There is life changing work happening at New Direction for Women. We don’t take for granted that some have volunteered their time and others have committed their lives to helping women, children and their families overcome the difficulty of addiction. We celebrate the sacrifices of many every day that we come in to answer phones, offer treatment, perform group sessions, and offer services. Often this task goes unrecognized and without celebration because we dare not miss the opportunity to offer 24/7 care to those in need.
However, the Women Association for Addiction Treatment (WAAT) holds an annual conference with this very purpose in mind. Without question, New Directions for Women, one of the oldest gender specific, women’s treatment centers in the country, has to be represented at this conference. Victoria Herbert, Admissions Leader, and Tania Bhattacharyya, Development and Clinical Outreach Coordinator, were sent as representatives to contribute to and benefit from this conference.
The conference featured a keynote address from renowned author and recovery specialist Dr. Claudia Black. In her speech she mentioned the quote “There are three things that prevent women alcoholics from getting the help they deserve: stigma, stigma, and more stigma,” as she encouraged her female listeners to continue in this field of recovery work.
Tania and Victoria both agreed: “WAAT was a fabulous venue for like minded women in this field to get together and share information. We paid homage to some of the first female patients who made the world a little more accepting of this disease, including Gayle Storm, Marty Mann, the first woman member of AA to stay sober, and former First Lady Betty Ford who founded the nationally recognized Betty Ford Center and had a huge impact in making addiction for treatment more readily available.”
Being surrounded by all these dynamic individuals only further affirmed the purpose and priority organizations like New Directions for Women. We say thanks to all who continue this life changing work.
