New Groups at Breakthru House!

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

We have modified our group schedule at Breakthu House to include a new group: Sober Support Skills! These groups will introduce new activities that have been shown to support sustained recovery in various ways. These group activities will include exercise, art, meditation, and leisure skills (games, movies, etc.).

Each of these types of activities have been shown through research to benefit and support sustained recovery in various ways.

It is important to not only encourage clients to participate in these activities in their free time, but to set aside group time to introduce new methods of exercise, relaxation and meditation, creative expression, and leisure to clients, as well as to give them an opportunity to practice these skills. It is natural human behavior that we are more likely to do an activity later when we have already begun the action! So, when we practice a meditation technique or exercise activity in group, it allows clients to experience for themselves, "hey, this is actually helpful! (and fun!)" Then they are much more likely to continue the behavior in their free time and continuing on after treatment to enhance and support their recovery efforts.

For further reading on how each of these types of activities are supportive of recovery, you may want to check out some of these articles!


Benefits of Exercise in Addiction Treatment and Recovery
"Active Replacement" - Benefits of Leisure Skills, including Exercise in Addiction Treatment and Recovery
Benefits of Meditation in Addiction Treatment and Recovery
Benefits of Meditation in Addiction Treatment and Recovery (second article)
Creative Arts Therapy and Addiction Treatment and Recovery
Women in Recovery from Alcoholism: The Place of Leisure
Therapeutic Recreation and Addiction Treatment

To read more about another new group at Breakthru House that focuses on creating safety to address trauma and addiction, please see our article about our new Seeking Safety curriculum!

Board Members Admitted to Breakthru House!

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

Last Wednesday, Breakthru House staff held a board member training event where board members were "admitted" to treatment!

Board members arrived at our office, 

and had their wallets, cell phones, and keys confiscated by Kaysha Corniffe, our Administrative Coordinator and Jessica Jenkins, one of our Counselors.

Then they were drug screened,

and breathalyzed.

They all passed, so they were admitted to treatment and proceeded to our group room where they reviewed consents with our Resident Manager, Gail Whitton.

Their bags were searched, and any contraband items were confiscated. No cleansers, lotions, perfumes, or items containing alcohol allowed!

Board members were then paired up with clients, and received a tour of the residences, highlighting first aid and emergency procedures, and an overview of program rules and schedules.

We then had a working dinner - our Clinical Coordinator, Melanie Storrusten reviewed various assessment tools used in our Assessment Phase to assist us in providing individualized treatment to each client. Then Kate Boyer, our Executive Director, joined in to lead a very information Question and Answer session. The board members' passion was evident - they had lots of questions!

After the Q&A, Sarah Postich, our newest staff member and Lead Counselor, joined Jessica in co-leading a group in which board members and clients could share about the experiences of coming to treatment. 

Each board member left with a Big Book, AA's 12-Step book, which is one part of the Recovery Kit that incoming clients receive.

Thank you so much to our board for attending and learning more about addiction and the excellent therapeutic services that we provide at Breakthru House! We hope that you all enjoyed the evening and learned a lot! Leave us a comment to share about your experience!

ELO - Mr. Blue Skies, a great client theme song!

...

Runnin' down the avenue
See how the sun shines brightly in the city
On the streets where once was pity
Mister blue sky is living here today hey, hey

Mister blue sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long
Where did we go wrong?

...

Pearl Jam - Latest Client Theme Song!

Here's our latest client theme song - Rock out to Pearl Jam's Given to Fly:

And he still gives his love, he just gives it away
The love he receives is the love that is saved
And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky
A human being that was given to fly

Alumni Picnic

On May 14th, Breakthru House held its annual Alumni Picnic. Clients, board members, volunteers, and alumni gathered on our campus to celebrate Breakthru House and how their lives have been impacted through it.

 The shared time began with a celebration moment for the life of Laura Z., a Breakthru House board member and long-time volunteer who was instrumental in establishing our weekly Big Book volunteer group. 

