Together Magazine, Fall 2016

1TOGETHER FALL 2016 HazeldenBettyFord.org

TOGETHERA magazine for alumni, donors, friends and colleagues of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

SHARING THE HOPE AND STRENGTH OF RECOVERY FALL 2016 | VOLUME 2: ISSUE 2

EMBRACING RECOVERYBethany O. discovers how beautiful life can be when you get out of your own waySee Page 4

A magazine for alumni, donors, friends and colleagues of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

2 TOGETHER FALL 2016 HazeldenBettyFord.org

INSIDE

4Embracing RecoveryLife can be beautiful when you learn to get out of your own way

8Waves of GraceQ&A with award-winning filmmaker C Joy

12Nuzzling Up to Healing & HopeResearch confirms effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy

14Agent of ChangeA loved one’s recovery empowered Kay C. to help others find their strength

22Giving Back & Looking AheadAlum puts gratitude into action as member of philanthropy council

Let’s keep in touchFrom speaker events to chapter meetings to recovery retreats to reunions, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation alumni now have a single source for information and inspiration: your monthly e-newsletter, Better Together.

Be the first to learn about happenings and gatherings. Hear from other alums. Get the latest updates from Nell Hurley and her Alumni Relations team.

Sign up today to receive the next issue of Better Together or update your profile to include your email address by visiting HazeldenBettyFord.org/JoinNewsEvents.

Providing your email address helps us reduce printing and postage costs so we can devote more resources to bringing healing and hope to individuals, families and communities.

A Stewardship

Note


Dear Friends,

Talking with a fellow traveler at a recent advocacy event reminded me that we each have a light to shine on recovery—within our own circles of influence and beyond.

As she suggested, many of us don’t think of ourselves as recovery advocates, but every time we take an opportunity to let a neighbor, colleague, acquaintance or even a stranger know we’re living in recovery, we are extending the light of hope.

That’s what living out loud in recovery means to me—helping to put hope within sight and within reach for others. And that’s what all of the folks you’ll meet in this issue of Together are doing, each in their own brilliant way:

• Corporate strategist and new mom Bethany O.

• Actress and filmmaker C Joy

• Clinical social worker Kay C.

• Grateful fellow travelers AJ D., Lauren B., and John R.

• Businessman and philanthropist Hutch S.

We’re also bringing you news from across the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, including a Q&A with our director of Medical and Professional Education, Joseph Skrajewski; research on animal-assisted therapy (along with profiles of our three program dogs); a photo round-up of Foundation happenings and gatherings; and a preview of our Beamer Awards gala honoring the one-and-only Jerry Moe of our Children’s Program.

Just as addiction knows no limits, neither should the promise and possibility of recovery. Thank you for everything you do to help more people see a way forward. Together, we keep the light of recovery shining brightly.

Mark G. Mishek President & CEO, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

in recovery

SEEING A WAY FORWARD

“ . . . EVERY TIME WE TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LET A NEIGHBOR, COLLEAGUE, ACQUAINTANCE OR EVEN A STRANGER KNOW WE’RE LIVING IN RECOVERY, WE ARE EXTENDING THE LIGHT OF HOPE . . . “

Living out loud


EMBRACING RECOVERY

TREATMENT WORKS

Bethany O.

Bethany O. discovers how beautiful life can be when you get out of your own way


That’s not quite the sentiment Bethany O. felt when she arrived at Hazelden in Center City, Minnesota, five years ago. Then 35 years old, the corporate consultant saw addiction treatment as an opportunity to challenge what she viewed as tired old ideas.

“I thought the Twelve Steps were hogwash. And the peer support model? No thanks. Just give me 24-hour access to my psychiatrist and I’m good,” she recounts.

Determined to disprove her Hazelden treatment team, Bethany decided to do everything exactly as advised, thereby showing the clinicians how very wrong they were.

“And that’s how I got out of my own way. I followed directions. I did what I was told—but it worked.”

Filling the hole insideBethany grew up in a high-pressure, deeply religious family environment where there wasn’t much room to make mistakes. Academic achievement was of paramount importance, and Bethany excelled despite struggles with depression that set in during her teens. She had vague knowledge about alcoholism in her family history, but knew better than to ask about it. Alcohol and other drugs were bad. Period. No questions. And all throughout high school and her undergraduate years at Harvard University, Bethany stayed away from alcohol.

“Even though I was a high achiever, I never felt I fit in. I never felt I was good enough.”

Bethany compensated by overdoing everything to fill “the hole inside”— grades, dating, shopping, working.

And eventually, drinking.

Happy hours and cocktail dinners became part of Bethany’s corporate climb into a prestigious consulting career. By the time she enrolled at Harvard Business School at age 25, much of her social life buzzed around alcohol-filled activities. Returning to New York City to relaunch her career after graduate school, Bethany’s drinking escalated, turning the corner from being fun to becoming a liability.

There was the time she drank alone at a bar and blacked out, only to be nudged awake at the end of the subway line by a transit officer telling her she couldn’t sleep on the

platform. And there was the night, after heavy drinking, when her cell phone died just as she was leaving a voicemail for her sister in San Francisco that she was walking toward the Brooklyn Bridge and didn’t really want to live anymore.

