Caron
CHIT CHAT
Chatter
In This Issue
Message from the President–page 2
Recovery Tool Box–page 4
Alumni & Friends Reunion–page 6
From the Pen of Dick Caron–page 7
SPRING 2003
Caron Acquires Renaissance
Institute of Palm Beach
T
he Caron Foundation acquired
Renaissance Institute of Palm
Beach, a chemical dependency and
dual diagnosis extended care treatment
center located in Boca Raton, Florida.
The acquisition of Renaissance is part
of Caron’s growth strategy to enhance its
continuum of care and to offer services in
other regions of the country.
Renaissance, a nationally-known
treatment facility, receives referrals from
leading treatment providers across the
country, including Caron. More than fifty
percent of all Renaissance referrals come
from the northeast United States,
specifically the greater New York City and
metropolitan Philadelphia areas.
“Expanding to Florida is part of
Caron’s three-year plan to add treatment
facilities in several locations on the East
Coast,” said Doug Tieman, Caron President
and CEO. “Renaissance will enable us to
enhance our extended care program, and
to provide care to our patients who also
suffer from dual diagnosis.”
“Offering treatment under the Florida
sun will make long-term care, which often
lasts three to nine months, a more
attractive position,” Tieman said.
Renaissance offers a transitional
therapeutic environment with gradually
decreasing levels of care, along with the
introduction of increased responsibility
and self-sufficiency. It helps patients in the
early stages of recovery develop a nonaddictive lifestyle and get back to work.
Over the past 18
months, Caron has
referred 30 patients to
Renaissance. “Because
some people find it
easier to begin recovery
in a location far from
where they experienced
addiction, and because
opportunities for work
are plentiful in the Palm
Beach, Florida area,”
Tieman said,
“Renaissance is an
ideally situated
therapeutic venue.”
The Renaissance
Institute of Palm Beach
Doug Tieman and Sid Goodman exchange greetings.
name, management,
staff and programs will
remain intact. According
ownership, nothing else will change here
to Tieman, “Renaissance has an excellent
at Renaissance. We will continue to serve
national reputation, and we are proud to
referrals with the same management and
affiliate with them. The Renaissance staff
brings very specialized expertise in longer- treatment teams and programs we have
had in place from day one,” said
term care, dual diagnosis and in
Goodman.
managing complicated cases. I welcome
Connie Murray, president, Freedom
this expertise to the Caron continuum.”
Institute, New York, stated, “As a resource
Renaissance will continue to serve
and outpatient treatment center for the
referrals from other treatment providers,
chemically dependent and their families,
according to Sid Goodman, Renaissance
Freedom Institute has had a longstanding
founder and executive/clinical director.
and close affiliation with both the Caron
“We welcome the alliance with Caron. Our
Foundation and Renaissance Institute.
shared philosophy of 12-step treatment
Inherent in Freedom Institute’s philosophy
and family involvement make us an
especially good match. Except for new
continued on page 5
Message from the President
FACING OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE
This past December, I received a very simple survey from the
editor of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Weekly. The survey asked,
“What is the biggest challenge facing your organization in
Doug Tieman,
President and CEO
2003?”. Almost every organization responded with the types
of remarks that I may well have made in the past —
comments about insurance companies, managed care companies, public policy, lack of
third party funding, compromised lengths of stay, and other issues.
The editor called me shortly after receiving my response because it was unique. I
actually provided him with two challenges that I thought to be major considerations. The
first he readily understood — the dramatic increase in the cost of health care benefits for
our employees. While other institutions had not mentioned that, he certainly was well
aware of the out-of-control increases that all employers face. I recently spoke with our
staff concerning this matter, making note that addressing these costs without passing
them on to employees is a very high priority.
The editor, however, was very surprised with my second challenge, which was the
recruitment and retention of employees to provide “Caron quality care” in enough
numbers to sustain the Caron growth strategy. Even with the pro-active measures that we
have taken, which include full-time recruiters and trainers, paying for Associate of Arts
and Masters program classes for employees that are delivered on the Caron campus,
enhanced benefits, a generous Variable Compensation Program, the Mentoring Program,
and more, I am still very concerned about the challenge facing us in recruiting the type of
people we need in all levels of the organization. And then, equally important, helping
them acclimate to the Caron culture and identify with the mission in such a way that they
are inclined to make working at the Caron Foundation their career.
I’m always touched at the December holiday party when we have an opportunity to
recognize employees who celebrate five, ten, fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five years of
service to the Caron Foundation. I continue to search for that ingredient that will
encourage the next generation of employees at the Caron Foundation to strive towards
that type of service. Those who have attended recent CEO luncheons know that a key
question I ask is “What do we need to do to motivate new people to make the sometimes
difficult, and generally challenging work at the Caron Foundation rewarding enough that
it encourages them to make this their career?”
