Honoring RCA Westminster on the Occasion of Our Five-Year Anniversary
To celebrate the five-year anniversary of Recovery Centers of America at Westminster is, in the first instance, to acknowledge the joint effort, among a close-knit community of patients and staff, to counteract the crisis of addiction, one life at a time. United by that purpose, I’m profoundly appreciative of all the progress achieved in this collaborative effort and humbled by the small contribution I’ve been able to make, first as Executive Director, and since April 2020 as CEO of RCA at Westminster.
The Foundation of Our Addiction Treatment Center
In pursuit of Recovery Centers of America’s distinctive mission of saving one million lives from the disease of addiction, Recovery Centers of America at Westminster opened its doors on October 26, 2016. Located in Worcester County, Massachusetts, we are proud to serve individuals and communities throughout New England. Dedicated to the top standards of addiction treatment, our facility is accredited by the Joint Commission, ensuring the highest national benchmark for safety and quality of care, along with CARF ASAM Level of Care certification—the international touchstone in addiction treatment.
With the groundbreaking of a new acute treatment service building in July 2017, and the arrival of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Heidi Ginter in March 2018, we expanded our accommodations to 64 beds in May 2018, to 76 beds one year later in May 2019, to 90 in April 2020 and now 95 since January 2021. This same period of inpatient expansion also saw the opening of outpatient treatment in September 2019, followed by intensive outpatient in February 2020 and a partial hospitalization program in June 2021. At every step of the way, our goal has been to create a comfortable and dignified environment for people to begin the recovery journey.
Clinical Program Development at Our Addiction Treatment Center
With this firm foundation of recovery in place, we have assembled an expert team of addiction treatment professionals who together apply proven treatment techniques with heartfelt concern. The result is an elevated level of care, combining the best in comprehensive drug and alcohol treatment with the sensitivity of individualized care. Taking each individual’s unique identity and needs into account, we have fashioned specialty inpatient treatment programs which cater to the distinctive attributes of a diverse patient population.
As part of this ongoing effort, in April 2019, we launched the PRISE (Promoting Recovery through Intensive Support and Education) program to deliver specialized treatment tailored to those who have struggled with addiction before, secured some time in recovery, and are now seeking treatment after relapse. PRISE empowers its members to find hope and strength in lives re-dedicated to long-term recovery.
Responding to the distinct occupational challenges faced by first responders and military members in addiction treatment, in May 2019 we created RESCU (Recovering Emergency Service Community United). Having served us through their sacrifice, RESCU allows us to serve them in turn through this confidential program’s focus on work-related difficulties and the path to lasting recovery.
Recognizing that many of those who contend with addiction have also suffered from trauma (and continue to do so), in January 2020 we introduced the Breaking Free program to treat both substance use disorder alongside trauma as part of an integrated therapeutic approach to heal the whole person on the road to recovery.
At the same time that Breaking Free came on the scene, January 2020 also witnessed the arrival of Evolutions, a program designed to address the particular treatment needs of adults ages 50+. Zeroing in on the mental, physical and spiritual transitions at this stage of life, Evolutions equips its participants with tools to make positive, lasting changes.
Making Westminster the Best Addiction Treatment Center in the Region
Ever attuned to the unique needs of our patient population, we are committed to treating pregnant women at Westminster as well. With physicians and nurses specifically trained for the task, we help pregnant patients safely detox and prepare for birth as part of the progress of their recovery.
More broadly, we offer a variety of holistic treatments, attending to the mental, physical and spiritual needs of all of our patients though 12-step immersion, meditation and mindfulness, and fitness. As our patients rebuild themselves for a lifetime of recovery, these holistic enhancements fortify them in mind, body and spirit.
We are also excited to embark on a new venture launching in November 2021. Frontline is a specialized treatment program designed to address the particular needs of all patient-facing medical and behavioral health professionals, including doctors, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, and more. Looking ahead, then, I’m struck by the multitiered efforts of all involved in this mission and their resilience and perseverance in reaching these goals.