There was good food, fellowship, volleyball, and even some hula hooping! At Breakthru House, we are so grateful for all of our supporters, but especially for our Alumni who remain actively connected with Breakthru House, and can provide a living, breathing example to our current clients of a changed life that is possible through treatment at Breakthru.

Thank you volunteers, supporters, and Alumni!!

*Note - no clients are pictured above. All volunteers, alumni, and board members provided consent for their pictures to be posted. If you are pictured above and would like to removed from the blog, please contact Breakthru's resident blogger and Clinical Coordinator, Melanie Storrusten.

Thank you!! The benefits of staying connected to Breakthru House.

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

Recently we posted a blog featuring some of our clients Healthy Goals for our Spring Challenge. One of our clients listed a goal to train for and participate in a triathlon. This directly ties in to treatment at Breakthru in a couple of ways: Exercise is an example of the healthy coping skills that our clients need to develop to help them deal with their discomfort by behaviors other than using drugs and alcohol. Exercise boosts natural "feelgood" chemicals in the body to combat depression. Exercise leads to healthy bodies, which increases self-worth. I'm sure that you can intuitively list many more benefits of exercise and how it might be especially beneficial for women in early recovery.

In order for our client to meet her goal of actually participating in a triathlon, she needed access to a pool to train in, bike repairs, an entry fee, and some other obstacles that were financially out of her grasp. That's where our awesome Breakthru House community of supporters came into play and overwhelmingly responded to the call. Our client is now able to actively train and will be competing in her triathlon soon, and in doing so, inspires other clients to work to meet their goals as well.

Client Art by D.

I hope that you can see the impact that donors and volunteers can make in the lives of our clients - in HUGE and meaningful ways. We are so glad that you care enough to stay connected and responsive to Breakthru's needs. And we are super stoked to get to pass along the great things happening as a result of your generosity. Our blog and website are some ways to stay connected - we also have a newsletter. Check out the latest edition here, and sign up to be on our mailing list here.

Client Theme Song - I'm Not Your Average Girl, India Arie

I'm not the average girl from your video
And I ain't built like a super model
But I learned to love myself unconditionally
Because I am a queen 

...

When I look in the mirror
and the only one there is me
Every freckle on my face is where it's supposed to be
And I know my creator didn't make
no mistakes on me 

Clinical Corner - Self Worth

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

Many people struggling with addiction, and especially women struggling with addiction, have a very low evaluation of their self-worth. For many clients (unfortunately the vast majority of them), this stems from a lifetime of trauma and abuse. 100% of Breakthru House clients acknowledge a background of trauma and abuse where they repeatedly received the message, "You're not good enough," "You deserve horrible treatment," and "Nobody cares." Once they entered active addiction, our clients sent this message to themselves by not taking care of themselves and abusing their bodies and spirits, and by placing themselves in dangerous situations to be re-traumatized and have those shaming messages again reinforced.

It is a part of most of our clients' official treatment plan goals to increase their self-worth. In addressing low self-worth, clients are asked to identify their negative self-talk throughout the day and challenge the truth of those negative messages. Some clients find using daily affirmations to be helpful. Some clients use collages and other artwork to surround themselves with positive messages. Clients are encouraged to participate in a variety of activities so that they can discover that they can have fun while sober. Many of our assignments are emotionally difficult - asking clients to look at where their negative beliefs about themselves originated. Some of our assignments are a little more light-hearted.

The following video clip is from the old TV show, Allie McBeal. Tracey Ullman's character in this clip does not play a very professional therapist, so I am including the disclaimer that this isn't what actually happens in therapy! :) I do use this video clip though, to explain the assignment to many clients to Choose a Theme Song.

 

The following is an example of a client's theme song. Stay tuned for more!!

What about you? Do you have a theme song? Maybe you should! We'd love for you to share your thoughts and theme songs in the comments below.

Volunteer Spotlight - Supper Club!