Employee retention and recruitment is a challenge, because even with our beautiful
new buildings, expertly designed programs, and generous scholarship funds — without the
staff to provide “Caron quality care,” we will not be able to continue to be the type of
organization that we have been in the past. I am committed to resolving this challenge,
and I hope you will help by continuing your career at Caron and recommending our
organization to your friends and colleagues.
2 • Chit Chat Chatter
Caron
CHIT CHAT
Chatter
is published by Caron Foundation
The Caron Foundation is a not-for-profit
organization with a mission to provide an
enlightened and caring treatment community
in which those affected by alcoholism or other
drug addiction may begin a new life.
President/CEO
Douglas Tieman
Chairman of the Board
John J. Duffy, Esq.
Editor
Sally Orth
Galen Hall Road, P.O. Box 150
Wernersville, PA 19565-0150
610-678-2332
Caron Treatment Programs
Medical Services
Adult Services
Adolescent Services
Adolescent Extended Care
Men’s Extended Care
Center for Self Development
Wernersville, PA
800-678-2332
Outpatient Counseling Services
Wyomissing, PA
610-678-2332
Extended Care for Women
Mohnton, PA
610-777-1869
New York City Regional Office
212-949-6134
Philadelphia Regional Office
215-496-8123
www.caron.org
Rekindling the Light and Love
At the Annual Caron NY Reunion
By Nadine Einhorn, Caron Alumna
S
everal years had passed between my
first Caron reunion and the one I
attended on Saturday, January 25,
2003. Heeding a strong inner call to reunite
with the Caron family, I overcame my
vulnerability and pre-party jitters. For me, it
is always daunting to think of entering a
room full of people who are actively
engaged in lively conversation and not
recognize anyone. Thankfully, my positive
intention outweighed my fears (false
evidence appearing real!) as I set off for the
Central Presbyterian Church on Park & 64th
St., the site of the Caron Reunion.
From the moment I entered the
Church, I was bathed in the loving and
joyous spirit that is uniquely Caron.
Greeting me at the door was an alumna
with a smile so genuine and a manner so
inviting that I immediately felt at ease.
Upstairs, in a warm, convivial room, many
people were actively engaged in friendly
chatter and I soon became one of them!
Lunch was being served and I took a plate
and sat down at a table directly in front of
the stage so that I’d be able to see and
hear everything that had been planned for
the afternoon.
Just like my experience at Caron (fiveday Codependency Program), the reunion
consisted of orchestrated activities, as well
as spontaneous acts of generosity and love.
Everyone who took the stage that afternoon inspired us with their warmth, their
personal expression and their willingness to
share. Recovery was in the air!
Wendy Caplan took on the dual role of
mistress of ceremonies and entertainer.
Accompanied on piano by Anthony Lauria,
Wendy sang Get Together and, in no time,
had us waving our hands in the air and
singing, too. What a joy it was to partake in
the spontaneity of the moment as I swayed
my hands in the air along with 236 others
united in the spirit of recovery.
I thoroughly enjoyed the professional
comedy and hilarious antics of Jessica
Kirson. Expressing her vulnerability through
comedic gesture, she shared her personal
story while simultaneously filling the room
with uproarious, non-stop laughter.
Later on, special guest speaker and
board member, Shelly Shultz, spoke
affectionately about his past and present
ties to Caron. Then Shelly announced that
he was cutting his speech a little short in
order to make room for an unscheduled
guest, Caron Alumni, Stanley.
Stan, unaccustomed to public
speaking, nevertheless, was eager to share
his heartfelt feelings about Caron by
reading a poem he had written in 1992 and
since then has recited everyday as a prayer.
Silently cheering him on with love in our
hearts, we listened intently as Stan
expressed his gratitude for the miracle of
recovery. Here was yet another person
sharing his soul and touching us all deeply
in the process.
And then there was Father Mark
Hushen, Caron Chaplain, who shared a bit
of his story and humble beginnings. Steered
by Father Bill to a road of recovery and his
eventual calling, Father Mark inspired us
with his faith and enthusiasm. Rousing the
entire audience, he had us joyously
shouting, “God is always good!”
As the program progressed, I learned
about the new Caron Center that is slated
to open this fall in New York City. I
expressed my desire to give something
back to Caron, and lo and behold, here I
am writing about my impressions of this
remarkable reunion! The gifts keep coming.