“My sister was terrified. She couldn’t reach me. No one could reach me. Hours later, when I plugged in my phone, I heard from frantic family members that my sister was on a flight to New York to find out whether I was alive.”

Holding her life togetherStill, Bethany didn’t recognize her alcohol use as problematic. Drinking helped her calibrate her moods, along with an assortment of prescription medications. At age 34, Bethany “pulled a geographic,” taking a job in Minneapolis where she knew no one. That’s when alcohol became Bethany’s best friend.

“It’s interesting how the alcoholic mind works and how I minimized the extent of my alcohol problem. When I talk about these things today, it’s like, Are you kidding? How could you not see what was going on? But I honestly didn’t recognize alcohol as a problem. I drank to save myself from depression, from my thoughts about wanting to die, from all of the negative feelings consuming me.”

The ultimate humiliation came when Bethany was arrested in Minneapolis for driving under the influence. She spent the night in jail, orange jumpsuit and all. Hung over and mortified, her walk of shame from jail to her apartment complex the next morning took Bethany past her place of employment precisely as several colleagues arrived for work.

When her sister suggested rehab, Bethany wasn’t convinced.

“I FELT LIKE NOTHING WOULD EVER MAKE ME QUIT DRINKING BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY THING HOLDING MY LIFE TOGETHER.”

EMBRACING RECOVERY

“I just want to shout it from the treetops: It works for me!”

Bethany O. discovers how beautiful life can be when you get out of your own way


Part of something biggerIt was only at her psychiatrist’s recommendation that Bethany eventually agreed to inpatient addiction treatment at Hazelden. Her initial skepticism about treatment gave way to curiosity when she listened to other patients describe what their lives had been like. She was struck by their vulnerability, their compassion and their sincere efforts to change their lives. It felt like something she wanted.

“I told my story for the first time to a group of women. I talked about the most shameful things in my life that I’d never revealed to anyone, not even in therapy. I believed no one could possibly love me once they knew the truth about the things I had done.”

When Bethany finished speaking, the entire group of women embraced her in a big hug. They told her they had one wish: That she could love herself at least as much as they loved her.

“Here was a group of wonderful, capable women who had full lives—careers and

families—who were out there in the world doing their thing. But alcohol and pills and other drugs had insidiously scraped away at their lives until they were left to balance on the thinnest little wire.”

Bethany had found her people.

“I wasn’t alone! These women understood what it was like trying to fake yourself through life, and they weren’t going to live that way any more.”

Beyond her imaginationSo far, so good, Bethany thought when she completed treatment. She was ready to follow more directions. She moved into a sober house, got a sponsor, found a home group, worked all the Steps, including Steps Four and Five, and slowly began to clear away the wreckage.

“I was able to remove some the weights I’d been carrying, weights I didn’t realize I’d been dragging around with me. There was a new lightness to me and to life; I was able to see more clearly for the first time.”

“My Higher Power has quite a sense of humor, and, fortunately, it mainly revolves around proving how wrong I can be.”Bethany O.


John B.

The importance of translating recoveryOne word stood out to Bethany O. as she filled out her admissions paperwork at Hazelden: recovery. She had heard of “alcoholism” and “addiction” and even “Alcoholics Anonymous,” but “recovery” was a foreign concept.

CONSIDERING YOUR WORD CHOICEToday, as a member of the recovery community, Bethany recognizes the importance of fostering wider understanding about what it means, and what it takes, to live in recovery from addiction. Word choice is a starting place.

“Within the recovery community, we have our own vocabulary,” Bethany observes. “For us, being ‘a recovering alcoholic’ is a term of hope, endurance and optimism. It means you’re beating this thing. That’s not necessarily what it sounds like to people outside the recovery community. They might think, ‘Oh, so you’re still an alcoholic. You’re still in the throes of addiction.’ The message they hear has more to do with the problem than the solution, and that reinforces stigma and negative stereotypes.”

REFRAMING THE CONVERSATIONA few years ago, Bethany took part in a workshop with the Minnesota Recovery Connection, which featured a presentation by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s William C. Moyers, vice president of Public Affairs and Community Relations. She learned how to reframe conversations about addiction and recovery in meaningful ways. For example, when Bethany tells someone she’s a person in long term recovery, she explains what that means to her as a wife and a mother, as a corporate executive and neighbor, as a taxpayer and a voter—in whatever context seems most helpful in connecting with the other person about the hope and possibility of recovery.

USING YOUR INFLUENCE“I believe there are multiple paths to recovery, but if we don’t talk about whatever path we’ve found, those doorways to hope and help won’t be open to others. People won’t even have the chance to explore what might work for them.”

By simply having the conversation whenever the moment presents itself, Bethany knows she is putting hope within reach for others.

Learn more about how you can help to promote the power and possibility of recovery. Visit the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy at HazeldenBettyFord.org/Advocacy.

Nearly two years into recovery, Bethany was asked on a date by a man she’d come to know from her recovery circles. She admired him and wanted to get to know him better but felt conflicted about developing a relationship.

“I didn’t think I would ever find love, and I was pretty closed to that possibility. My experience was that relationships caused pain. Plus, my identity was so tied up in being a single woman, doing my own thing. I felt like I had missed the boat on love, marriage, having a family—all of that.”