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

Supper Club is an opportunity for a group of individuals to bring dinner and fellowship to the clients of Breakthru House. Once a month, the ladies are excited to open their home to Sunday School classes, companies and organizations, or other volunteer groups. Tours are provided, a meal is shared, and the clients and volunteers have a chance to get to know one another. Supper Club is an excellent one-time (or ongoing!) volunteer opportunity that can serve as an "introduction" to Breakthru, to learn more about our program, and to see on a more personal level how we are impacting the lives of women struggling with addiction. We love Supper Club because we get to see lightbulbs going off for our clients that, "Hey, people I don't even know care about me!" For many of our clients who come from backgrounds of trauma, abuse, and neglect, this is a shocking and life-changing realization. We would love for you to come be a part of it! For more information on participating in Supper Club or other volunteer opportunities at Breakthru House, please feel free to contact Kate Boyer.

The Crosstalk Sunday School Class from Roswell United Methodist Church have been committed Supper Club volunteers! You can visit them on the web at: http://www.rumc.com.

Judy from Crosstalk Sunday School class of Roswell United Methodist Church is enjoying Supper Club!

Volunteers Helen and Marcia enjoying fellowship at Supper Club.

We are so thankful for our volunteers, like Carol!

Hi, volunteer, Pam! Which is the best part of Supper Club? The fellowship or dessert? It's a toss-up! Yumm!

 Thank you, ladies!!!

A Client's Perspective

The following is published with permission from the author.

What I have received from Breakthru House and how it has helped me.

It's hard to express in words just how much Breakthru has done for me. It's given me my life back. I was a broken person in so many ways when I got here. I was so deep into my addiction that I had lost all connection with reality. I was in so much emotional and spiritual pain that I was actually numb.
It took me a while to be able to feel again, to even cry. Breakthru has brought me back to life. I could possibly be in prison or dead right now without having come here. I have many horror stories about my addiction, but I don't have to live those anymore. Breakthru has taught me self-discipline, has given me back my self-worth. I have found courage and integrity and honesty. I have started to love myself again.
Words don't come close enough to express the gratitude that i have to Breakthru. All I know is that my God brought me here so that I could survive and get the help that I so desperately needed. thank God I had a place to go. I am a miracle, a survivor, and a productive member of society today. I am worthy. I am a good daughter, a good sister, a good aunt, a good step-daughter, a good friend, a good woman and I owe that to Breakthru House.

Sincerely and Appreciatively,
Beth G.

Client Progress

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

Our newest evaluation tool that we have created is the Self-Report Unmanageability Scale. This scale measures the level of unmanageability across six areas of functioning:

Physical – ability to care for food, shelter, clothing, and safety needs

Medical – ability to care for medical, dental and psychiatric needs

Employment – ability to obtain and maintain gainful employment

Financial – ability to manage debt and other financial obligations

Relationships – ability to maintain healthy relationships and interactions with others

Legal – ability to uphold the law and fulfill any legal obligations

Clients rate each of these areas at admission and throughout their treatment on the following scale:

1 = I have no problems in this area

2 = I have some issues in this area, but nothing that causes excessive stress

3 = I have many issues and increased stress in this area, but I am able to manage    somehow

4 = I have an unmanageable amount of issues in this area, with an unmanageable amount of stress, but I have a plan to get back on track

5 = I am overwhelmed by issues in this area; I feel completely unmanageable, and I have no idea what to do.

Our current clients rated themselves as having 73% of the areas of their lives rating at 4’s or 5’s when they were admitted to Breakthru House. Today, they rate only 26% of these areas as 4’s or 5’s.

The following graph will show the decrease of unmanageability experienced by our clients in each of these areas.

From this data, we know that: clients experience the most unmanageability in the Employment and Financial areas of their lives when they first come to Breakthru. Their ongoing needs remain highest in the areas of: Finances, Employment and Relationships. We have an extensive job coaching program, although due to the current economy, none of our clients have obtained employment. This may contribute to their continued experience of unmanageability re: their finances. Our program also dictates that clients wait to begin job search until their completion of DAC, so it makes sense that clients would still have unresolved financial issues. It is promising that despite this fact, the drop in unmanageability scores from admission to present-day in the area of Employment is one of the largest! So, at least they are gaining the skills that they feel will bring some manageability back into this area of their lives. Clients are also required to wait until they are on Level 2 until they resume contact with their families, which could play a role in their continued experience of unmanageability in the Relationships area. Still, the fact that Relationships are one of clients’ biggest areas of need when they come into Breakthru, and one of the smallest drops in unmanageability, means that we need to strengthen this area of our program. We are planning to implement an extensive family component to our treatment program by the end of 2011. Above even the drop in scores in the area of Employment, are those in the area of Medical needs. Our clients are linked to and regularly access psychiatric, medical, dental, and vision care.