With this writing, I’ve been privileged
to relive the events of that wonderful day
and share some of the warm and
memorable moments with those of you
who were not able to be there in person. I
am so grateful that I gave myself the gift of
recovery at Caron…and now see how
important it is to continue to reunite with a
community of exceptional people who
make up the Caron family.
Barbara Gale, left, and Jennifer Lorey greet alumni at
the New York Reunion registration table.
Memories of Chit Chat
It was a long road from Queens to Norwich
To Chit Chat Westfield, in Westfield, P.A.
A beautiful site, with congenial staff
Where addicts like I, come for rehab stay.
Yes, I’ve tried on my own to stop the addiction,
I’ve tried to be on the “Water Wagon”
But I failed and didn’t know
That I’ve faced a “Three headed dragon,”
Here, I began with Detox Unit tests
Suffered withdrawals, but didn’t watch TV or snooze
Instead, I thought of how I’ve once started with a cocktail
But finished with excessive booze.
Then, for many days, sunrise to late at night
Rehab program began with many others.
We prayed to God and spoke of old sins
We were like a family; sisters and brother.
On weekends my family came from Queens for a day
We spoke with feelings and even relearned to cry.
I’ve learned more about their love and care,
They reinforced my will to want to be sober when I die.
For 28 days I was faithful to the program.
Did my E.T. and W. T. without raising hell.
So, at the end, when it was time to part,
I got to ring the Chit Chat bell.
Now, to help myself, I’m trying to help others.
Finally being on the wagon, I stand proud and tall.
Keep standing with me, my friends!
Stay well and may God bless you all.
Stanley B. April 29, 1992
Chit Chat Chatter • 3
Caron Foundation Raises $350,000 to
Support Addiction Treatment
T
he Caron Foundation raised $350,000 at its third annual
awards dinner in Philadelphia. Funds are used to support
addiction treatment for Philadelphia-area teenagers and
adults requiring financial assistance.
Former astronaut Edwin ”Buzz” Aldrin delivered the keynote
address at the dinner which honored Thomas A. Rogers, Vice
Chairman of Aon Re, Inc., as recipient of the Richard J. Caron Award
of Excellence.
The event, with 300 in attendance, was held at the Park Hyatt
Philadelphia at the Bellevue. The evening began with a silent
auction and reception.
Dinner chair was Paul Davies, Chairman, Aon Re Worldwide,
with Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg as Honorary Chair. Honorary vice
chairs were Judith M. von Seldeneck, President, Diversified Search,
Inc. and Ron Rubin of PREIT Rubin, Inc.
Edwin ”Buzz” Aldrin left, Thomas A. Rogers and John Duffy, Esq.
Caron Foundation Hosts Largest-ever
Alumni Event In Philadelphia
More than 175 alumni, friends and staff of
the Caron Foundation gathered February
20, 2003 for the largest-ever Philadelphiaarea alumni reception. Held in the
Philadelphia suburb of Conshohocken, the
event began with a 12-step meeting
attended by 80 people.
“It was as if magic mountain had
descended on the Marriott for a visit. It was
a wonderful and moving evening and
brought back so many of the good feelings
and memories from my week in the
Codependency Program just a year ago.”
said one attendee who brought her son, an
addict in recovery. “I wanted him to
experience Caron and Father Bill,” she said.
Father Bill Hultberg closed the evening
with an especially moving and inspiring
program that included rap from a very
talented adolescent alumnus.
Parents of a Caron alumnus, who
recently died in an auto accident, thanked
Caron for helping their son move into
recovery from drug addiction. They are
planning a musical tribute and fundraiser in
his honor.
4 • Chit Chat Chatter
Father Bill and John M.
share a light moment.
Louise Kennedy,
welcomes guests at the
Philadelphia reception.
R
E
C
O
V
E
R
Y
Sharon A. Hartman, BS, LSW
Caron Foundation Clinical Trainer
A
s tensions rise in our country, I hear more and more people
openly speaking of prayer. One of my mom’s pearls of
wisdom is, “Nothing improves our prayer life like big
trouble.” Surely, in the throes of addiction (either our own or a loved
one’s), we are known for our “foxhole” prayers. I’m certain many of
you know them; they’re the ones that start, “God, just get me out of
this one and I promise…” generally followed by elaborate promises
extending into the next life detailing how we’ll straighten up and
get our act together.
In recovery, we begin to find our way to a different kind of
prayer. Some of us find it communing with nature, while others
return to their religion to worship. Still others embark on their first
steps in striving to have a “spiritual connection.”
In practice, we use prayer for a number of purposes: To
assuage or soothe fear and panic, to ask for help, to comfort
ourselves, to express gratitude, or to make a commitment. What
I’ve come to learn over time is that the best prayers for me are the
simplest ones. The ones that speak honestly and directly to the
heart of the matter that combine a yearning for “connection” with
an “act of faith.”
