men who landed in the halfway house - which means they had usually several episodes of treatment unsuccessfully - have been sexually abused. And I think they carry a lot of pain that goes along with addictions, and I don’t really think it’s been addressed yet, the way it should be, and needs to be, for the whole society.

More Court Appearances = More Success for High-Risk Drug Offenders

BCI's Drug Court Diversion Program clients took part in a research study which found that high risk offenders achieve better outcomes in treatment with more frequent court hearings. The article appears in the December issue of NIDA Notes.

A “high risk” offender is defined as one who has antisocial personality disorder or prior drug treatment, which makes them more likely to return to criminal behavior including drug abuse. A drug court program provides educational groups, drug testing, referrals, and support in meeting personal lifestyle goals in lieu of prosecution for a first time offense. It’s estimated that such programs save $1000 to $15,000 a year per client in judicial costs and financial loss to crime victims.

In the study, participants who were required to attend court for monitoring every two weeks had a higher rate of graduation from the treatment program, fewer days of drug use, and fewer days of alcohol intoxication than participants who were monitored every 4-6 weeks.

The study also found that low-risk offenders do just as well when their frequency of hearings is reduced. This means that drug court programs can shift their existing resources to increase the monitoring of those most at risk, and decrease it for those at low risk. The programs can thereby improve public safety without increasing costs.

Good news for drug court participants and for the public.

Volunteer Spotlight: James Kennedy, Alpha Program

Hi, this is James Kennedy and I'm an intern with Brandywine Counseling Alpha. I first heard about BCI through a friend who is also in recovery. She recommended that I check into working here for my internship for Delaware Tech. I later heard more about it through my advisor at school, who recommended it to me to consider for my internship for my drug/alcohol counseling degree.

I decided to do my internship here for several reasons. I like the diverse and eclectic staff that offer such a wide range of skills and life experiences, from mental health to art groups, to provide a progressive approach to addiction treatment. I also like the tight knit family atmosphere among the staff. From the day of my interview and on, I felt welcomed and part of the team, and I feel it’s this attitude that makes the program so effective and beneficial to our clients.

Honestly, I didn’t know much about BCI’s program before I came in, except that it was an outpatient treatment program, but when I met with Mark Lanyon, I soon learned that it is more than just a simple outpatient program; it’s instead a resource for the clients to treat every aspect of their addiction, including their mental health problems, family problems, and even compulsive gambling issues.

In the time I’ve been here, I have been working on a wide array of projects, such as intakes and assessments, brief face to face sessions with clients, assisting with treatment plan writing and revising, discharge summaries, as well as facilitating several groups here, and at the North Wilmington site, the Plummer Correctional Facility, and the Webb Correctional Center.

I will take away from this experience a greater knowledge of how to treat addiction, how to connect with clients in a friendly yet professional manner, and a beginning knowledge of working with clients in the criminal justice system and those with mental health issues. But I will also be taking with me a better knowledge of myself and how my strengths can fit in with a team. It really is a terrific feeling to get involved and help people in need. It’s a greater high than any drug can offer.

5 Questions for Marty Nagy, Counselor

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: Marty Nagy
Job: Counselor, Drug Court Diversion Program
Time with BCI: 6 years

1. Tell us about your job and what brought you to BCI.
I work in the Court of Common Pleas Drug Diversion. Basically, it’s a first offenders’ education program. So I do groups three times a week, see clients individually as needed, get them back on track, and educate them on addiction. I think if we can keep an open mind, and learn to listen to the client, and have the ability to go where they are, then we can perhaps bring them to where they can be.

I wanted to give back what I was given. I’m a recovering person, and I just owe a lot to the counselor that I had when I was in rehab. She inspired me to want to do this and make a difference. I worked in Core [BCI’s methadone program] back in the 90’s, and left, and then when I came back, the Diversion Program was available. And I’ve really been grateful that I’ve had a second chance, and have enjoyed everything. It’s just been a great place.

