Summertime seems to be that time of year when the common perception amongst many kids is: ultimate freedom. This perception sticks for some time, too, at least until adulthood or a regular job sets in. Think about it: There isn’t a school schedule to adhere to, there’s no homework to do, and no deadlines to meet. In many ways, summer can be the impetus for social free-for-alls: late nights, experimentation with alcohol and/or drugs. What can we do to preemptively halt the madness in its tracks? We can start with providing some semblance of order in our kids’ lives. While …

This has been an interesting year, one which has represented some pretty phenomenal growth in the mental health fields and in recovery. We’ve seen a heightened awareness regarding mental health, and been fortunate in our own recovery community as we’ve opened new programs and refined our mental-health track. The ardent efforts to end the  stigma surrounding mental health issues have expanded to a multitude of social media outlets, with memes making mental-health issues easily searchable and accessible to those suffering and those in the field of providing care. Being a part of this has been encouraging. It’s been quite a …

(Image by Christopher Chan via Flickr) Round two of Holiday Madness is complete, and hopefully, we are on the other side in one piece. Now on the last stretch of the holiday road, we can now let go and get ready to celebrate the coming of the New Year.  For starters, many are ending this decade sober and stronger than they once were, optimistic in their desire for positive personal change in the year to come.  Some may be teetering on the edge of relapse, or may have already ventured down that path.  Hopefully, they make it back to the …