At Breakthru, we strive to measure and meet our client’s needs, and then to re-measure and improve our programming to ensure that we truly are transforming the lives of women by facilitating physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

About Our Clients

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

From our assessments, we know that: 100% of our current clients are homeless. 100% have a history of trauma. 64% have a criminal background. 36% have children in alternative custody. 82% have a family history of addiction. 64% have a diagnosis of depression. Other clients carry diagnoses of: Attention Deficit Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder. Our clients drugs of choice are: opiates, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol, and marijuana.

From our evaluation tools we know that: 55% of our clients acknowledge Childhood Trauma and are still affected by it today. 64% of our clients acknowledge a traumatic event in their past and still experience symptoms that impact their daily lives today. 27% of our clients have eating issues, and utilize food as an unhealthy coping skill to a level that impacts their daily lives. 82% of our clients’ addiction and recovery is impacted by hormonal or sexual issues.

As a result, in addition to Substance Abuse Treatment, many of our clients are being treated for: Grief/Trauma, Low Self-Worth, Codependency (unhealthy relationships), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Guilt/Shame.

Our clients have been at Breakthru House from 1 month to 12 months. Our average length of stay among current clients is 6 ½ months.

Blog Launch Party!!

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

Here at Breakthru House, we are pretty excited about our blog! To celebrate, we threw a drop-in blog launch party Tuesday night. There were refreshments, campus tours, and of course, our blog unveiling! If you missed it, you missed a great time! Enjoy the pictures!

Our post-card advertisement - Designed by Melanie Storrusten, our Clinical Coordinator, and Bryan Bradley, a local web designer

On to the party!!!

Long-time friend of Breakthru, Zoe Hicks, and new friend of Breakthru, Betsy Edwards

Breakthru House's Resident Manager, Gail Whitton, Executive Director, Kate Boyer, and Administrative Coordinator, Kaysha Corniffe

Our Clinical Coordinator, Melanie Storrusten, and Counselor, Jessica Jenkins

 Others in attendance included church liasons and volunteers, neighborhood residents, and supportive family and friends! If you missed out, don't worry! You can always find out more information and get connected with Breakthru House by subscribing to our blog, visiting our website, or checking out our Action Ministries facebook page!

Welcome to Behind the Walls at Breakthru House

by Melanie Storrusten, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator

Welcome to Breakthru House!

We are excited to establish a bigger presence on the world wide web! We want our blog to be a way for potential clients, alumni, family members, volunteers, donors, board members, church liaisons and other friends of Breakthru to keep up with what is going on here. We are a small family of staff, and rely so heavily on all the awesome people who freely give of their time and talents and care about our clients! We know that our volunteers, donors, and supporters give because they truly care about these ladies and about the ways in which their lives are changing through the hard work they are doing at Breakthru House. We are also a very unique place, because unlike other organizations, many times friends of Breakthru can't see the full picture due to the confidentiality requirements of the therapeutic work that is happening behind our walls. So, our hope is to utilize this blog to give you a peek into what daily life at Breakthru entails, and to share as much of the miracles that happen here as we can, without breaking anyone's confidentiality or anonymity.

Our clients are also excited about our new online venture, and they may volunteer from time to time to provide content for our blog. This will always be done with their very specific written consent as to what will be published, and how they will be identified.

Please let us know what you would like to see on our blog! You can comment here, subscribe to us, add us on facebook, visit our website, etc. We hope that the internet will prove to be a valuable tool in connecting all of our available resources to our clients' needs and then back again, bringing us full circle. We could not accomplish our mission without all of you!

Thank you, and welcome!