2. What can I expect if I come to your group?
I do three education groups a week. I think my years of experience in the field [makes the group unique.] And I do have a sense of humor that I try to bring to group, and not downplay the seriousness of addictions, but bring a little levity, so that they’re not ill at ease to learn.

We have a group on marijuana. And so, I’ll open up group by saying that the first person that was clean from marijuana developed the Weed Eater, and became famous. Just goofy little stuff like that. And they laugh, and they say, “All right, c’mon now!” And then I get on with the facts. So I try to kind of catch their attention.

3. Tell us your favorite client success story.
There was one person that was able to manage their mental health needs. They saw Gordon [Pizor, our psychologist,] and they got some help through him. Then, they were able to get on some medicine through their doctor, and they were able to stay clean. They had been smoking marijuana, kind of as an adjunct. They successfully completed our program, they got a job, they got better relationships with their children, and their marriage improved. So it was pretty successful that, all the way around, things clicked once the abuse had stopped.

4. Many of our staff decorate their office with personal items. Tell us what you have in your office.
I have some educational posters. I have a picture of a natural park. I do have a couple of handouts on marijuana and some information on other agencies. And I have three cartoons that are my favorites. One is a person standing in line between alcohol and drugs, and Krispy Kreme. And they’re choosing the doughnut line. Which is good, y’know? And the other cartoon is a bunch of deer looking at the hunters and they’re commenting on how stupid they are.

5. If you had $30,000 to donate to BCI what would you do with it?
I’d like to see it go to HIV prevention and to the outreach. I just feel very strongly that, of all the many things we do, that’s sort of at my heartstrings. And I think that’s where I would like it to go, if I could give it.

"Drugs Bring Death" - One Man's Sign Starts A Movement

In one Ohio city, a grass-roots movement against drugs has been started by one man with a handmade sign and a message that gets right to the point.

For about four hours, Jesse Lowe stood silently by himself holding a cardboard sign with three words scrawled in black marker: "Drugs Bring Death."

His message wasn't aimed just at the dealers or residents of the neighborhood scarred by shootings and fear. He wanted the city to hear him.
…

His wife, Cynthia, told him to take someone with him, but no one was willing to go along that first time. Neighborhood association leaders called his stand heroic while others said he was naive and putting his family at risk.
…

A week after that first protest, about 15 people stood with Lowe at another intersection in the same neighborhood.
…

"The courage of one man is spreading to everyone," said police Maj. Kevin Martin. "This is what the solution has to be. As police, we're limited in what we can do."

According to the article, there have been real results to come out of this campaign. Residents are more inclined to report suspicious activity; a coalition has formed among residents, police, and community leaders; and a website has been launched. You can’t help but admire the spirit of Mr. Lowe and those who later joined him to stand up to the drug dealers on their territory. The message certainly gets people’s attention as well. We wish them continued success in their efforts to clean up their city.

So is this the kind of “real solution” to drug-related crime that so many cities are looking for? And do you think it would work here?

Linda DeShields, A Pioneer of Addiction Treatment in Delaware, Dies at 63

Linda DeShields, a steadfast advocate for Delaware's most disadvantaged citizens who helped build programs for treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation, died on Tuesday in Wilmington, Delaware. She was 63.

Linda was one of the pioneering black females in Delaware’s treatment services. She opened the doors for people of color to enter this field, and is thought of as “the Harriet Tubman of treatment” for the state’s African American women and men. This legacy continues today, as many of the outreach workers she hired have ascended to supervisory positions. Her daughter, Rochelle Booker, is the supervisor of Delaware’s first needle exchange program.

In the late 1980’s, Linda started her career at Brandywine Counseling, Inc. (BCI) as Delaware's first HIV/AIDS outreach worker. Later, as Director of Outreach Services, she hired a team of indigenous outreach workers who were in recovery themselves, and often recently released ex-offenders. She had a strong work ethic, often working 10-12 hours a day when it was necessary to get the job done. She passed on these values to her team, many of whom had never held a job. Throughout her career, she became the voice for her clients in the community and diligently worked on behalf of them to ensure better access to the services they needed.