Once again, it was time for Bethany to get out of her own way. When she did, she fell in love.

Today, Bethany describes her life as beautiful beyond her imagination: Married to her soul mate, raising two boys and a dog, involved in her recovery community, and working as a corporate strategist.

“My Higher Power has a quite a sense of humor,” Bethany offers, “and, fortunately, it mainly revolves around proving how wrong I can be.”


WAVES OF GRACEQ&A with award-winning filmmaker C Joy on spiritual awakening, living with passion and purpose and the lifesaving women of Grace.

LIFE GETS BETTER

C Joy


Meet C Joy, an actress, theater professor, “birthmother” of GraceTheMovie.US and grateful 2012 alum of Hazelden in Naples, Florida. Inspired by a spiritual experience, C Joy created a film about recovery that, in its making and distribution, has become a vehicle for her own ongoing transformation. Spoiler alert: Hope wins.

Your professional background is in theater. What inspired you to produce a feature film?I have a Master of Fine Arts in acting, and I love creating characters and bringing them to life. The seed of making a recovery film was planted many years ago when I experienced the healing of my family. I surrendered on October 7, 2007, and picked up my first white chip. I was so excited to be sober that I wanted to make a movie to save the world from alcoholism! Unfortunately, I could not stay sober without doing the Twelve Step work with a sponsor to endure the emotional, financial and spiritual challenges of filmmaking. My binge drinking sabotaged most of my film career.

On November 25, 2010, I was sober and present for the passing of my father, and, exactly seven days later, I held my mother’s hand when she took her last breath. I experienced God’s grace in a way that would change my life forever. Several months later, I was told from my spiritual advisor that I would reach the masses with a message of hope. I knew what I had to do: Use my gifts and make this film! But first I needed to get well. My willingness to ask for help and get honest began on February 26, 2012, with treatment at Hazelden in Naples. Grace was released on February 26, 2015. Now that’s a grace thing!

What are some of the key concepts about addiction and recovery explored in the film?The truth is that alcoholism isn’t about alcohol consumption; it’s about self-deception, self-hatred, shame and never feeling that you’re good enough. The truth is that there is a spiritual solution for this disease. The truth is that we are never alone if we trust God, clean house, and help others.

Is there a particular character in the movie you identify with most? There are parts of me in many characters: the walk of shame in the newcomer, the chronic relapser, the codependent enabler, and the caregiving sponsor. I actually play the role of Jessie, a colorful, tragic character who gets to the painful truth about addiction when she tells Gracie: “It hurts being like us. I’ve never felt comfortable in my own skin, so I drank—to be sexy. Did cocaine, to be thin. Tortured myself with plastic surgery to look young and beautiful and for what? I manufactured a woman I don’t even like.”

What are you most grateful for in the making and distribution of the film? A group I call “Women of Grace.” I’m extremely grateful to my filmmaker/producer Sylvia Caminer for her integrity, professionalism and guidance through all the challenges of post production, distribution and educational outreach. I am thankful to the stars of the film: Annika Marks for her award-winning and powerful performance as Gracie, and Sharon Lawrence (Sonia), who carried the message of hope on and off the set by encouraging me to never give up on my dream. I hold close to my heart all my recovering sisters who reach out way beyond “the rooms” to help us newcomers.

QA

C Joy (right) plays the role of Jessie in Grace. She is shown here on location outside her beach house in Florida, with filmmaker/producer Sylvia Caminer.


Who did you make this film for? Most of all, I wanted to inspire young people by making sobriety attractive and fun. I also wanted to reach out to newcomers who might feel lost or intimidated by this strange new life of meetings and sponsors and slogans. Then, after listening to questions and comments from audience members following festival screenings, I realized the movie truly does have mass appeal and relevance because everybody is affected by addiction—the person with the disease, family members and friends, the entire community. The movie makes the subject of addiction approachable. It really gets people talking and opening up.

Is that why you created a facilitator’s guide to the movie—to get these conversations going?Yes. Producer Sylvia Caminer and I recognized a huge opportunity to educate people about addiction and recovery by leading the conversation to the Twelve Step solution. Our team of experts (guide written by Philip Dvorak) created a six-module facilitator guide using brief clips from the movie to introduce discussions about key concepts in addiction and recovery: denial, surrender, sober support and relapse. I wanted to reach the person who feels all alone and hopeless—who desperately wants to live a different life but hasn’t a clue where to start.

If there were one piece of advice you could give to someone still struggling, what would it be?Never give up. Ask for help. Take action and walk into an AA meeting because millions of people have recovered from this family disease and are willing to help you build a new life worth living! Finding a way to hope

A preview of GraceTheMovie.US

Gracie is all too familiar with waking up hung over, but this time her day starts with a mouthful of sand on a Florida beach, half -dressed and 1,100 miles from home—with no idea how she landed there.

And this time her father isn’t going to clean up Gracie’s mess.

When she’s arrested for public drunkenness, Gracie is given a choice: six months in jail or 90 meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous in 90 days.


The award-winning film is available online only at www.GraceTheMovie.US

Visit the site to:

• Watch the trailer

• Stream to rent or purchase the DVD for an anonymous gift

• Purchase the multimedia educational curriculum based on the film

• Book C Joy as a speaker

Where to find Grace.