Prayer has also been described to me as a “consciousness
conditioner,” which is kind of a fancy way of saying that it is a
technique to help me retrain my thinking from old unproductive
ways of thinking to recovery ways of thinking. Repeated over time,
we begin to “internalize” the information and absorb it as part of
our own tool box.
Several years ago, I was introduced to a prayer written by Mr.
Terry Gorski, a pioneer is relapse treatment. Mr.Gorski wrote the
following prayer especially for those
who struggle with recovery. We have,
in turn, shared it with many of you. If
you haven’t heard it before, I hope you
can find some meaning in it. If you’ve
heard it before, but haven’t used it in a
while, perhaps you will want to dust off
this tool and make it part of your daily
recovery plan.
THE RELAPSE PRAYER
No matter what happens today, I won’t relapse.
If I relapse, it will make things worse not better.
If I don’t relapse, these feeling will pass
And I will be free in recovery.
The beauty of this prayer is that it combines several channels
of expression. “No matter what happens today, I won’t relapse”
expresses prayer as commitment to myself, to my support group
and family and to the God of my understanding. “If I relapse, it will
make things worse not better” serves to “condition” my thinking into
a recovery pattern, not a relapse pattern. “If I don’t relapse, these
feelings will pass” expresses an act of faith on my part to the
“process of recovery rather than the moment of pain.” Finally, “And I
will be free in recovery” offers us comfort and serves as a reminder
of the joy of living a recovering life.
As you face the challenges and joys that await you in recovery,
may you experience the far-reaching benefits of prayer.
Renaissance Institute continued from page 1
is that referral to the most appropriate treatment center is of the
utmost importance. Both Caron and Renaissance have proven to
respond to the Institute’s treatment criteria in a caring,
individualized and responsible manner. It is our hope that this joint
venture will only enhance the outcome of solid recovery for
Freedom Institute’s referrals,” stressed Murray.
Renaissance, founded in 1990, serves more than 425 patients
annually. It is accredited by the Joint Commission on the
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and licensed by the State
of Florida’s Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. The
main office is in Boca Raton with patient residences located in
Delray Beach.
Chit Chat Chatter • 5
Profile in Giving
E
d Dealy came to Caron in May of
1983, through a work-supported
intervention, looking to get his life
back. He was an alcoholic with a wife and
two small children at home and he knew
he needed help. Ed spent 34 days in the
care of Caron professionals – first at the
former Caron Hospital undergoing
detoxification and then at Chit Chat West,
Robesonia, Pennsylvania.
“Chit Chat West was my life, my home
for a month, and what I later came to
realize — my life’s savior,” Ed said.
When Ed left Caron in ’83 he
continued his recovery process and became
a successful businessman, opening his own
personal consulting firm in 1995, Growth
Strategies, Inc., in Wilmington, DE. He has
had a long association with the Caron
Foundation and has served on the
treatment and marketing committees. Ed
currently is a member of the Strategic
Planning and Marketing Committees, and
was recently appointed to the Board of
Directors. He is also a founding member of
the Chit Chat Society*.
“Over the years the professionalism
that I have seen with the Caron board and
staff has been outstanding. The tremendous
amount of management data that they
collect makes them an organization that
operates like a well-run business”, explains Ed.
“Caron’s record of achievement — the
first to offer a relapse program, family
t he
e
v
a
S
Date !
education program
and a full-time
spirituality team — are
qualities that set them
apart, only adding to
the reasons why I
strongly support the
Caron mission.”
Ed eagerly
supports the education
Lynn and Ed Dealy
of doctors and feels
Caron’s physician
training program is a good step toward
educating physicians and the medical
community that addiction is a disease and
should be treated as such.
“Addiction is a widely misunderstood
and mischaracterized disease. People don’t
realize how pervasive it is, therefore, it is
often mistreated. Caron has a leading edge
in the chemical dependency field. Their
treatment is progressive, but they also keep
with the fundamental aspects in treating
those suffering from the disease of
addiction,” Ed noted. Caron has given so
much to me and my family, I want to be
able to do the same for others.”
*The Chit Chat Society honors alumni, family and friends who strongly support the
charitable mission of the Foundation and believe deeply in its healing work, enough to
invest in its future, and have included Caron in their estate plans. The Chit Chat Society
recognizes those who have made this commitment to the Foundation’s future through
bequests, charitable trusts, gift annuities, gifts of life insurance and other forms of
planned gifts.
