New Directions for Women’s CEO and Executive Director, Becky Flood was recently featured in an article about ecstasy related deaths in the UK and the U.S. on www.demodirt.com. Demodirt.com is an online publication dedicated to providing demographic and psychographic intelligence about Generation Y, Generation X, and Baby Boomers, Mature Adults and more.

No Future in England’s Dreaming?

Written by Galia Myron Tuesday, 09 February 2010 16:12

Young people are dying from drug-related deaths in the UK.

An academic paper from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK contends that the rate of young people dying of ecstasy-related deaths is increasing at an alarming rate. Most disturbing is the fact that most of the deaths occurred in people who were young and healthy, said lead author, Professor Fabrizio Schifano of the University’s School of Pharmacy, in a public statement.

The report, which examined drug use in the UK over an 11-year time period, found the increased use of ecstasy particularly alarming. “These data seem to support the hypothesis that young individuals seem to suffer extreme consequences after excessive intake of ecstasy,” Schifano said publicly. “This is an issue of public health concern which deserves further studies.”

Are US youths also at particular risk for succumbing to this disturbing trend?

“I am not sure the US is seeing the same thing,” says Rebecca J. Flood, MHS, LCADC, NCACII, CEO/Executive Director of Costa Mesa, CA-based New Directions for Women, an accredited addiction treatment facility for women and their children. Flood, who is also the President of the Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS), adds that Ecstasy is also known in the US as MDMA, E, X, Adam, and eccie, and is known as a “club drug” or dance club drug; it is a stimulant and hallucinogenic similar to methamphetamine and mescaline.

“The use and abuse of this drug in recent years varies from city to city and is not consistent throughout the US,” Flood notes. Citing research taken from two studies done by The National Forensic Laboratory Information Systems (NFLIS) and The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), Flood adds that Ecstasy use spread beyond club use seven years ago.

“In 2003 in Atlanta it was reported to no longer be a club drug but was being used by lower income poly substance abusers and the use had spread to the African American population as well,” she says. “In Los Angeles there is an overall decrease in its use.”

St. Louis, Flood adds, saw an increase in use among college males in the form of “party packs,” a combination of MDMA and Viagra. While the hip hop set in Baltimore in 2004 saw an increase in the use of Ecstasy, recent years have seen a decline, especially among Anglo males.

“The use is now wider spread and varies among ages, population and neighborhoods,” Flood explains. “Overall Ecstasy users in the club drug scene tend to be the youngest users. Those that seek treatment generally do so in hospital emergency rooms for adverse reaction and overdoses.” Young people are particularly drawn to Ecstasy, Flood says, because of the “excitement” associated with the drug, and the penchant for the young to take risks.

The changing popularity of any drug most likely depends on its availability and the culture of the population, she notes. Young people can be uniquely difficult to treat, Flood maintains, because they have trouble accepting that they are fighting an addiction in the first place.

Especially challenging, Flood says, is that young people tend to lack “the ability to accept they are not invincible and that addiction can and has happened to them, [the] inability to accept consequences, lack of family support, [and] not wanting to accept responsibility or to change their life style or social circle.” Finally, Flood adds, the universal obstacle to sobriety for this age group: “Peer pressure.”

by Chris Mears, Board Member of New Directions for Women

The holidays are a chance for loved ones and friends to gather and enjoy each other’s company. Alcohol can be a part of many of these gatherings. All too often, there is someone in the crowd who has a problem with alcohol abuse or addiction. Alcohol abuse is a devastating killer that claimed more than 22,000 American lives in 2008. However, these parties and gatherings can be a point of hope and clarity for loved ones caught in the grip of addiction if we know how to look for the signs and symptoms.

Some common signs of alcoholism and addiction are slurred speech, restlessness, sudden weight loss or gain, confusion, or disorientation, or dramatic changes in a person’s daily life such as decreased performance at work or in school, and a lack of focus on goals and aspirations. By looking for these signals, you can help prevent your loved one from being lost to the pain and suffering of addiction and put back on the road to a fulfilling life of love and recovery.

As a board member for New Directions for Women, a nonprofit chemical dependency facility that has called Costa Mesa home for more than 30 years, I cannot stress enough the importance of helping loved ones overcome their disease. During this holiday season we’re encouraging all who see loved ones experiencing any signs of addiction consult a board registered interventionist and a licensed and accredited addiction rehabilitation center to assist in their recovery.

Helping friends and family through addiction strengthens our community and makes it a better place to live.

We need to realize that addiction is stronger than any one person, and that these people need our help in gaining their strength to control the disease.

If you have a loved one or friend unwilling to seek treatment, contact a board registered interventionist. To find one in your area, go to http://associationofinterventionspecialists.org/, and to find a licensed and accredited treatment center near you, go to www.naatp.org.

This article reprinted from the Daily Pilot.

In an economic downturn, with declines in gross domestic product, high unemployment rates and dismal stock market performance, administrators at non-profit behavioral healthcare facilities may have concerns about how charitable giving to their foundations may be impacted this year. However, you may be surprised to find that according to the Center for Philanthropy at Indiana University, when the economy slows down, history has shown that giving continues to grow but at a slower rate. In their Giving USA report in 2008, the Center for Philanthropy reported that the average rate of change during an economic recession is a 1-percent drop. Their experts say facilities that rely on fundraising can weather the downturn when they have a solid program that offers “a compelling case for support.”

How can this be accomplished? BHC Journal turned to two very successful treatment facility CEOs, who are renowned in the industry for turning struggling facilities into solid, strong operations. To listen to our inspiring interview with Doug Tieman of Caron Treatment Centers and Rebecca Flood of New Directions for Women, click on the media player above. Or, read their words of advice below.