Finding a way to hope A preview of GraceTheMovie.US

Follow Gracie’s painstaking transformation from her initial “leave-me-alone-I’m-not-hurting-anyone-but-myself” mind-set, to her first, awkward AA meetings and an ill-advised romantic relationship, to the tragic loss of a friend from her circle of support, to a life-changing revelation about her childhood.

With depth, charm and compassion, Grace. carefully unfolds the story of a young woman inching her way toward redemption.


NUZZLING UP TO HEALING & HOPEA Butler Center for Research report confirms the positive effects of animal-assisted therapy

TREATMENT WORKS

A Research Update issued this summer by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s Butler Center for Research puts some science behind the popular sentiment. In “Animal-Assisted Therapy for Substance Use Disorders,” research scientist Bethany Ranes, PhD, documents scientific findings on the positive effects of therapy animals on the treatment experience and outcomes.

According to research, a patient’s interaction with a therapy animal while undergoing treatment for substance use disorder can transform the therapeutic environment in several positive ways, leading to the following:• Improved rapport with counselors• Reduced anxiety and stress• Better prospects for successful ongoing

recovery following treatment

Animal-assisted therapy is not considered an independent treatment modality but is, instead, a therapeutic technique used alongside evidence-based practices in an effort to maximize the benefits of treatment.

TURNS OUT “PEANUTS” CREATOR CHARLES SCHULZ WAS ONTO SOMETHING WHEN HE DECLARED, “HAPPINESS IS A WARM PUPPY.”

Sense of calmAs the Research Update points out, the soft embrace of a dog offers comfort and support like no other.

Staff members are often cautious about using touch as a means of providing support or reassurance as it may be perceived as inappropriate; however, patients experiencing anxiety or distress may benefit a great deal from the nurturing feeling gained from the gentle contact of a dog.

Animal-assisted programming dogs have become valuable members of Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s care teams at campuses in Minnesota, California and Oregon. Other locations are looking into the possibility of bringing canine helpers on board as well.

For Jeannine Leonard, a spiritual care professional at Hazelden’s center for adolescents and young adults in Plymouth, Minnesota, the latest research about animal-assisted programming only confirms her experience. Leonard is the owner and handler of Willow, a sweet-natured Australian Labradoodle that attends group sessions with patients.

“Willow offers love and acceptance to our patients who often feel utterly unworthy of those things,” Leonard explains. “She doesn’t judge them for anything they’ve done in their past. It can be a first step for patients in learning to accept love and support.”

Countless times, Leonard has watched Willow offer comfort in ways humans can’t.

“Willow instinctively knows how to reassure a patient who’s grappling with difficult emotions. She knows just when to rest her head in a lap or curl up at a patient’s feet. She helps patients speak about their struggles and feel hope.”

Learn more about the science behind animal-assisted therapy or other research findings on addiction-related topics at HazeldenBettyFord.org/Research. Research Update factsheets are available to download at no cost.


AGE AND BREEDTwo-year-old Australian LabradoodleLOCATIONBegan working at Hazelden’s Center for Adolescents and Young Adults in Plymouth, Minnesota, in June of 2014TRAININGCertified therapy dogSPECIALTYShe is present at grief groups, some Step groups and various special-focus workshops

AGE AND BREEDNine-year-old Golden RetrieverLOCATIONBegan working at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California, in May of 2009TRAININGCertified by the Foundation for Pet Provided TherapySPECIALTYHe attends small groups, lectures, private therapy sessions, meditation groups and patient wellness sessions

AGE AND BREEDOne-year-old LabradoodleLOCATIONBegan working at Hazelden’s Springbrook campus in Newberg, Oregon, in March of 2016TRAININGCertified facility dogSPECIALTYShe attends patient staffing meetings, individual sessions and a variety of groups and lectures

Thanks to donor support, we were able to welcome Nala to our canine crew in March 2016. Nala puts healing and hope within reach for grateful patients at Hazelden in Newberg, Oregon. Donor funds covered $21,000 of initial costs associated with Nala’s purchase, training, veterinary care and food. But your help is still needed to support Nala’s ongoing training and care.

Please consider joining other generous donors by making a gift to fund Nala’s healing work. Your donation will help Nala provide love and comfort to patients for years to come. You can designate your gift using the enclosed envelope or donate quickly and safely online at HazeldenBettyFord.org/Animal.

Some angels come with fur instead of wings

MEET OUR CANINE CREW

Willow

Irish

Nala

Irish has spent the past eight years bringing love, comfort and companionship to patients at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.


AGENT OF CHANGEA loved one’s recovery journey empowered social worker Kay C. to help others find their strength

SHARING THE HOPE

Kay C.


H eartened by her son’s hard-won new life in recovery, Kay C. discovered her calling to bring hope to other families—hope that recovery is possible.

“I understand the chaos and fear of addiction,” Kay relays. “It was a terrible, dark time in our lives. But Hazelden was a beacon for us. Hazelden saved my son.”

When her son completed treatment at Hazelden in Plymouth, Minnesota, Kay watched as he carefully began “putting his life back together in a beautiful way.”

