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President’s Message
I am proud to officially announce that Cenikor will extend its full spectrum of care at its Houston-area facility in Deer Park by transitioning our Long-Term Residential Therapeutic Community program to a new Sober Living program.
Cenikor began its assessment of the Sober Living concept over five years ago with the opening of two small operational Sober Houses in Waco, TX. We learned much about the demand for this much-needed step in the recovery journey. One of those facilities is still thriving today. Three years ago, we began to address the changes in the recovery community after applying our experience with Sober Living, we began our broader analysis of the Therapeutic Community treatment program.
Today, we see our clients becoming younger, with different addiction challenges, and they sometimes respond to different treatment than our clients from past years. We are committed to meeting the continually evolving market needs of the recovery community.
Two months ago, the Amarillo facility began this exciting new Sober Living program with great success. It was incredibly well-received by our clients and the Amarillo community, and continues to be a very positive program that our staff has also fully embraced. As of May 25, there are six residents in this new program.
The Corpus Christi facility followed suit two weeks ago, and has seen the same level of outstanding support from the community, our clients, and our staff. The evolution to Sober Living was announced on May 24, 2021 at our Deer Park and Fort Worth facilities, two large programs within the successful Cenikor network of treatment facilities.
Renovations to accommodate the new program structure and upgrade the space to meet the demands of this market sector have already begun at our Corpus Christi and Deer Park facilities. This transition will soon extend to Fort Worth as well, and we look forward to sharing news and updates about our progress in each of these communities as they become available.
It’s an exciting day for Cenikor to be able to offer this modality to support independent living and success in long-term recovery. For over 54 years, we have been able to change with the times to serve the recovery community, and this helps us do just that. The Sober Living program will provide room and meals in a safe, sober environment and provide the individual residents with a safe environment to maintain a successful long-term recovery.
Residents at all of our Sober Living facilities will be provided encouragement and support from Cenikor and fellow residents. This program evolution gives clients the flexibility to tailor their length of residence from as short as 90 days to as long as they wish to remain.
Long-Term Residential TC Graduation ceremonies will be held on June 5, 2021, at our Ft. Worth and our Deer Park facilities to celebrate the achievements of those who completed the legacy model of the Long-Term Residential program. Many of these graduates have already expressed interest in continuing with Cenikor as a part of our Sober Living platform.
Thank you,
Bill Bailey
President and CEO
Cenikor Foundation
The President’s Message on Recovery After 2020
Without question, 2020 has been one of the most tumultuous years of my life. We have seen social unrest and global healthcare concerns that have pushed opioid and mental health crises off the front page, but not out of our homes and communities. Addiction and mental health issues have continued to rage. The need for social distancing has fostered isolation from support systems of friends and family that can help sustain recovery and sobriety. Always, but especially this year, we must all work to encourage each other.
As we see how these challenges have impacted our global community, I am reminded of how blessed we are to be in the United States. We have abundant resources to help us as individuals and as a nation move forward. I come back to John F. Kennedy’s famous quote from his inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
At Cenikor, we are responding to that question. We didn’t step back from our community. We stepped forward. From the beginning of the pandemic, we continued to fulfill our mission. We have maintained open admissions while adhering to CDC guidelines. We have found innovative ways to support clients. Just one example is pivoting to telehealth for outpatient services, which we learned removes barriers and increases engagement.
And we have protected one of our most valued resources: our front-line staff. We stepped up our cleaning and disinfectant protocols, which exceed CDC recommendations; we enhanced technology to accommodate for social distancing; and we added temporary commitment pay for employees.
The last few months have been unique, but all year long, every day, people walk through our doors and begin the hard work of making real changes that positively impact their lives. I applaud them. And I applaud our Board of Directors, professional and dedicated employees, volunteers and donors who make this work possible. I am humbled to work with each of you.
Thank you,
Bill Bailey
President and CEO
Cenikor Foundation