BHC Journal: This is Robin Jay with BHC Journal. Today we-re speaking with two widely recognized experts in the behavioral healthcare industry to discuss fundraising strategies in this tight economy. They represent both large and small organizations, so their ideas and solutions can very well be effective for your type of facility.

Let me introduce you to our panelists. Our first panelist is Rebecca Flood. Becky is CEO and Executive Director of New Directions for Women in Costa Mesa, California. She-s also CEO of Morningside Recovery, a 60-bed facility in Newport Beach. Becky has 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She is also the President of the Association of Intervention Specialists, co-founder of the National Interventionist Credentialing Board and a board member of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers.

Our second panelist is Mr. Doug Tieman, President and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers. Mr. Tieman has spent more than 20 years in the addiction treatment field in treatment center and industry leadership positions. He-s been the President and CEO of Caron since 1995 and under Mr. Tieman-s direction, Caron has taken leadership roles in treating addiction in young adults and adolescents, sponsoring prevention and research, and participating in national conferences on addiction and recovery. He has also established regional centers in Philadelphia, New York, Boca Raton, Florida, and Bermuda. Since Mr. Tieman joined Caron, revenues have more than quadrupled.

Panelists, thanks for joining me today.

Becky Flood: Thank you Robin.

Doug Tieman: Glad to be here.

BHC Journal: Our first question in relation to facility fundraising is: What challenges is your size facility facing in regard to fundraising in these tough economic times? Becky we-ll start with you.

BF: We are launching a $13 million capital campaign this year in the midst of very difficult financial times, and what we have found is that we-re going to have to go much broader and include more individuals than we would have ever originally anticipated for a project of this size during these economic times.

BHC Journal: What kind of outreach do you usually have (as far as quantity of touches) and what types of quantities are you going to have to reach out to now?

BF: Well, we do have a core group of individuals who are extraordinary philanthropists in our community and have been committed to the organization over its last 33 years. In addition to that, they in turn are now reaching out to a wider group of their associates and friends and colleagues in order to ensure the success of the campaign.

BHC Journal: I see. And Doug?

DT: Caron Treatment Centers has a large and well-established fundraising history and I believe that the current economic situation is affecting us like it is any other organization that is heavily involved in fundraising. The first piece of importance goes to the psychological impact that it has on the individual donor. We really rely on major gifts, and major gifts are typically made out of an emotional attachment and connection to an organization. So during the environment that we have been experiencing now for the last year, it just makes people feel like they have a lot less (and many people do have a whole lot less) and we have seen terrible news reports about people losing a significant amount of their financial wealth, many of them people who had been philanthropists, and so they have less money to give.

And even people who maybe don-t have that type of financial duress still psychologically feel a whole lot poorer than they did one year ago, and that has a significant impact on anybody involved in philanthropy. I think there are two other factors that impact the behavioral healthcare field. One is that as those individuals that are relied upon for philanthropy in their particular community are really going to the basics, whether it-s their religious beliefs, their churches, education, their hospital. We-ve got to support those really basic charities. So with that happening, unfortunately behavioral healthcare is typically toward the end of a line for many of those and I think that has an impact on anybody in our field, as well.

BHC Journal: And with that in mind, how does your messaging change? How do you reach out in a different way with a different message that may help you move up that ranking and in your positioning of where folks send their philanthropic dollars? Doug?

DT: We actually are trying to use this as an advantage. We talked to our supporters, our alumnae and they truly understand that. They said for the average person, supporting this cause is down on the list second, third, fourth, whatever it might be behind their hospital, their church, United Way and Red Cross. We really try to use that as a strength for our alumnae and say, If not us, then whom? We have seen first-hand how addiction recovery impacts our particular families, so we now need to step up and make this our priority. And so with our alumnae, our Board, our employees, we have really used that in a positive way.

BHC Journal: Thanks Doug. Becky, in your industry experience, you-ve been known for going to facilities that may be struggling and really gearing them up and fine-tuning them to get back into the black. With these economic times coming, what factors do you think are important when messaging to the donors and contributors?

BF: I think one of the uniquenesses about New Directions is that we are singularly focused on women, pregnant women and women with children. So I think really [it’s about] defining your vision in your mission and being very clear about who you are and if you have a uniqueness so that you can reach out to a broader range of individuals or foundations or family trusts that are really focused on the same vision and missions that you clearly have. Especially during difficult times, I think knowing who you are and who supports those types of efforts is critical to your success.

Like Doug said, I do believe people go to the basics and the necessities. At the same time, if you clearly know who you are and what your target is, you can then bring in people beyond just the families and alumnae, but also the wider community that supports the endeavors, such as children and education. You really need to wrap your arms around and be clear about who you are.

BHC Journal: Thanks Becky. Let-s talk a little bit about the fundamentals of what makes up a solid fundraising foundation for organizations who may be newer or who may not have a lot of experience with fundraising. What are the core fundamental basics that they should have in place in order to achieve a successful fundraising campaign? Doug?

DT: I think a number of factors. First thing I always talk about is making sure you understand that the grass is greener on your side of the fence. Often times organizations will, you know, when they get started, will look around at organizations around them and say, Wow! It will be easier to raise money if you had whatever characteristics they have. So I really have always started with, We really need to look at what makes this unique; what makes this special; how is the world not a good a place if this organization isn-t around?