He worked the Steps. He got a sponsor. He went to meetings. He did the work to change his life.

“I saw how he connected with the Twelve Step Program. I saw how he was able to make healthy choices in his life. I saw that recovery is possible,” explains Kay.

Being of helpThrough her son’s unfolding journey, Kay became involved in Twelve Step recovery. Although she had an a background in social work and served as a board member for nonprofit mental health organizations, it wasn’t until one of her son’s doctors pointed to her personal experience with addiction recovery as impetus for professional growth.

“He saw my interest and involvement in the recovery process, and he suggested that I could be of help to other families facing addiction.”

In short order, Kay returned to the University of Texas at Arlington to earn a master’s degree in social work and, subsequently, gain clinical licensure. Kay interned for and was later hired by an addiction treatment center for women, where she helped patients understand how they could put their lives back together.

“I knew from experience that people could find their own strengths and become their own agents of change in the recovery process. That it’s possible for families to mend fences, and it’s possible to find healing.”

Join Kay C. and her family in supporting patient aidThrough their gifts to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Kay C. and her family directly transform their gratitude into help for other families facing addiction.

Every gift helps to save lives.

Please consider making a gift to help those suffering from addiction rediscover hope. An envelope is enclosed for your convenience, or visit HazeldenBettyFord.org/Donate to send your gift quickly and safely online.

Tools of changeIn 2008, Kay heard about a weeklong professional development program at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.

“I hadn’t been working in the treatment field very long at that point, and here was an opportunity for an intensive look at how a really effective addiction treatment program works,” she recalls.

At the Betty Ford Center, Kay shadowed a patient for the week, sitting in on group sessions, attending lectures, and learning about one another.

“The experience showed me both sides of the treatment process: What the patient was going through as well as the clinical team’s approach. I left with tools I still use in my clinical practice, tools for building patient rapport and engagement and for educating family members about supportive versus enabling behaviors.”

Within months, Kay signed up for the five-day Professionals in Residence program at Hazelden in Center City, Minnesota. Much like her Betty Ford Center experience, the program immersed Kay in the treatment process from both the patient and clinical perspectives. She was especially interested to learn more about the integration of science and Twelve Step practices as well as women’s issues in treatment.

Her life’s workToday, Kay has a private clinical practice specializing in individual and group therapy for substance use disorder and addictive behaviors, mental health issues, trauma, anxiety and women’s issues. She recently began a three-year doctoral program in clinical social work at the University of Pennsylvania and plans to conduct her research thesis on trauma-informed addiction treatment for women.

“I’m really passionate about helping people understand they have the capacity to reclaim their lives,” Kay notes.

In both her professional practice and personal life, Kay is reminded often of a line from a Rumi poem about embracing chaos: “You never know—it might be bringing gifts from beyond.”

Phot

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Pet

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“I UNDERSTAND THE CHAOS AND FEAR OF ADDICTION. IT WAS A TERRIBLE, DARK TIME IN OUR LIVES.”— Kay C.


EDUCATING HEARTS & MINDSProgram offers an insider’s view of addiction and treatment

PROFESSIONALS IN RESIDENCE

Joe Skrajewski


Why do social workers, legal professionals and health care providers need to learn about addiction?Professionals across most fields typically receive very little training about addiction even though the impact and consequences of addiction are seen and felt throughout our social service agencies, our legal system and our medical and health care organizations. Our goal is to empower professionals to recognize and respond to the challenges of addiction within their areas of expertise and influence. That means having greater awareness of the signs of addiction and becoming an advocate for someone who needs help.

How is the Professionals in Residence program structured?We are an intensive, five-day immersion program designed to give participants an insider’s view into the process of evidence-based, Twelve Step addiction treatment. Participants start out on Monday with an orientation to campus and classroom instruction about the bio-psycho-social-spiritual nature of addiction, stages of change, family dynamics, Twelve Step facilitation and other key concepts. By Tuesday and throughout the rest of the week, participants are integrated into patient groups and experience treatment from the patient’s perspective. It is this opportunity that helps our participants learn and grow, leading them to develop needed skills and provide life-changing care.

What’s the biggest takeaway for participants in the Professionals in Residence program?Recognizing addiction as a disease—a treatable disease—is one of the biggest takeaways. Learning how to start difficult conversations about addiction, how to build rapport and how to guide people toward help are all parts of the tools, knowledge and insight we share. Seeing hope, healing, honesty and vulnerability in action is a powerful experience for participants; that individuals do in fact get clean and sober and lead healthy, happy, productive lives.

Meet Joseph Skrajewski, MA, MFTI, executive director of Medical and Professional Education at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and an adjunct clinical instructor of Family Medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. A person in long-term recovery, Joseph worked on Wall Street before entering the fields of psychology, education and health care.

QA

Why do you think Professionals in Residence is such a profound experience for participants?Participants have an opportunity to see the human being behind the disease—and, guess what? That patient might look and sound a lot like them. Accomplished professional. Well educated. Loving family. The only difference is they can’t get through the day without drinking or using another drug. It’s eye-opening. And it’s that relatability, that personal identification, that brings it all home for participants.