Linda recognized that addicted persons face interrelated challenges such as housing, crime, and domestic violence. In addition to her full-time job, she worked with numerous community organizations that dealt with these social ills. She was a liaison with the Wilmington Housing Authority for drug and alcohol services, a position that was the impetus for the creation of the NSAFE HIV case management program at BCI. She also worked with Mayor Sills’ administration as a community liaison focusing on substance abuse and related problems. Linda also appeared on the cable TV show “Women 2 Women” on channel 28 to interview women on women’s issues. She highlighted successful business owners, struggling domestic violence victims, as well as those addicted to drugs, and offenders.

One of the populations Linda was most passionate about was inmates, particularly women. For nearly 20 years, she volunteered at the Women’s Correctional Institution. She would go to WCI on a daily basis, meet with inmates about to be released, and prepare them for what to expect and to meet important goals like rejoining the workforce. She was also a very dear friend to the staff and often called to just check in on them. The staff remembers her as “an inspiration [who] always had a listening ear, and never turned away.” The way she touched the lives of the offenders and so many officers was like “being touched by an angel.”

Linda also volunteered at the Plummer Center, coming to the dining hall to have lunch with ladies who did not get family visits or any money. Her heart was in this work and she genuinely cared for the inmates. She continued her visits even after suffering a stroke that left her in a wheelchair.

Linda was also a member of the Police Advisory Board, and went to many parole board hearings to advocate for ex-offenders. She did substance abuse evaluations on offenders who had been referred to the Public Defenders office, and made recommendations for treatment as well as for pre-sentencing investigation.

Another passion of Linda’s was children in at-risk situations. She did weekly prevention and education interventions with arrested youth at Bridge House and Ferris School. She also worked with organizations seeking mentors, such as Eighth Street Baptist Church’s "Magic and Minds Together," which developed therapeutic drama skits for kids. The program was the result of a faith-based partnership with Brandywine Counseling, a connection Linda initiated before such partnerships were mainstream.

Rev. Ty Johnson recalls that Linda “was way before her time. She made the connection between the power of spirituality and power of recovery and knew it was vital to success and healing.” She knew that once she connected Eighth Street Baptist, whose board members were ex-offenders in recovery, to the recovery community that had resources, that things could change.

Linda DeShields was an inspirational and influential figure at BCI. She laid the groundwork for many of the services we provide today, and positively affected the lives of countless Delawareans. She will be greatly missed.

Funeral services will be held Monday July 14 at 12 Noon at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 2300 N. Claymont Street, Wilmington, 19802, with viewing from 10 am - 12 pm only.

5 Questions for Cynthia Dale, Processing Technician

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: Cynthia Dale
Job: Processing Technician, Drug Court Diversion Program
Time with BCI: 3 years

1. Some people would say observing urine drug screens all day must be one of the most unpleasant jobs out there! Is that accurate?
No, not really. I talk to all my clients. I try to make them comfortable. I know it’s hard on them, I know that, and I do feel bad for them. A lot of them, especially when they do their baseline, they’re really afraid. They don’t know what to expect. Sometimes I feel like I’m their mother, all their moms! I just go along, talk to them, keep talking to them. And out of all the clients I have, I only have maybe two that I have a problem with, so that’s not too bad.

2. Explain how the random screening works.
The clients are court ordered to come in. I have some clients that are once a week, and some clients that are twice a week. Superior Court does more urines than the Court of Common Pleas. They have to make their urines when they’re designated. They start calling [a recorded message of the next day’s colors] on Sunday night, and if their color doesn’t come up on Monday, they have to keep on calling, and so on and so on.