So the first thing is the organization really needs to articulate those special qualities that help it to better humanity and that really forms a basis for your case for support. Why should people want to give to this? What are the compelling reasons that make this an exciting philanthropy to be involved with? Once you have that, there are some other really important ingredients. Your board of directors needs to clearly be committed to philanthropy. They all need to participate at a meaningful level for whatever that might be for them. Some people interpret it to say you have to have a wealthy board, but you don-t necessarily need to have a wealthy Board. It-s nice to have some wealthy people on your Board, but everybody needs to be committed at whatever level they are.

I also believe that it-s really important for the executive team to be led by the president and all the executives to firmly understand that philanthropy-s an important role within the community. We-re very, very open about that at Caron Treatment Centers. When you walk into our building, we have plaques, we have messages. When you walk into our organization, any building you go into, it-s clear that this is a non-profit organization. It-s clear that the beautiful buildings and programs we have here have been made possible because people before have committed to this. And hopefully the message resonates with those who may be here today that they need to sustain this legacy.

And then I think there-s another factor that also kind of starts from within, as we are very proactive in embracing our employees to give annually. We have a very aggressive employee campaign that reaches nearly 100 percent of our employees participating, and this year our employees gave just short of $200,000 to our employee campaign during this environment and that resonates with our alumnae and our patients about, Wow, these people really believe in this. You put that whole package together and it makes it a whole lot easier to reach out to your community, your alumnae and others that you hope will embrace your mission.

BHC Journal: Thanks Doug. And Becky, for your size facilities, what recommendations do you have?

BF: I think some of the same factors that Doug just talked about. I think there are tried-and-true fundraising principles, and I think that we know that 90 percent of gifts come from individuals, whether it-s coming from the board, the staff, or the community at large. Our greatest effort is spent in individual donorship. Beyond that, it comes from family trusts and foundations and organizations and event giving and those kinds of things.

So we employ a model that-s called Raising More Money, which is really, truly wrapped around individual donorship and building up individuals, our commitment to them and their commitment to us. So I think ours is on a much smaller scale being a much smaller facility and organization, but it-s still tied to the basic fundamental principles of fundraising.

I think that during these difficult economic times those same principles have to be adhered to, but we have to embrace a much wider range of individuals and accepting smaller-level gifts than we have in the past. I think if we kind of all embrace the concept of this last major presidential campaign and how so many more people were reached via the internet and via different avenues than have been used in the past, and every dollar matters. Every single dollar was talked about and appreciated, and I think during these times, we just have to reach more individuals and appreciate whatever it is that they are able to bring to the table.

BHC Journal: Thank you Becky. You bring up a good point – that with regard to 15 years ago, much of the requests may have been over the phone or in direct mail with an invitation or maybe event-driven. Are you guys employing more of the electronic strategies that are available with online communications today?

BF: We are very much so. Through electronic newsletters, email blasts, our Website allowing for people to make donations directly online. So we are employing a lot more electronic use in order to reach a much broader and larger audience than we ever have in the past, while still doing some of the regular hard-paper, event-driven aspects. We still have some of those things in place, but they are minimal in comparison to what we are doing to reach a wider audience.

BHC Journal: I see. Doug, would you like to comment on that?

DT: Well, I think the internet clearly makes it much easier for real-time communication with a broader group and having opportunities for people to make contributions online, having opportunities for people to sign up for special events online, having opportunities for you to share real-time information certainly is advantageous and needs to be employed and we do those things. The biggest challenge I think we sometimes have with the use of the internet is not relying on it so heavily that we lose the face-to-face contact. Any healthcare, and maybe even addiction recovery healthcare even more so, is really a face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball exchange. So when it comes to whatever you classify your major gifts donors as being, you just can-t lose the ability to be in front of people and sometimes you begin having people wanting to rely so heavily on email that you just don-t talk to them as much as you should, which means you lose the personal anecdote, the personal give-and-take, and that-s needed to be able to have the opportunity to get together in person so you can develop that relationship to a deeper level.

So we really try to make sure that we-re using e-communication as that really is an opportunity for grassroots folks to make gifts, but when it comes to major gifts, we just don-t want that in any way to get in the way of our having an opportunity to develop a relationship, because relationships are what matters when it comes to major gift giving.

BHC Journal: It really helps to build that face-to-face relationship and so it-s just not a communication that has no one-on-one value. Good point, Doug, thank you. And another question I wanted to follow-up with is this: With this new administration in place and possible pending tax codes for non-profits, are there any concerns or issues that you think facilities should keep an eye on with regard to how increasing fundraising could impact their tax liabilities or other issues related to that? Becky?

BF: I do believe that the tax implications for individuals or families that are in the bracket of making more than $250,000 may have a negative impact on those that do give because their charitable contributions are not as tax-deductible as they once were in certain categories. I think that people as Doug talked earlier today I think people are thinking longer and harder about what they have to give, where they need to give it. I really am hopeful that some of the tax changes are looked at, because what happens is non-profits then are hindered from getting donations and people then become more reliant on social service systems to take care of some of the behavioral health needs that they could receive from a non-profit if donors were more willing and able to give.

BHC Journal: Excellent point. Thank you for that, Becky. Let me follow-up and ask both of you: Is there anything that I haven’t asked that you think is an important issue for facilities to know with regard to fundraising? Doug?

DT: First, I would just like to make a comment on the last question that you asked. Becky, she did a great job in sharing how I believe most non-profits feel about this [potential tax impact] and I would say that at Caron we-re deeply disturbed by the proposed legislation, which would certainly reduce the amount of deductions for people in the highest tax category. Earlier I had mentioned people make major gift decisions typically based on an emotional reason, but we also know that the size of that major gift is deeply impacted by financial constraints.