The education of a lifetimeThe Professionals in Residence program is offered at three Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation campuses: Rancho Mirage, California, and Center City and Plymouth, Minnesota. Classroom instruction, clinical observation and integration into the daily life of patients are all part of the program. Continuing education hours are available.

Learn more at HazeldenBettyFord.org/PIR

“BEING ABLE TO MEET WITH AND DISCUSS THE VERY

REAL AND VERY PERSONAL DIFFICULTIES PEOPLE HAVE

WITH ADDICTION HAS BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.

I LEAVE HERE WITH NOT ONLY A BETTER

UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY FOR WHAT

CHALLENGES PEOPLE FACE IN ADDICTION, BUT A

MORE OPEN HEART AND MIND RELATED TO PEOPLE’S

STRUGGLES WITH ADDICTION.”

–A recent Professionals in Residence program participant

A LASTING IMPACT


Walking the path of recovery, together

LAUREN B.Age and hometown?I’m 35 years old, and I live in Chicago.

Sober since?March 1, 2005

Advice for someone still struggling with addiction?There is hope. Recovery is possible. This program does work. There absolutely is a better way of living, as long as you are willing to commit yourself to the program and do the work. What I tell the newcomer is: “Things can and do get better. There is an entire community of support here for you. You just need to be willing to reach out and ask for help.”

What does “Together, we will overcome addiction” mean to you?It’s knowing that none of us can do this alone. It’s picking up the phone even when it weighs a thousand pounds. It’s reaching out to people in the program instead of locking myself in a room and isolating. This disease thrives on isolation, and a key part of the solution is “we.” The fellowship. I’m fortunate enough to live in a city where the recovery community is vast and strong, especially the Hazelden alumni group. Recovery is hard work, and it’s even harder going at it alone. Like they say, it’s simple but it’s not easy.

AJ D.Age and hometown?I’m 26 years old, and I grew up in Manhasset, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. Today, I live in New York City.

Sober since?I’ve been sober for one year and four months.

Advice for someone still struggling with addiction?Addiction is a progressive disease, so don’t wait to get help if you think you might have a problem. The deeper you get into addiction, the harder it can be to find your way out. The good news is you can have a better life if you want it badly enough. Look into some of the free and confidential resources to help you figure out what’s going on. Make a phone call. Pick up some information. The main thing is to let someone in on your situation.

What does “Together, we will overcome addiction” mean to you?Going to rehab is where I learned it’s okay to ask others for help—and that it’s the antithesis of weakness. It’s strength. We can’t go at this alone. Rehab, sober living, sponsorship, fellowship—recovery is something we do together. And by reaching out and being open about our situation, we take away the stigma of addiction and make it okay for others to get sober, too.

THE POWER OF WE


JOHN R.Age and hometown?I am 38 years old. I grew up in Florham Park, New Jersey, and I’ve lived in the Twin Cities since 2011.

Sober since?July 15, 2012

Advice for someone still struggling with addiction?Be kind to yourself—“We are not bad people trying to get better; we are sick people trying to get well.” I lacked for nothing growing up: I was raised inside a loving family and had a privileged life through early adulthood. Despite that, I suffered from alcohol and drug addiction that I could not overcome on my own. So, for me, alcoholism is a shame-based disease and that’s where I struggled most early on. The Twelve Steps gave me the opportunity to counter that shame by living a life of integrity and helping other alcoholics in need.

What does “Together, we will overcome addiction” mean to you? My disease took me to a place of isolation with the inability to have meaningful relationships with others. The recovery community is a fellowship of people walking the same path of recovery together. The people I’ve surrounded myself with are some of the best I will ever know. This is the “WE” of the Twelve Steps, and I would not want it any other way.

A Picture Perfect Picnic in the ParkMore than 100 Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation alumni, staff and friends gathered August 7 in Chicago’s Lincoln Park for the group’s 16th annual picnic. The festivities featured a luau theme, with Ramsen Kasha, executive director of Hazelden in Chicago (not pictured), and Sara Hurtuk, senior administrative assistant (pictured above), grilling made-to-order hamburgers and hotdogs for four hours. The picnic was made possible through the generosity of a board member of Hazelden in Chicago.

Coming Your Way SoonMark your calendar and plan to join us for an alumni event this fall.

OCTOBER 12 Recovery Speaker Series with William C. Moyers, Beyond Broken: The Rest of the Story, Hazelden in Plymouth, MN

OCTOBER 13-16 Silkworth Alumni Reunion, Hazelden in Center City, MN OCTOBER 21-22 Naples Alumni Reunion Weekend, Naples Grande

Beach Resort, Naples, FL NOVEMBER 4-6 34th Annual Alumni Anniversary Weekend,

Betty Ford Center, Rancho Mirage, CA NOVEMBER 10 Recovery Speaker Series with Will Hudson,

Emotional Balance in an Unbalanced World, Hazelden in St. Paul, MN

DECEMBER 8 Recovery Speaker Series with Dr. Joseph Lee, Parenting Youth and Young Adults in Crisis Through the Lens of Addiction, Hazelden in St. Paul, MN

LEAVING A LEGACYYour gratitude is a lifesaverThrough legacy gifts to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, friends and fellow travelers help others find healing and hope, for generations to come. Every legacy gift—whether through an estate provision, deferred giving plan or other charitable gift instrument—helps to save lives.

