1212 Corporation Marks 41 Years As Delaware's Recovery Clubhouse

Yesterday I attended the 1212 Corporation’s first annual banquet and fundraiser at Cranston Fire Hall in Wilmington. About 100 people including many Brandywine staff enjoyed food, fellowship, and guest speakers.

For me, this was my first chance to learn what this organization is all about and why it means so much to Delaware’s recovering community. For 41 years, the 1212 Club has provided a safe haven for those seeking recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction. It is literally a recovery clubhouse, run by recovering persons for recovering persons, and is the only facility of its kind in Delaware. Support and a “recovery atmosphere” is available seven days a week, year-round. Services include AA, NA, and special meetings; therapeutic support; transportation to and from drug rehab; educational/recreational activities; and transitional housing for men and women.

Many speakers last night credited 1212 with helping them through the earliest stages of their recovery and beyond. It is easy to understand why. A treatment program like BCI can only take one so far in recovery. A social support system is vital because it’s there for you in your everyday life, whenever the urge strikes to return to your old behaviors. So many people found this support at 1212 when they had nowhere else to turn. Some, now successful professionals in the addiction treatment field, started their first job in recovery as a counter assistant at 1212.

BCI congratulates the 1212 Corporation on 41 years of service, and looks forward to watching them expand their services. And if you are in need of a safe haven, stop by the Clubhouse at 27th and Washington. You might find the support you need and much more.

Join BCI's Board of Directors

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of addicted persons and persons with HIV/AIDS? Do you want to work alongside BCI's leadership to support our mission of helping people achieve meaningful, long-term recovery?

Brandywine Counseling seeks talented and dependable individuals to serve on our Board of Directors. Put your talents to use in a place where your voice will be heard. We ask that members attend regular quarterly meetings in addition to active involvement in one of our committees.

Our most important area of need is development/fundraising. Desired skills include:

• Experience with non-profit fundraising activities, including: campaigns, strategic planning, donor relations.
• Ability to work as a member of a team.
• Ability to build consensus and garner support of other members for board initiatives.

Please send a copy of your resume, and anything you would like to tell us about your interests and what you hope to bring to the Board, to:

Matt Friedman, Executive Assistant
Email: contactbci[at]brandywinecounseling[dot]org
Fax: (302) 472-0392
Or apply online

Sober Softball Tournament

About 75 people from BCI, Thresholds, Fellowship Health, the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Aquila, Hudson Health, and Ellendale Detox attended the second annual Sober Softball Tournament September 20.

There were hot dogs and cracker jacks and fun for all. Elimination games were played and the final teams were Fellowship Health and BCI. BCI was leading 9-1 till the last inning. Fellowship had a strong comeback, scoring 6 runs in the 9th. But thanks to two Thresholds players joining the BCI team, we held them off to secure the win! Final score: BCI 9, Fellowship 7. BCI brings home the trophy for the second year.

The 2nd annual games have sparked interest by the Fellowship Health team and their coach in starting a recovery league.

Missing from the crowd was Jack Kemp of DSAMH who was unable to play this year - we missed you Jack!

Thanks to the Outreach crew and to Krystal Cooper from the Georgetown office for a great job putting it all together this year.

United Way Kicks Off 2007 Campaign

United Way of Delaware kicked off its 2007 campaign September 19. This year's fundraising goal is $22 million. The charitable donations collected are distributed to over 100 member agencies including BCI.

Here, these funds support our HIV Prevention and Outreach Services. This truly makes a difference for BCI and the community we serve. Your contribution helps keep our outreach team on the streets doing what they do best. It means we can continue to be there to give high risk drug users whatever they need - an HIV test, a clean needle, or a ride to treatment.

So make your donation today, and support effective programs that improve lives. Thanks in advance!

Extreme Makeover, Shelter Home Edition

Renovations are now underway at the site of our new residential program. BCI is leasing a shelter home in Ellendale from our partners Delmarva Clergy United In Social Action (DCUSA). There is much work to be done but we expect it to be complete by November.

Residents will live here at the shelter. Their daily activities will take place across the street at the DCUSA main building, which includes classroom space, dining hall, computers, and daycare. The shelter has five studios capable of housing two adults each, as well as two bedroom apartments.

Here you can see the shelter as it was:














Turnstone Builders of Milton is doing the work for us. Here, they are replacing the roof.


Shay Lipshitz, Director of Sussex County Services, shows where a wall will be removed to create a sitting area.


Bishop Major Foster, President/CEO of DCUSA, on a tractor helping with the renovations.


Shay takes her turn on the tractor.


Shay, the Bishop, and foreman Matt Cleary review the plans for the renovations.


This is only the beginning – stay tuned for more pictures as we transform this shelter into a welcoming home environment for women and their children.

We have also decided to name the program The Lighthouse – what do you think?

