Three Alumni Carry the Message by Chris S.
Treatment team member Chris S talks about taking some of our successful (in recovery) alumni to a Hospitals and Institutions Panel. If you want to participate in panels and reach out to people who need recovery, don't hesitate to contact the alumni department.
It was one of the biggest thrills since I’ve been working here (and I’m 4 months shy of nine years). Three of our alumni went with me on an H&I panel (Hospitals and Institutions) to the Roque Center detox. The alumni came to participate in the "12th step" or "to carry a message to those who still suffer."
When these alumni were residents at our treatment facility, they had all gone on panels with me during their stay. All three alumni were from different periods of past years. One alumnus was coming up on seven years. One was coming up on four years sober. The third one had decided to go work for a ski resort and had "done more research and development" into "better living through chemistry" and was back to 45 days. But, not to despair, she had fallen back on the principles of recovery she had learned at our treatment center and was back into the swing of active recovery. The seed had successfully been planted all those months ago.
It was great to catch up on their stories of "experience, strength, and hope" and to hear of their traumatic past once again. All were amazed at how their lives had turned for the better by just giving the program of recovery a chance to work its miracles. One alumnus was earning his EMT license. One was a supervisor at a construction company. And the third one was back in school and looking for work.
Experience, Strength, and Hope
All the stories were interesting, tragic and funny. The group in the detox was amazed by how bad things can get when we just let the disease take its course. Some of the audience had yet to hit the "bottom" like in our stories. Hopefully they never will have to experience this. It’s intriguing to me still, that people still don’t think it can get that bad to them.
On the way back in the car we joked and laughed at the experience we have been through. Of course we stop for our traditional "after panel ice cream" at Baskin Robbins (Cold Stone was closed). 
In this kind of employment you don’t always get to see the miracles take effect. You do get to hear about some of them, but see them actually happen is another story. I can’t get them clean and sober and I can’t keep them clean and sober, but I can show them how I do it. And they become a part of my life just as I had become a part of theirs.
Miracles do happen.
- Chris S.