Please consider becoming a Legacy of Hope Society donor. Visit HazeldenBettyFord.org/Donate to learn more or call a Foundation gift officer at 888-535-9485.


Out and

About inR E C O V E R Y

Out and

About in

Putting hope within reach for othersWhether raising awareness or raising funds, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation events bring people together in hope and healing. Enjoy these snapshots from some of our recent gatherings, and mark your calendar to attend a Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation celebration, presentation or recovery activity soon. Visit HazeldenBettyFord.org/Events to see what’s happening near you.

Hazelfest, our fourth annual sober music and recovery community festival, drew thousands to our Center City, Minnesota, campus on August 6 (below) to hear music from Cloud Cult, Hippo Campus, (left) The Honeydogs, Davina and the Vagabonds, and Pushing Chain. A #LifeTake2 Recovery Speaker Tent, food trucks and yoga on the lawn were part of the “celebrate life” fun.

Save the Date!Join us August 5 for HazelFest 2017.

Visit HazelFest.com for more 2016 event

highlights and information about the 2017 event.


Our Institute for Recovery Advocacy joined the U.S. Department of Justice in organizing a national symposium featuring law enforcement and public health officials from around the country in an unprecedented effort to share best practices, learn from each other and advance efforts to work collaboratively in the fight to end America’s opioid epidemic. Almost 700 people from 41 states attended the national symposium entitled, Saving Lives: Innovative Solutions to the Opioid Crisis. (Pictured to the left) Andrew Luger, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota; Chuck Rosenberg, Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency; and Marvin D. Seppala, MD, Chief Medical Officer at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

2016

The 2016 Recovery Cup in Minnesota was held on Monday, July 25, at the Town & Country Club in St. Paul and raised over $123,000 for the Fellowship Club Capital Campaign. This event has grown substantially—from its start as a golf tournament, to a golf and tennis tournament. Above: Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation leaders Betsy Farver-Smith and Mark Mishek spoke at the afternoon awards ceremony. Visit HazeldenBettyFord.org/RecoveryCup for additional details on the 2016 event and forthcoming information on the 2017 event.

The first-ever Recovery Cup golf tournament in support of Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s New York Patient Aid Fund was held June 6 at Twin Brooks Country Club in Watchung, New Jersey, and raised $95,000. Inset: Chris Yadron, executive director of Hazelden in New York. From right to left: Ron Importico, president of Industrial Cooling Corporation and board member of Hazelden in New York, and Rick Lepkowski, representing the Foundation’s Philanthropy and Alumni Relations offices. Visit HazeldenBettyFord.org/NJRecoveryCup for additional details on the 2016 event and forthcoming information about the 2017 event.

NEW JERSEY

MINNESOTA

National Opioids Symposium

Join Usin Rancho Mirage!Betty Ford Center’s

34th Annual Anniversary WeekendVisit HazeldenBettyFord.org/BFCAlumni

to learn more and RSVP.

November 4-6

I� RECOVERY

September 7-8, Minneapolis Convention Center


Throughout his 19 years of sobriety and his travels to all corners of the world, Hutch S. has come to trust that help is always at hand.

“Every time I’ve found myself in a bad spot or at a fork in the road in my recovery, something happened that stopped me from picking up and going backward. I call it listening for the angels. They’re always there for me.”

As a grateful Hazelden alum, Hutch has continually found new ways to be there for others on their recovery journeys, too.

Reaching outEarly in his recovery, Hutch served as an alumni contact for patients who were completing treatment at Hazelden in Center City, Minnesota. A few years later, as his business endeavors brought greater financial wherewithal, Hutch also began making monetary contributions to support patient care.

He came across another opportunity to offer his support after spending a winter renovating the family’s lodge in a remote part of South Dakota. Hutch attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on the nearby Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate reservation where he saw, firsthand, the lack of resources and support for newcomers to recovery.

“When I came out of treatment, I was surrounded with a network of support and resources to help me build my sobriety. There weren’t any such resources for these guys when they returned home after treatment,” he explains. “They were going right back into the same environment.”

GIVING BACK & LOOKING AHEADAlumnus Hutch S. puts his gratitude into action

THE HOPE WE SHARE

The situation inspired Hutch to fund efforts that would expand the reach of effective recovery resources. He became an early supporter of Hazelden’s web-based recovery management tools that provided anywhere, anytime access to help, guidance, fellowship and support.

Serving togetherToday, as a charter member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s new regional council in Naples, Florida, Hutch looks forward to his next chapter of giving back.

When Hutch purchased a home near Naples several years ago, he was heartened to see how Hazelden had become a hub for the area’s recovery community. He saw how Hazelden was uniquely positioned to raise greater awareness about addiction and recovery.

“We have tremendous opportunities to build on Hazelden’s foundation in Naples,” Hutch observes. “My personal interests are in the areas of addiction prevention and recovery support, and it’s been inspiring to hear ideas from other council members.”

Although the Naples council has only held its first meeting, Hutch is enthused about the possibilities ahead.

Hutch S.

“WE’RE A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”

—Hutch S.