Recovery Month Picnic

Our Recovery Month Picnic yesterday was a great success. An estimated 75 clients, staff, and family members came out to the Mack Park in Wilmington to enjoy food and fellowship and celebrate recovery. The weather was perfect!

Many of the clients, as well as our staff, put a lot of work into this event getting donations of food and raffle prizes. They really did a great job. The food was provided at a discount through one client’s family catering business. The meatballs were fantastic!

After the meal everyone stayed around for the raffle drawing. There were so many prizes, it looked like this thing was never going to end - candy, gift certificates to local vendors, stuffed animals, picture frames, plants, a scarecrow decoration – all donated.

We’d like to thank the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health for funding this event and providing the Recovery Month T-shirts.

All in all, a nice afternoon of socialization outside of the usual treatment environment. Click here for more pictures.

Volunteer Truck Driver Needed to Help With Picnic

BCI is looking for someone with a truck to help with our client picnic Wednesday September 19.

We need to transport tables and chairs between locations in Wilmington a few miles apart. There are 8-10 tables 6-8 feet long, and 80-100 folding chairs. We need to bring them to the Mack Park (6th Street and North Cleveland Avenue) between 9:30-10:30 in the morning, and return them in the afternoon between 3:00-4:00.

Volunteers are welcome to stay and enjoy the picnic to celebrate recovery with food, fellowship, speakers, and open mike.

If interested, please respond to contact[at]brandywinecounseling[dot]org. Thank you!

Introducing "Safety Net Services": Your Connection to HIV Services, With Drug Treatment When You’re Ready

Brandywine Counseling has been awarded a five-year grant from SAMHSA/CSAT to enhance and expand substance abuse treatment, pre-treatment, and HIV/AIDS services in Wilmington, Delaware, with a multifaceted program we call Safety Net Services.

The two target populations are women, and ex-offenders returning to the community in the past two years. Each year we propose to engage 2500 outreach contacts in pre-treatment to reduce their risk. 600 will be tested for HIV, 300 will enroll in Safety Counts, and 75 will go on to enter treatment.

Delaware is currently 7th in the nation in per capita HIV/AIDS cases. Cases are concentrated in the city of Wilmington. The AIDS rate of women in Delaware is three times the national average, and the proportion of AIDS cases in Delaware that are women has doubled since 1999. Up to 80% of those incarcerated in the state have a substance abuse problem accompanied by high HIV risk.

Our goal is to provide a safety net for any person at high risk for HIV, regardless of where they are in the continuum of readiness for substance abuse treatment. Some individuals are accessing expensive crisis-oriented services when they could be serviced at a lower level of care. Others simply need additional support to increase their readiness for treatment or ease their wait for admission. Our program will provide the services and stability they need. We will connect the client to the services they are willing to access now, while helping increase their willingness to access more services later.

Safety Net Services is a combination of several Evidence-Based Practices and Effective Behavioral Interventions. Safety Counts will enhance our pre-treatment services as a risk reduction intervention that follows a person from first contact to referral. Our on-site HIV clinic will be expanded, allowing access to HIV and/or mental health Medication Management that is not contingent on readiness to enter substance abuse treatment. Participation in Safety Counts will be a condition for access to these services. For those clients who progress to treatment, we will expand Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment by two additional clinicians qualified to treat HIV and mental health disorders. Rapid HIV testing will be provided at all points of entry. Anticipated outcomes focus on engaging and retaining individuals in pre-treatment so they increase their readiness to reduce HIV risk and to enter substance abuse treatment. The program will be assessed through a comprehensive process and outcome evaluation.

Brandywine Counseling has a proven record of reaching into minority communities to serve chronic drug users and their sex/needle-sharing partner(s), facilitating their entry into substance abuse treatment, and successfully referring, engaging, and retaining them beyond substance abuse treatment. We will partner with Christiana Care Health Services to provide medical care, as well as several other local community-based organizations. These collaborations will result in a program capable of meeting the complex needs of the target population.

For more information, contact James Harrison at (302) 656-2348.

BCI Celebrates Recovery Month

BCI has some fun events coming up in celebration of Recovery Month. Visit our calendar to see what we've got planned.

I know I will make it to the Alpha picnic next week and I will also be a member of our AIDS Walk team on the 30th. Hope to see many of you there!

Congratulations Robin Stewart, Bridge-Perinatal staff member of the month

Typically during Bridge Perinatal monthly community meetings, our staff pick a client of the month to celebrate. The clients decided that they would like to pick a staff member of the month.

They chose case manager Robin Stewart for her outstanding support, commitment, and dedication to assisting them in improving their quality of life. They presented her with a handmade certificate.

It reads: “Not only are you a supportive role model and mentor, you're also a friend. We are all truly inspired by your courageous endless efforts by being all you can be and forever giving us support!”

Congratulations Robin!