The tax considerations are certainly one of those, and when you look at the folks that make the largest gifts toward organizations, they do certainly factor in what the tax implications are. And for an individual to lose that will have a significant impact on major gift fundraising. That means facilities like all of ours in the non-profit world that rely on this will have less finances, at a time when there is an increased demand for social services. So we-re deeply concerned about it and I-m delighted that the hospital associations and AFP and a lot of other organizations are aggressively working to make sure that this does not get passed.

If you-re looking for final comment, I would just say that now more than ever is a great time to be involved with philanthropy because the need is significant. We know that there-s increased use of people self-medicating during times like this. Unfortunately, there is also at the same time less funding available, and that equation can still be balanced by philanthropy. So it-s a great time to be able to make a case for this. I would just caution that you can-t do it out of panic. I-ve seen organizations do that and donors do not appreciate giving to organizations that they have a concern that they may not be here tomorrow. So you need to really demonstrate a great deal of stability and that you-re going to make it through this and that you have strong leadership and you have a strong financial plan.

But increased philanthropy can make it a more effective way to help people during challenging times like this. And I also think it provides an impetus to just work harder. You just have to do more to get the same results. A stockbroker gave me a great analysis of this about six months ago. He made the comment that between the time of 2002 and 2007, he never worked so little to make so much, and then in the past year, he had never worked so hard to make so little. So there is an analysis to that that we just have to really work much harder philanthropically during time like this without having a sense of panic, because that will frighten our donors.

BHC Journal: Doug, thank you for those comments. I-m sure that our listeners, our administrators and C-levels who are listening to this and wondering what in the world they-re going to do to stick this out, will find those words very helpful, thank you. Becky, anything to add in closing?

BF: Very quickly, I would just say that I agree with what Doug has said and said so eloquently. In any difficult time, you can turn it into an opportunity. I think that the opportunity is that we-re going to reach out to the multitudes instead of a narrow focus of individuals. I believe it-s going to strengthen our nation and give us an opportunity to have a lot more philanthropists even though some of them maybe smaller givers. They will be giving from the heart and giving out of need, and I think that this whole nation is in a change event in which we are all reaching out to each other in ways we have never done so before. so I see that as a tremendous opportunity for each and every one of us to engage with each other and to help each other during these times and that would be, I think, the greatest gift that we could get out of these difficult times.

BHC Journal: Thank you Becky. Panelists, I want to thank you both for taking your time and offering information based on your strong leadership skills. I-m confident your advice will be encouraging words to our group of facility leaders who are listening to this. Thank you again.

BF: Thank you, Robin. Thank you, Doug.

Reprinted with permission of BHCJournal.com

Some may consider Becky Flood the Florence Nightingale of the addiction treatment industry in the 21st century. With more than 30 years of experience in the behavioral health field, Flood has demonstrated exceptional expertise in the development, implementation, management and evaluation of chemical dependency treatment programs. She has distinguished herself in the area of marketing, fundraising and board development. She is currently Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of two substance abuse treatment centers — New Directions for Women, a 30-bed women-only facility and Morningside Recovery, a 70-bed, mixed gender facility — both in Southern California. In her first two years at New Directions for Women, she tripled revenue, diversified the payer mix, and increased negotiated rates with grants, insurance carries and private pay clients that resulted in financial solvency for the failing organization. She led the organization through its first successful three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and is also responsible for the philanthropic activities critical to this non-profit’s existence.

A nationally certified and licensed chemical dependency counselor, Flood is the President of the Association of Intervention Specialists, co-founder of National Interventionist Credentialing Board, and a board member of the National Association of Treatment Providers. Flood’s passion for helping others has paved an impressive precedence — and this dynamic woman says she won’t stop until she’s helped “heal the hole in the soul of America.” BHC Journal spoke with Flood about how such a daunting task could be achieved. The answer might surprise you…

BHC Journal: Becky, we’re talking about a very passionate topic for you: Healing the Hole in the Sole of America. Can you tell us what you mean by that and how that could be implemented?

Becky Flood: I came up with this phrase a couple of years ago after working many years in specializing in the treatment of addiction for women and children. It’s a belief that I have that addiction is the hole in the sole of America, and that if we fill and treat addiction, especially that in women and generationally their children, we will begin to heal many of the social ills our country faces — social ills such as our criminal justice system, our welfare system, our child protective system. Addiction to me is at the root of many of our social and economic ills, and women are the addicts that go most unnoticed and untreated and they are the ones that are generationally perpetuating the difficulty with themselves and their children.

BHC Journal: Becky why do you think it is that women are the most untreated demographic?

BF: I think that women and other minorities are the least treated in the addiction industry or the addiction field.

BHC Journal: Right, but what in society brought that on to make that so?

BF: I think the stigma. Especially for women, the shame and the guilt that women feel personally, which is placed on them by society for behaving differently than our expectations of men, keeps women hidden and in the closet and keeps them from accessing care on their own until their illness is so bad that there is absolutely no other choice.

BHC Journal: With such a broad scope, what are some of the tactical responsibilities or actions professionals in this industry can take to help achieve that goal?

BF: We need to work on destigmatizing the disease and assist women in not suffering in silence or sitting in their shame and fear. We need to spread awareness that it’s okay for women to get treatment. They need to know it isn’t something they caused, it’s something that happened just like cancer or heart disease does. I think that when that occurs, more women will come forward and their treatment will happen at earlier intervals and, therefore, the outcome of that treatment is more likely to be successful over time.

BHC Journal: As more and more women get treatment and are in recovery, how does that trickle down to other demographics?