REGIONAL COUNCILS

Coming together in a new wayWhat started as a “wouldn’t-it-be-great-if” conversation among a few donors and staff blossomed into creation of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s regional council last spring in Naples, Florida.

“The Naples council developed naturally, stemming from the enthusiasm of several key donors to raise awareness, ideas and dollars so more people have access to healing and hope,” observes Betsy Farver Smith, vice president of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

“Plans are underway to establish councils in other key regions served by the Foundation,” adds Farver Smith.

The regional councils are designed to support Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s efforts in both a financial and advisory capacity. While the concept is new to the Foundation as a whole, a philanthropic council has served the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California, for more than 20 years. It’s a model that first impressed the Foundation’s leadership in 2014 when the Betty Ford Center and Hazelden merged to become the nation’s largest nonprofit addiction treatment provider. Naples, along with Chicago, New England, New York, Springbrook, and Canada lead the way in the Foundation’s transition from regional governing boards to regional philanthropic councils.

Are you hearing the call?“As the Foundation’s councils take shape across the country, each group will determine goals and priorities based on regional needs and interests,” explains Farver Smith.

Individually and collectively, council members make a commitment to support the Foundation in a number of ways, promoting the organization’s mission, vision, values and reach through fundraising, event planning and other promotional activities.

“If sharing the hope of recovery is your passion, serving on your region’s council just might be an avenue for you to make a world of difference,” says Farver Smith. “We would love to talk with you about the possibilities.”

For more information, please contact the Office of Philanthropy at 888-535-9485.

“IF SHARING THE HOPE OF RECOVERY IS YOUR PASSION, SERVING ON YOUR REGION’S COUNCIL JUST MIGHT BE AN AVENUE FOR YOU TO MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.”

— Betsy Farver Smith, Vice President of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations

BETSY TO CHOOSE PHOTO

Join our efforts in CanadaCalling all alumni and donors across CanadaWe are forming a Canadian Council to raise awareness about addiction, prevention, treatment and recovery through education and advocacy, working with like-minded Canadian organizations and individuals where appropriate. Contact Laura Jones at [email protected] to learn more.

All gifts made to the Hazelden Betty Ford Society of Canada are for the benefit of Canadians and are eligible for a Canadian tax receipt.

For alumni chapter meetings in Canada visit HazeldenBettyFord.org/Alumni. If there isn’t a meeting in your area, but you are interested in starting one, please contact our Alumni Relations Team at [email protected].

OUR LOCATIONSAurora, ColoradoBeaverton, OregonBoston, MassachusettsCenter City, MinnesotaChaska, MinnesotaChelsea, New YorkChicago, IllinoisIrving, TexasMaple Grove, MinnesotaNaples, FloridaNewberg, Oregon Plymouth, MinnesotaRancho Mirage, CaliforniaSan Diego, California (coming soon)St. Paul, MinnesotaTribeca, New YorkWest Los Angeles, California

Together, we will overcome addiction.HazeldenBettyFord.org800-257-7800

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. It is the nation’s largest nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 16 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Texas, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care to help youth and adults reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. It includes the largest recovery publishing house in the country, a fully accredited graduate school of addiction studies, an addiction research center, an education arm for medical professionals and a unique children’s program, and is the nation’s leader in advocacy and policy for treatment and recovery.

© 2016 Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation5702-1 (10/16) MAT-0673

The power of hope will take center stage on January 14 in Palm Desert, California, when the Fifth Annual Beamer Awards pay tribute to Children’s Program founder and national director, Jerry Moe.

As the guiding light behind the beloved Children’s Program at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Moe has helped tens of thousands of children safely navigate the challenges and risks of growing up in a family with addiction.

“Jerry Moe is an absolute beacon of hope,” says philanthropist Madeline Redstone, cochair with Sue Timken of the Beamer Awards gala. “Jerry has dedicated his life to helping children understand that addiction is not their fault, they are not alone, and that there are healthy ways to cope with the pain and difficulties they face at home.”

Over the past 19 years, more than 26,000 children and their family members have participated in the Children’s

2017 Children’s Program gala honors “guiding light” Jerry Moe

ABOUT BEAMERGetting help with addiction starts with getting things out in the open, which is the bright idea behind “Beamer,” the loveable lightbulb boy mascot for the Children’s Program. As an affable cartoon character whose face lights up in different colors to show his feelings, Beamer makes it easier for children to share their fears and worries about growing up in a home with addiction.

Jerry Moe is the founder and national director of the Children’s Program at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

Program. Not every child can afford the $400 fee to take part in the program, but no child is ever turned away due to inability to pay. That’s because generous donors—through the Beamer Awards gala and other fundraising events and initiatives—make all the difference.

The Children’s Program, designed for kids ages 7-12, is offered at Rancho Mirage, California, Aurora, Colorado and Irving, Texas, and is open to the public.

YOU CAN MAKE DOUBLE THE DIFFERENCETo honor long-time Betty Ford Center leader John Boop, a group of generous donors will match every dollar raised for the Children’s Program, up to $100,000. That means your donation will help twice as many children and families access help and hope.

Visit TheBeamerAwards.com to RSVP for the Beamer Gala or to purchase an advertisement recognizing Jerry Moe.

Together Magazine, Fall 2016

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Transcript of Together Magazine, Fall 2016