3. What's a typical workday like for you?
Very heavy. [Compared to] when I first started here almost three years ago, I have a lot more clients than I did. In a week, maybe I did 120, now I’m up to 190, 200 a week if they all show. Some days I can have a lot of clients, other days a few, but then all of sudden I can have ten clients at a time. I also take care of the [Alpha] clients’ urines, and now they also have me doing all the employee urines, so it’s a lot for one person. But I have everything prepared. I have to make up all the bottles and the papers. It’s not as easy as it looks, it really isn’t. There’s a lot involved.

4. What do you enjoy about your work?
I love to talk! And you have to be able to talk to clients. You have to talk to them. And a lot of them, they really feel bad. They’re waiting for me to talk, and then they’ll start talking. I’ll ask them, “Are you working?” Then one client last week said, “I got a new job,” and he told me exactly how much he made. I said, “Oh! That’s wonderful!” I can relate to them. And plus, I love kids, and they are young kids, the majority of them are. They’re young.

5. What has been the most rewarding moment for you at BCI?
When my clients finish the program. I always tell all of them, I treat them all the same. I tell them, “I’ll run into you, maybe at Cowtown or the grocery store,” and they laugh! I tell them all the same thing.

And this was a few months ago, I was out to dinner with my sister and my niece and a little girl my niece baby-sits. And this young man came up to me and he said, “Hello.” And my sister sat there, and she didn’t know who this person was. And he said, “Thank you for being so nice to me.” My sister said she felt like crying. She said, “I didn’t realize how much your clients do like you.” I said, “Well, Susan, the thing is, the majority of them do. They do.”

5 Questions for Danielle Ennis, Therapeutic Supervisor

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: Danielle Ennis
Job: Therapeutic Supervisor, Drug Diversion Court of Common Pleas Program
Time with BCI: 2 years

1. Who are your clients in the Drug Diversion program?
Our client base is generally 18-24, because it’s a first time offenders program. Sometimes this is the only thing that a client has ever been in trouble for. It’s a good program for people to keep their criminal record clean. We’re not a treatment program, we’re more of an educational program. Most of the clients are younger, and don’t have a whole lot of underlying needs that would prevent them from getting through the program, but if they do they can get their proper referrals.

We serve a lot of clients. We have about 250 active clients, and to have that many clients and run efficiently like we have, it’s pretty amazing. Our counselors have between 60 and 90 people on their caseload. We do see our clients every week, [and] I get to know a lot of them. You can’t save every person, you just have to give them the information to help them make better decisions.

2. What’s your responsibility as program supervisor?
I oversee the program, just make sure that everything runs smoothly as far as our relationship with the judge, and the counselors. I don’t do groups, but in case something comes up where a client has a problem that the counselor can’t necessarily address, if they need help with a referral, or there’s some sort of miscommunication, something that arises, I step in and help with that. Pretty much, help everything run smoothly.

3. What made you decide to work in the addiction treatment field?
I have a lot of addiction history in my family, so it was something that I was interested in. Honestly, when I applied for the job, I wasn’t really sure, because I started out as the court liaison, who’s the go-between, and talks in court for Brandywine. But I think the reason that I’ve stayed in it, just for the couple years I’ve been in the field so far, is because of family. I’ve had a long history of seeing how [addiction] can affect someone. With the Drug Diversion program, because most of the clients are marijuana users, that can sometimes be a stepping stone to something that could possibly be worse, like I’ve seen in my family.

4. What's been the most rewarding moment for you at BCI?
Seeing a particular client graduate, who I didn’t think would ever make it through. He had a lot of mental health issues, but we referred him to [Connections] where he needed to be. He always kept in contact with us, even though we weren’t the one providing any of the services, and he never really gave up. He would relapse here and there, and have to start over, as far as how many weeks of urine [drug tests] he had, but he never gave up. A lot of the clients end up giving up, and he didn’t, and he made it through finally. It took him about a year, which is a long time for a short term program. And when he graduated, it was great, because I knew that I helped him get the referral, and on to the agency, and see him go through, and it was really rewarding.