BF: I believe that women in our culture and our society are the moving force within their families — so if the woman heals and gets well, it’s likely that if she’s in a relationship with an addict or in a relationship with somebody who is codependent, most likely they will heal, and if there are children involved or grandchildren, most likely each generation will embrace the concept of healing. And in the outcome, they will either get into recovery for their own addictions or they will make healthier choices, therefore never entering into an addictive pattern. So again, I believe that when women are treated, generational healing begins and, therefore, the hole in the sole of America can begin to look differently than it does right now.

BHC Journal: Part of the starting process for this, the grassroots if you will, may actually be starting with building awareness among the primary care providers; the general practitioners or the gynecologists who see women on a recurring basis. Building their awareness of what to ask women in order to find out whether they might be dealing with an addiction that they are not being forward with. What should primary care providers be considering when they’re seeing women, such as for their annual physicals?

BF: Well I think that if we begin to ask key questions as healthcare providers — whether it’s their general practitioner, their ob/gyn — the same questions as we ask about generational diabetes, whether or not somebody smokes, or whether or not there is heart disease in the family. Once we begin to just very openly engage in a dialogue on whether or not there is alcoholism, addiction, what their current usage is, and begin to have what appears to be just a healthcare dialogue as matter of fact questions, we will begin to get some valuable information. But the healthcare providers, as well, need to deal with their own fears and insecurity and possibly shame and guilt around being very open and upfront and being able to speak comfortably with women.

Some of the staggering statistics that I think are important to know involve the impact of what this disease does to America. If you look at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, they have done a lot of research and it shows that annually the cost of lost productivity in this country due to alcoholism and drug abuse is $129 billion a year. It costs healthcare $16 billion, and there’s $36 billion in other lost causes and efforts that stem from abuse in America.

The biggest statistic that always moves me emotionally is that every year, there are 40,000 babies born that have some degree of alcohol-related damage, which is known as fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects. That is the leading cause of mental retardation in our country and it’s 100 percent preventable. If we eradicate this disease or fully treat it then there would be 40,000 additional healthy babies born; 40,000 fewer children with mental retardation born every single year.

BHC Journal: That’s staggering! Tell me, as CEO of New Directions for Women, how have you implemented strategies for treating women at your facility?

BF: I want to talk about treating women in general first, because I believe the model most used in our country is known as the Minnesota model of treatment for addiction. It was a model that was created by men for men, predominately Caucasian men. Women of course are very different than men, and it is not untypical of our healthcare industry to have most types of treatment and research initially done on men or for men. Over time, women get to be recognized and sometimes treated differently, so I think designing and implementing successful intervention strategies that holistically address the needs of women with addiction disorders requires racial, ethnic, cultural and clinical competencies that are different and more holistic.

Research has shown that such therapies as CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), experiential therapies, trauma therapies, all need to be integrated into the treatment of women, and yes, we do integrate all of those things at New Directions for Women. But I think our field needs to begin to make sure they are using research-driven, evidence-based best practices for whatever population or demographic or gender that they are treating so that they can guarantee the best outcomes of that care over time. They also need to make sure that if they are treating women, they are incorporating services that address all of the relationships, because women are relationship driven. Therefore, you have to address the needs of children, the needs of significant others, and other extended family members into the delivery of service. I think that when our field focuses on the individual needs of the person they are serving, the outcomes of treatment will become better.

BHC Journal: That makes perfect sense. Becky is there anything that I haven’t asked you that you think is important for industry professionals to hear with regard to the issues we’ve been talking about today?

BF: I think that we’ve come a long way. We’re a young field; we’re only between 50 and 65 years old, so in the scheme of things we are in our infancy and I think the greatest thing that any of us can do in this field is to listen to each other, keep dialogues open, be respectful of each other and be willing to continue to evolve and grow to the next professional level that we can, so that we can all be the best providers.

Reprinted with permission of BHCJournal.com

The Moment of Change – Intervention Approaches for Professionals is the largest conference of it’s kind geared to interventionists. Presented by Foundations Recovery Network, the Moment of Change runs from September 28-30 at the Breakers Palm Beach Hotel. The goal of the conference is to help interventionists apply clinical skills from a broad range of professional core functions, including alternative approaches to interventions. They’ll learn different therapy approaches and the mechanics of intervening, as well as advances in the field of addiction and intervention from practice innovations, and key philosophies of intervention. Additionally, intervention entrepreneurs will have a special opportunity to discover the strategic tactics necessary to start and operate a successful intervention business – guided by one of the industry’s most renowned leaders in intervention – Rebecca Flood.

Rebecca is President and Credentialing Board Co-Founder of the Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS), a network of interventionists located throughout the country and abroad. All members meet or exceed basic educational and performance standards and all adhere to the AIS code of ethics (listed at the end of this article.) In addition to her experience as an interventionist, Rebecca also brings to the table her business savvy as the CEO of a successful treatment facility in California. But that’s not all. You see, Rebecca, when a teenager, received a family intervention and became clean and sober at the young age of 15. Garnering a passion to help others, she went on to study at Johns Hopkins University, where she became the country’s youngest certified addiction counselor at 18. She studied with Dr. Vernon Johnson, the very man who essentially invented the formalized practice of intervention. Rebecca served as the in-house interventionist at Seabrook House in New Jersey and today is the leader of her of New Directions for Women.

Rebecca joins us today on BHC for the first in a three-part series to review the key points of her presentation next week on starting and building a successful intervention business. In our first online interview, Rebecca addresses how to create a strong vision and mission statement that will guide budding business leaders on how to define a unique niche in their respective markets. Next week, we’ll talk with Rebecca about how to create a solid business plan, how to establish a realistic and viable budget to support the plan, and, in our final interview the week after, how to develop a strategic marketing plan to grow the business.