Members of the Chit Chat Society have the distinct satisfaction of knowing that their
generous support will help to sustain the work that our late founders, Dick and
Catherine Caron, began more than 45 years ago.
For information on how you can join the Chit Chat Society, contact the
Caron Foundation Development Office at 610-678-2332, ext 2193.
Alumni & Friends
Annual Reunion
Keynote Speaker:
Susan Rook, former CNN anchor
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Caron Foundation Main Campus
Wernersville, PA
Registration 9:00 am
6 • Chit Chat Chatter
For a brochure or to register
call 1-800-678-2332, ext. 2110
From the pen of Dick Caron...
“Relationships and Recovery” features the nation’s top thinkers, educators and
leaders in addiction, behavioral health and women’s issues, including
Judith Jordan, Ph.D.; Harriet Lerner, Ph.D.; and Mary Pipher, Ph.D.
DAY 1. For professionals, presents research, models,
and cutting edge information on addiction treatment,
recovery and behavioral health for women.
DAY 2. For women in recovery and professionals, is a day of
experiential workshops and sharing the joy of recovery.
Earn up to 10.5 CEUs.
BALTIMORE
September 5 and 6, 2003
Wyndham Baltimore Inner Harbor
SAN DIEGO
September 19 and 20, 2003
San Diego Marriott Del Mar
www.TheWomensConference.org
P.O. Box 7128, Cave Creek, AZ 85327
800-643-0797
Chit Chat Chatter • 7
Changing Our Bodies,
Changing Our Lives
By Tian Dayton, PhD, TEP, Director of Program Development for Caron’s Center for Self Development
S
tudies in neurobiology over the past two decades have
clearly revealed that our bodies as well, as our minds and
hearts, suffer when we are hurt emotionally. Feeling “beaten
up” inside , whether someone else is doing it to us or we are
doing it to ourselves, imprints itself on our neural networks.
Our limbic system sets the mind’s emotional tone and stores
our highly charged emotional memories. It also controls appetite
and sleep cycles, promotes bonding, directly processes the sense
of smell and modulates libido and motivation. Our limbic system
is physical and has connection and resonance throughout our
bodies/minds. It is the system upon which the stories of our
emotional lives are written and it’s not easily altered. Early
emotional experiences knit long-lasting patterns into the very
fabric of the brain’s neural networks and changing those imprints
calls for another kind of medicine than what can be easily bought
or sold, the kind of medicine that recovery, treatment and 12-Step
work are all about.
Our emotional life is physical; it imprints itself on our bodies.
When we have problems in our deep limbic system, they can be
manifested by moodiness, irritability, increased negative thinking,
negative perceptions of events, decreased motivation, floods of
negative emotion, clinical depression, appetite and sleep problems,
decreased or increased sexual responsiveness or social isolation.
Our neural system carries with it our emotional sense
memories from childhood. Familiar smells, sounds or places can
send a cascade of memories flooding through us that either wrap
us up in their warmth, or challenge us to maintain our
composure. And along with the memories, comes the cognitive
sense we made of what happened at the time that we may still
be living by whether it’s functional or dysfunctional.
Much of what the 12-Step world and treatment programs
8 • Chit Chat Chatter
have developed naturally over the decades, can be a great recipe
for neural repatterning. Describing healthy attitudes and behavior
changes to people does not inscribe them into our neural
systems. We need a new set of impressions, both in our minds
and on our neural systems, to hardwire us toward new emotional
responses which lead toward new behaviors. We need a new
neural map with which to navigate through life. “Just get your
‘soles’ into the rooms” as we say in 12- Step meetings, meaning
the soles of your feet and your ‘soul’ will follow eventually.
Neural repatterning comes as we enter into and sustain new
types of relationships that allow us to reregulate our sense
impressions slowly and over time. We learn to “be in”
relationships differently, to have new types of experiences that
allow us to modulate our intense reactions and reeducate our
body/minds into better ways of being.
Living with addiction is traumatizing and can lead to PTSD
symptoms such as hyper vigilance, loss of trust and faith,
depression, emotional constriction and reenactment dynamics
that mirror earlier emotional pain. Changing these dysfunctional
dynamics that are literally imprinted on our brains and bodies
takes time and commitment. That’s what recovery is all about, a
new “design for living” that becomes a part of our bodies, minds
and spirits. A new map to live by that guides us down a different
neural path which gradually and wonderfully manifests in our
lives. As Marcel Proust says, “We view the same landscape
through different eyes,” we ‘live in’ the same life with a different
internal response.
For more on this subject, read The Magic of Forgiveness by Tian Dayton,
PhD, TEP, available wherever books are sold or through Health
Communications at 1-800-851-9100 or www.tiandayton.com