5. If you could introduce any new service at BCI, what would it be?
Efficient mental health. We have Gordon [Pizor, the psychologist] and we have other doctors that the [methadone] clients see, but our clients don’t usually see any of the psychiatrists here. Something that would be a little bit easier for our Drug Diversion clients to stay here with us, but also receive mental health treatment, like medication, and monitor that they are actually taking it. Mental health is huge, and a lot of times it can be hard when referring [clients] out. If they don’t want to follow through by going to a different agency, because they don’t feel comfortable, then it leaves us in limbo on what to do. So I would like to see more of a mental health piece at Brandywine.

5 Questions for Wendy Geist, Assessor

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: Wendy Geist
Job: Assessor, Probation and Parole/Alpha Program
Time with BCI: 1 year

1. You’re a BCI employee, but you do assessments on site at Probation and Parole. How does that work?
I’m here [at Cherry Lane] two days a week and I’m at Hares Corner two days a week. Everybody that comes in to see me is on probation. The probation officer does a referral form for us that includes collateral information regarding any previous mental health and/or substance abuse treatment.

Brandywine Counseling assessments at Probation & Parole are more for the convenience of the clients than anything. Instead of the P.O. giving the clients a list of places that they can go to for an assessment, they can go to our sign-in book downstairs and directly schedule the client for an assessment on site. Sometimes it works out pretty well for the client. They can see their probation officer and the assessor the same day so that they don’t have to make two trips.

2. What does an assessor’s job involve?
I do the mental health/substance abuse evaluations. We have other assessors that just do the substance abuse, but I do both pieces. I’m usually with people an hour and a half to two hours. I only see them one time, and then with what we find out through the evaluation, we make referrals as needed. I see up to three people a day, because it takes a couple hours to do each assessment, and then also to do the reports I have to do. So it’s kind of a simple day, but it can be time consuming, depending on what the client brings.

You have to be very nonjudgmental, because you’re not with clients for very long and you have a lot of information to gather. If you appear to be judgmental, clients won’t feel comfortable with you and they won’t be very forthcoming. So, you have to hide some of your initial reactions to some of the crimes that you hear that people have committed. You just can’t tell by looking at somebody what his or her history is. I’ve had people that are sex offenders. I’ve had people that have murdered people. I’ve also had people who have just been caught with small amounts of drugs. There’s such a wide range that you just never know what you’re going to encounter.

3. What made you decide to work in the addiction treatment field?
I have family history of addiction, I wanted to learn more about addictions, and I wanted to get my CADC. An opportunity opened up where I could come here and use my mental health background, and then learn on the job about the substance abuse piece. It’s interesting, a lot of times you have people that have mental health problems who self-medicate with illegal drugs. In my eyes, quite often, substance abuse and mental health go hand in hand. I’ve worked at other places where the primary focus was on mental health; they didn’t want to focus on substance abuse at all. I would prefer to do both. I think it’s important to teach other ways to handle psychiatric symptoms besides self-medicating with illegal drugs.

4. What has been the most rewarding moment for you at BCI?
I had a client who was suicidal, somebody that was in crisis. We were able to make arrangements for the family to take the client over to Rockford Center for crisis stabilization and an evaluation for treatment. That was a high point for me, because I felt like the system worked as it should. It might not sound like a high point, but in this field, I’ve found that sometimes it’s hard to place people with services in a timely manner, or to place people with services at all.

5. How do you get through the day doing work that can be draining and repetitive?
I like to have a peaceful place to function. Especially if you have to be at work so many hours, you want to be happy with your surroundings. I have a picture of my husband and me on our honeymoon in Jamaica. I have plants and flowers that I believe are pleasing to the eye. And then there’s music; for some reason, I can work better with music as opposed to silence. Then I’ve got my picture of the rainforest and waterfall; that’s my idea of the perfect place to go, where there’s no honking horns, there’s no telephone calls, there’s no TV, just a place where you can really be in awe of your surroundings, nature, and beauty. This office I just moved into at Cherry Lane is my own place, and to have a window, because I like natural light, this is heaven! I could stay here all week, that would be wonderful!