And if you would like to attend The Moment of Change conference and learn from Rebecca and other industry experts, there’s still time to register for the South-Florida event at http://www.foundationsrecoverynetwork.com. To listen to Rebecca’s interview, click on the media player on this page, or read through the transcript that follows…

BHC: Rebecca, thank you for joining us on BHC. Your personal, educational and work experience is very influential in your success as an interventionist and facility CEO. Please tell us about that.

Rebecca Flood: My background is that I got clean and sober at the age of 15 as a result of a family intervention. When I was a year clean and sober, I went to school at Johns Hopkins University and got my counseling credentials and became the youngest certified addictions counselor at the age of 18. In 1979, I was trained by Vernon Johnson, [the very person who “invented” the process of intervention,] to do intervention work myself, and I’ve been passionate about it even since. I got clean and sober because an intervention got me into recovery, then I got trained in it and became passionate about it, and for the 26 years that I worked at Seabrook House in New Jersey, I was their primary interventionists. We did not contract intervention work out; we did it all in-house. And so that’s where my love and passion for intervention comes from.

When I came to New Directions for Women (in California) and started running my own facility, I ran out of time to be doing interventions on the side. And so my primary focus now is New Directions, but I’m still very passionate about intervention work. I got involved with the Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS) back in 2000, about 9 years ago, when I was still at Seabrook House.

When I founded AIS, which is the Association of Intervention Specialists, it was the first time that I knew there were people like me who did intervention work world wide, and I finally had somebody to talk to because doing intervention work is quite different then doing daily clinical work. Interventions come into a family system when it’s in its worst crisis and you have to pull on all of your clinical skills to really bring everybody together to meet a common goal, which is getting that family engaged in whatever clinical care they need to become a whole and healthy family again.

BHC: Before we get to the details of what it takes to start a business as an interventionist, let’s talk about what type of person it take to be an interventionist first and foremost.

RF: I think it takes somebody that is able to work under pressure, in crisis – somebody who would typically work at an E.R. You have to have that type of energy or momentum. It’s somebody who would be a firefighter, an EMT; it’s the personality in which you work best in crisis and that you’re very goal-centered; that while the crisis is happening, you’re able to take all of the players that are in crisis and get them over the crisis, into the solution. You must have extraordinary patience and be very clinically savvy.

BHC: Rebecca, later this month you’ll be speaking about how to start and operate an intervention business at the Moment of Change Intervention Approaches for Professionals conference. Rob Waggener, the CEO of Foundations Recovery Network (which presents the conference) was recently talking about the purpose of the conference. He said that when it started years ago, it was to help give a voice to interventionists because there wasn’t a particular association at the time, or standards, or any sort of road map, if you will. How have you seen the industry change over the years?

RF: In the years that I have been involved in AIS, about five years, we started a credentialing board. That is the first board of its kind. It’s not a certification yet, but we now have a nationally recognized registration for interventionists, which requires them to either hold a clinical license or an addiction certification that is nationally recognized. In addition to that, they have to take educational classes (this Moment of Change conference meets part of that requirement) and they have to do supervised interventions. Then they present to the credentialing body their credentials and their educational units and their supervision and then they can become board-registered interventionists.

So we are slowly seeing evolution of what used to be a renegade industry, where anybody could be an interventionist. It didn’t matter, you could just hang a shingle out because you thought it was a good thing to do and because that’s what you wanted to do, and today there is a way to make sure that you do have a registered interventionist that meets certain criteria. They carry liability insurance, they have really professionalized themselves. So we’re evolving. I would say we are the babies of the addiction treatment field. We are the last part of this profession that’s evolving to the professional level that will continue to evolve.

BHC: It’s certainly on the way up – and thanks to your leadership especially. Rebecca, when you talk about the credentialing process, what should come first – the certification and education before someone decides to move toward preparing for a business plan?

RF: It depends on if your business is only going to be an intervention business. I would highly recommend that you first go get the credentials that you need in order to have that business. If you have other types of services within your business that you’re able to launch and then want to add that, you can kind of do that as you go. Or, if you just happen to be a business person that wants to run an intervention business and you’re going to hire the right credentialed people, that’s another way you could go about it.

BHC: For those that want more information about credentialing, what is a good source of information for that?

RF: They can go to www.AssociationOfInterventionSpecialists.org. It’s the AIS website and that will lead to the credentialing board website. All you have to do is click on where it says ‘credentialing board’ and it will take you right to that website. The Illinois Certification Board manages our board registration credentialing for us, and we chose the Illinois Certification Board to manage it because they are the largest certifying body of addiction counselors in the country.

BHC: Once somebody has gotten to the point in which where they’re ready to start developing the tools they need to start a business, you have mentioned that the first important task is developing a mission and a vision statement. What steps are necessary to make that happen?

RF: The first thing to do in developing a vision and mission statement is always realizing that your mission is why you show up to do the work you do and the vision is what will occur if you’re successful in meeting your mission. It needs to be a shared vision and mission between all parties involved in the company. So if you are an entrepreneur and you’re a single practitioner, you can develop it on your own. If there’s going to be others involved, if you have business owners or it’s a partnership or it’s a non-profit organization with a board of directors, you need to really create something that is shared so that everybody buys into what the vision and mission is. You come together and you answer certain strategic questions, and as you answer those strategic questions, your vision and mission become very apparent to you. Once that vision and mission is really very clean and everybody is on board with both the vision and mission, you’re then ready to launch into developing your business plan.

