By Richard Noble
Symposium’s on Recovery Resources at the Hard Rock Café, luncheons with guest experts in treatment, a Heroes in Recovery 6K in downtown Palm Springs or even a reception and reading from a New York Times’ best-selling author at the Pasadena Recovery Center, I hear we are powerless over alcohol and drugs every days. That might be true on the individual level of addiction, but recovery….treating substance abuse and it’s causes and conditions – educating and supporting therapists, treatment centers, prisons, families, individuals, schools, etc. there’s a lot we can do and are doing and there’s certainly nobody, in their glum lots, sulking around scratching their heads.
Instead, there’s a vibrant and educated population in the Coachella Valley at such places like the Ken Seeley Recovery Community (i911), the Betty Ford Center, Michael’s House, Spencer’s Recovery, ABC Recovery Centers, The RANCH, Addiction Therapeutic Services, Torres Martinez TRIBAL TANF, the Riverside Country Sober Living Coalition and hundreds of therapists and substance abuse counselors right here, every day, offering serves and learning themselves how to live and manage in a substance abuse free environment in our cities so that others may be shown.
Take for instance the Symposium that was held at the Hard Rock Café. Attending was Caleb Cottle, B.A. who shared with us his tremendous success with CALO in Lake Ozark Missouri. CALO helps adopted children who could fall into substance abuse, develop a sense of wholeness through canine therapy with their Golden Retrievers. There was Intervention 911 and Ken Seeley with Eric McLaughlin presenting the Intervention approach to recovery with a 5 year plan (obviously 30 days aren’t working!), the keynote presenter from Sovereign Health, Patrick Aleknavicius, Psy.D, who talked with us for an hour with case studies in the need for psychological testing to help professionals understand and individually help those in treatment with their unique needs. The Symposium lasted two days, provided attendees with CEU’s and there are three more: May 2-3: Dissecting the Family System, Aug 1-2: Aftercare: How Long & Best Practices, Nov 7-8: Marketing Strategies for a Changing Landscape. To learn more and register, call 760-992-4172.
Last week, Nic Sheff had a book signing at the Pasadena Recovery Center. That was delightful. Nic read from his book and questions were asked from clients of the PRC. Nic wrote the book “Tweak” that became a New York Times best seller and his father followed him with his own book, “A Beautiful Boy”.
Also this last week it was a delightful time at a luncheon hosted by Addiction Therapeutic Services with Dr. Herndon and his wife, Josie Ramirez-Herndon here at Melvyn’s Restaurant in Palm Springs where there’s always a wonderful guest speaker. It’s a time professionals in the field get to meet one another and share referrals to meet client needs. This week speaker, taking therapists on their “purpose” quest was Marcia Ullett who read from her new book, “A Life of Passion and Purpose for you Clients.
So the gift to the Coachella Valley is there are always wonderful things happening in the field of recovery right here in our backyard.
