News
Crossroads for Women e-Newsletter Archives
Spotlight on Non-Profits: Crossroads for Women
article from the January 2010 Munjoy Hill Observer, written by Liz McMahon
“Remember who you wanted to be.” This is the tagline of Crossroads for Women, a non-profit organization that provides women with comprehensive treatment for substance abuse and mental health. On a chilly December morning, I enter the offices of Crossroads to meet with Jennifer Barbour, the Communications Specialist. The office is at 66 Pearl St, which is next to the Videoport/Bull Moose parking lot. Jen begins by telling me that part of her job is to change the stigma associated with substance abuse. It affects everyone, from homeless people to low-income people to middle class and the wealthy. She gives me an overview of what Crossroads does. They have 5 locations:
1. A residential rehab in Windham (nicknamed “res”), which is a 28 day program where participants live.
2. A Children And Mothers Program, also in Windham. Mothers can bring up to 2 children ages 6 months to 10 years while they participate in the Residential Rehab program. Crossroads provides childcare, and works with Windham schools to facilitate the educational needs of the children, and they also do parenting skills training with the clients. They wish they had more beds available for this program!
3. A halfway house located on Forest Ave. This is a 6 month program, and by the end of it the women are expected to go into the community to work and volunteer. Crossroads helps facilitate this. The women do group therapy and also have individual therapists. They decide as a group when someone is ready to move onto the next phase of the program. Crossroads gives them the tools they need to succeed once they leave.
4. Outpatient and Client Services office. When a woman comes in needing help, they first get an assessment done in the outpatient offices on the 2nd floor of 66 Pearl (the administrative offices are on the third floor). The woman is assessed in terms of what type of treatment she needs: she might need residential assistance, outpatient care, individual counseling sessions, group therapy, an intensive outpatient program, or some combination of these things.
5. Kennebunk Counseling Center, which is an outpatient satellite office in Kennebunk. They currently offer individual outpatient counseling services and are looking to add an Intensive Outpatient Program (lOP) and group counseling services in the beginning of 2010.
New this year is mental health counseling at an outpatient level. While they have aways offered co-occurring services (mental health treatment in conjunction with substance abuse treatment), women now do not need to have a primary diagnosis of substance abuse to be seen in the Portland and Kennebunk outpatient offices. Crossroads has been conducting outreach to physicians about recognizing symptoms and calling Crossroads in order to refer their patients. There are programs for family members who are affected as well.
I asked Jen if they use the 12-step programs in their treatment plans, and she said that they do encourage clients to attend the “-anon” meetings, but the central model of the Crossroads recovery plan is a “relational model.” The relational model incorporates 12-step work, like AA or Alanon, but looks at all facets of a woman’s life to affect change. Since women have different needs, they treat the woman as a whole and utilize many treatments for well-being.
All of their programs are gender specific. Some of the reasons for this are similar to the rationale for women’s only schools. Women are less distracted with no men around. They are more likely to speak out; to open up. Another reason in the substance abuse situation is that men tend to seek treatment sooner. Women wait longer because of their responsibilities, especially if they have families. One interesting thing I learned is that Crossroads does not recommend using the “intervention” approach with women because they are very likely to close down emotionally.
Crossroads is always looking for people in recovery to come and speak about their experience (especially alumni of the program). They bring speakers to the residential rehab and also to the outpatient program. Lastly, Jen tells me of 2 ways that people can help Crossroads financially. One way is by going to the Giving page on their website and donating money. Another is by going to Amazon and donating items that are on their wish list. Some of the items they currently are in need of are a digital camera, linens and towels. This is an easy way to donate because Amazon will ship the items directly to Crossroads, and the donor can be assured that their contribution is going to something tangible that helps the woman in recovery.
For more information about Crossroads, see:
Website
Amazon Wish List
Blog
Facebook
Flickr
You Tube
Or by mail or phone:
Crossroads for Women
66 Pearl St. Portland, Me. 04101, (207) 773-9931.
Sign up for oure-Newsletter