BHC: Is there any place, either through the AIS website that you just mentioned or through perhaps other sites, where folks can see where other mission statements are if there confused about how to get moving on that?

RF: One of the best websites that I use that’s available to non profits is an organization called www.boardsource.org. You can go to that website and they have all types of information available on visions, missions, strategic planning, budgeting, marketing, both online resources and hard resources, that you can purchase through them and also through consultants that are available that can help you develop any part of your business that you may be struggling with.

BHC: Is there anything else that you’d like to say about the development of the mission or vision statement before we wrap up?

RF: I think that anybody who creates a vision and mission statement that really truly captures the heart of what they want to accomplish has the base for creating a very successful organization.

BHC: In our two upcoming talks on this topic of developing an intervention business, we’ll go over strategic planning and budgeting, financing issues and marketing strategies. We encourage readers to watch www.BehavioralHealthCentral.com for updates on when you can expect those follow up stories.

RF: Thank you so very much Robin.

Following are the AIS Code of Ethics mentioned in this article:

PRINCIPLE 1: Non discrimination

The intervention specialist must not discriminate against clients, organizations, or other professionals based on race, religion, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, mental or physical handicap, national origin or economic condition.

PRINCIPLE 2: Competence

The intervention specialist must recognize that this profession is founded on standards of competence which promotes the best interest of the client, the intervention specialist, this profession, and society. The intervention specialist must accept the need for ongoing education as an integral part of professional competence. The intervention specialist must recognize the boundaries and limitations of one’s own competencies, and not offer services or use techniques outside of these professional competencies. The intervention specialist must recognize the effect of physical and mental impairment on professional performance, and be willing to seek appropriate treatment for oneself or for a colleague.

PRINCIPLE 3: Legal and Ethical Standards

The intervention specialist must uphold the legal and accepted ethical codes which pertain to professional conduct. The intervention specialist must not use the affiliation with the Association of Intervention Specialists for purposes that are not consistent with the stated mission of the Association.* The intervention specialist who is aware of unethical or illegal professional conduct must report such violations to the appropriate certifying authority.

PRINCIPLE 4: Client Welfare

The intervention specialist must respect the integrity and protect the welfare of the person or group with whom the specialist is working. The intervention specialist must assume the responsibility for clients’ welfare either by termination by mutual agreement and/or by the client becoming engaged with another professional.

PRINCIPLE 5: Confidentiality

The intervention specialist must embrace, as a primary obligation, the privacy of clients and must not disclose confidential information acquired in teaching, clinical practice, training or consultation sessions, except when there is a clear and imminent danger to client or other persons.

PRINCIPLE 6: Societal Obligations

The intervention specialist must adopt a personal and professional stance which promotes the well being of all human beings. The intervention specialist must inform the public through active civic and professional participation in community affairs of the effect of addiction, and must act to guarantee all persons, especially the needy and disadvantaged, have access to necessary resources and services.

PRINCIPLE 7: Remuneration

The intervention specialist must establish arrangements in professional practice which are in accord with the professional standards that safeguard the best interest of the client, the specialist and the profession. The intervention specialist may not exploit relationships with clients or patients for personal advantage or satisfaction. The intervention specialist will not accept direct enumeration for making or receiving a referral of a patient.

Reprinted with permission of BHCJournal.com

Dear New Directions for Women Supporter,

We are happy to announce that it is time for our 15^th Annual Golf Tournament. This year’s tournament will be held on Halloween, as a Ghost Tournament! This allows all participants the opportunity to contribute to the Pamela Wilder Scholarship Fund as they have in the fourteen previous years, while reducing the stress of taking time away from work and family during these global unknown and uncertain times. In addition, this type of tournament will maximize the amount of scholarship funds and resources we can direct towards our patients’ recovery. Although there will be no live tournament, you are encouraged to participate for the chance to win fabulous prizes and of course, give women with addictions a gift she and her family will cherish – a gift of recovery!

This year, New Directions for Women has seen a significant reduction in the level of treatment costs individual patients can afford, and the level of reimbursement from insurance policies. With jobs lost, and credit very tight, families who seek treatment for their loved ones have fewer options available to pay for treatment. It’s affecting all of us. We need to raise $500,000 for the Pamela Wilder scholarship fund every year, or we may have to eliminate treatment for women whose very lives are at risk. Cuts to these programs would put more lives of women at risk, and have a devastating impact on their families, our community, and our nation. Your participation will help us continue to transform women, families, and their children, one day at a time.

Please visit our Ghost Golf Tournament page to learn more. Prize winners will be notified in mid-November. Don’t hesitate to call our Events Coordinator, Tania Bhattacharyya, at (949) 313-1192, with any questions. We look forward to our continued relationship into the future, as we are blessed by your generosity and support!

Fondly,

Rebecca Flood, MHS, LCADC, NCAC II, CADC

Executive Director, CEO

NDFW will assist you in finding an interventionist that best matches your needs. Please contact us.

Whether done in a family or workplace setting, Family Intervention is a way for the family and friends to confront the one they care for with kindness and respect, but also with direct honesty that will pierce the defenses of the addicted, helping them to see the damage their behavior is doing to themselves and those around them. Because family intervention is done by a group of family and friends, it makes an impact far more powerful than an individual could ever create on his or her own

The New Directions for Women Annual Open House was held on August 26th from 5:00-7:30pm on our campus. Over one hundred guests joined us for a fun few hours of good company, give-aways, and freshly grilled food by our Executive Chef Eyal. This was the perfect event for some summer fun! While the adults shopped, children cooled down with Sno-Cones, and had a blast in the Bounce House! They also got to know Joyla the Clown, who loves to face-paint and make balloon animals. Guests won gift cards to In-N-Out, Boston Market, Costco, and other popular establishments, and one guest even left with a brand new Toshiba laptop! Repeat Boutique, New Direction’s upscale used clothing store, set up a “mini-boutique” for those shoppers who can’t get enough of the flagship store on 17th Street. Through opportunity drawings and Repeat Boutique sales, almost $800 was raised and went directly to New Directions for Women Foundation. We hope that memories of the pleasant evening will last forever.

Nearly forty Alumnae and patients gathered on the Dream Maker Yacht on Newport Harbor on Saturday, September 19th for the third Annual Alumnae Reunion.  Patients and Alumnae teamed up to enjoy a gourmet lunch, sang karaoke, got massages and had a 12-step meeting.  There were plenty of laughs as everyone sang and danced, ate cake and relaxed in the sun.  The scenery was great, but not nearly as entertaining as our karaoke singers!  Check out the photos

3 Days…60+ Treatment Centers, Private Practitioners, Interventionists…AND YOU

Announcing the Fourth Annual Addiction Treatment Centers & Professionals Consortium of California,  July 28 – 30 in Santa Barbara, CA.

Why attend?  Our previous attendees say it best.  Watch the video:

“I have attended the ATCPCC for the past three years and it gets better every year. For me it is all about finding the best care for any call that I get and what a better way to research that, then at this conference. I love the variety of networking opportunities this offers.”

Tammy Eurick
Admissions/Marketing Director – The Bridge to Recovery
www.thebridgetorecovery.com

• Earn 18 CEUs at this single event (CAADAC and CA Board of Behavioral Services certified)
• Exclusive access to 60+ participating addiction treatment organizations over three days
• Form lifelong referral sources

This conference is an opportunity to exchange information with other treatment providers and professionals in an effort to create a seamless continuum of care to meet the needs of all patients.  During the conference each facility, interventionist or therapist is provided a formal opportunity to present information about what distinguishes their services and programs and how to access their services.  There are also numerous networking opportunities and a chance for some summer relaxation in beautiful Santa Barbara.  Our hope is that everyone will leave this conference knowing where to turn when they are presented with a situation that is outside their area of expertise.

REGISTER HERE >>

“I’ve been attending National Conferences for many years, and ATCPCC is one of the best networking opportunities. I meet new people, learn about new programs, and  recruit new members and authors for our online journal.”

Josie Ramirez-Herndon
CEO – Villareal and Associates/RecoveryView.com
www.recoveryview.com

Who Should Attend

Executive Directors, CEOs, Medical Directors, Private Practitioners, Administrators, Therapists, Admissions Personnel, Interventionists, Treatment and Discharge Planning Personnel.  Marketing Representatives may attend if a Clinician is also in attendance.

REGISTER HERE >>

Space is Limited

The ATCPCC begins Wednesday July 28 at 1:00 pm and ends on Friday July 30 at about 2:00 pm.  Out of courtesy for all presenters it is mandatory that you attend the entire conference and do not leave early.

“A well organized opportunity to meet new people and learn about the many options for our clients. Thank you for including me.”

Brandi Elliot
Admissions and Marketing Director – Northwest Academy
www.nwacademy.net

Please make your own hotel reservations.  Room rates this year have a reduced conference rate of $239.00 per night plus tax, free parking if you stay in the conference hotel and half-price internet access. Please make your reservations before June 29, 2010 to receive the hotel discount.  Contact the hotel at 805.564.4333 and be sure to mention New Directions for Women ATCPCC Conference.

WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE WHO WON THE FREE HOTEL ROOM
AT ATCPCC 2010!

“One of the best events I have ever attended! Looking forward to next year.”

Heather Edney
Director of Marketing – White Rabbit Partners

REGISTER HERE >>

More Comments from Attendees:

“We found the format effective for the first time attendees. We started out with minimal personal knowledge of the participating professionals and finished with a strong connection to the treatment community. What a phenomenal extended family!”

Jacquie Wheeler
Senior Counselor Solutions Program – Jaywalker Lodge/Jaywalker Solutions
www.jaywalkerlodge.com

“One of the best conferences I have been to. The conference is very well organized and put together. The conference programming allows its participants to spend quality and intimate time together. A great opportunity to network and build lasting relationships.”

Ryan Newport
Outreach/Referral Coordinator – Morningside Recovery
www.morningsiderecovery.com

“This consortium offers a wonderful opportunity to benefit not only from extensive professional networking with some of the best, most successful providers and professionals in today’s treatment industry. It also provides an opportunity to connect with very special people who are truly “walking the walk” and carrying a very potent message.”

Cynthia Thomas
Director of Business Development – The Refuge
www.therefuge-ahealingplace.com

“One of the best conferences I’ve attended, because of the intimacy of the programming. Wonderful setup.”

Jamison Monroe
CEO – Newport Academy
www.newport-academy.com

“This conference offers providers multiple opportunities: networking, exchange of valuable information, and cross-referrals. Located in a serene environment, Santa Barbara, all participants are able to enjoy each other while gathering critical information.”

Cherlyne Short Majors

To Register

Register online through the link below or fax your registration to 949.574.8977.  Make checks payable to New Directions for Women, 2607 Willo Lane, Costa Mesa, CA 92627.

Please contact Tania Bhattacharyya at 949.313.1192, ext 103 or tania@newdirectionsforwomen.org if you have any questions.

REGISTER HERE >>