Mike Curran is a St. Anthony’s graduate who works full time, coaches high school baseball and speaks in public on recovery. He is writing his story and he’s trying to interest publishers. You can see his sobriety experiences and thoughts on Facebook.

I like reclamation stories. I like seeing people who thought they were nothing contributing to other people’s lives. And I like Mike Curran. So I “liked” his page.

St. Anthony’s doesn’t endorse anything in Mike’s book (which is still being written), except for the part where it’s good to get clean and sober, it’s good to use programs and build a community in order to stay clean and sober and live a better life, and it’s good to help others.

But you couldn’t find a better example of a graduate of the Fr. Alfred drug and alcohol recovery center. A look at his page would reveal a lot about what we hope people will be able to do with their lives after they’ve lived at the Fr. Alfred Center. And if you happen to “like” his page, you know that it does not necessarily reflect the views of St. Anthony Foundation. Except for the part that says that sobriety, self-respect, and service are good.

The Holidays are always my favorite time of year. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of the season. From the end of October until the New Year comes, Father Alfred Center, St. Anthony’s Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation program, has special events and holiday meals lined up in succession like a string of passenger jets over a busy runway.

On November 18th (the week before Thanksgiving proper) The Father Alfred Center held our annual Thanksgiving Dinner for residents and alumni. It’s an event that we all look forward to every year because unlike every other meal cooked in our kitchen; this one is cooked by the staff.

The weeks before the dinner are spent planning the menu, shopping and preparing for what will arguably be the biggest meal of the year. The whole day is spent peeling, chopping, zesting, baking and simmering ingredients into a menagerie of culinary delights. When the decorations are up, the places set, every entrée, side and piece of pie is set up on the line we open the Dining Room to our residents and alumni. Every year they shuffle in and find an empty seat. A prayer is said, and each table takes their turn to load up plates. After all the hard work it’s very rewarding to see the guys enjoying the fruits of our labor.

It’s a challenge to juggle cooking times, and space in our small kitchen. Thanks to the diligence of my co-workers (as well as Andrew Ratoza, and Mark Beglin who both graciously give us their time this year) the result is always outstanding. Father Alfred Center ’s tradition of having the staff cook Thanksgiving dinner is one of the ways we give back to our residents who give so much to us. (more…)

September is National Recovery Month and St. Anthony Foundation’s Father Alfred Center has a lot on its plate. First what is recovery month? I went to www.recoverymonth.gov to find out.

“Recovery Month is an annual observance that takes place during the month of September.

The Recovery Month observance highlights the societal benefits of substance abuse treatment, lauds the contributions of treatment providers and promotes the message that recovery from substance abuse in all its forms is possible.”

Events are being held around the Nation, the State (and more importantly for us) right here in the SF Bay Area.

On Sunday 19th, San Francisco Narcotics Anonymous held their very first Men’s Breakfast. 300+ men gathered for this event at the Hilton. Father Alfred Center Alumni & Staff donated enough tickets for 5 of our residents to attend. The massive breakfast is a great opportunity for fellowship and bonding within the NA recovery community. The event was highlighted by an inspiring speaker who shared his experience strength and hope around his addiction and recovery experience. Those in attendance say it was very inspiring.

On Saturday 18th Father Alfred Center participated in the East Bay Unity Day (held at Laney College in Oakland). 10 of our residents attended and helped out with setting up and decorating for the main speaker. I asked one of the attending residents about the experience. He told me,

“It was one of the most memorable unity days I’ve ever been too. For me the most powerful moment was during the ‘clean time countdown’ (where all present acknowledge their clean time by standing when their number is reached). There was one woman at the end who had only one day of clean time. It made me think back to when that was me with one day clean. It was a really scary place to be.”

This Saturday (25th) is SF unity day. 15 Father Alfred Center residents will be attending & helping out again. Unity day offers workshops, speaker meetings, karaoke, comedy shows, open mic, workshops and fellowship for those who attend. Father Alfred Center Councilor Craig Surratt said this:

“Narcotics Anonymous has allowed Father Alfred Center to be of service in these events for years. It not only helps the event, but also helps our residents with re-socialization into society. By participating it encourages them not to isolate and makes them feel more a part of the larger NA community.”

On September 30th, 15 of our residents will be attending a Major League Baseball game between the SF Giants Vs Arizona Diamondbacks courtesy of The National Council on Alcoholism & Other Drug Addictions. It’s an event the residents are really looking forward to.

National Recovery Month is an exciting time for us. The multiple events around the bay area allow our residents a chance to step out of the microcosm of the Father Alfred Center and get a broader view of the Recovery Community that will be an integral part of their continued sobriety and reintegration into society.

On the first Wednesday of every month a special event takes place at St Anthony’s Father Alfred Center. It’s a day when friends and family gather together along with residents, staff and guests from St Anthony Foundation’s many other programs. They gather to give congratulations and to say a few words to (and about) those residents who have completed the year long residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. This day is better known as Graduation.

Graduating residents typically dress up their best attire, though some choose to dress more casual. The Ceremony starts with a blessing from the Chaplin’s department.

Staff from peripheral programs with in the St Anthony Foundation such as the Dining Room, Tenderloin Tech Lab, Social Works Center and others come up next to share stories about the graduates, and thank them for their service.

The MC next invites up volunteers who facilitate groups to talk about their experiences with the graduates and addiction in general. Alumni and residents in the 4th phase are then encouraged to say a few words. Sometimes residents will perform a song, or poem that they have worked on.

Family and Friends are welcomed to come up to the microphone and talk about their experiences with the graduates. This is followed typically by the Father Alfred Center Councilors and staff. Staff comments and stories finish off with the 4th phase councilors giving their clients a certificate of completion and their 1 year sober chip.

Finally the graduates themselves have a chance to say their peace. This is often heartfelt and sincere with thanks and gratitude to spare. At the end the Staff gathers around the mic to read the Creed. The Creed is followed by the Serenity prayer and a fantastic meal prepared by the Father Alfred Center Kitchen Crew

Today marks what is commonly referred to in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as “Founders Day.” On this day in 1935 Bill Wilson, a stockbroker at the time, and Dr. Bob Smith met for the first time. Wilson and Smith were to only meet for 15 minutes but ended up talking for hours. This meeting, on the day that Dr. Bob would have his last drink, would set the stage for what is now an international fellowship with over 2 million members worldwide.

AA was just 15 years old when Fr. Alfred Boedekker opened the doors to St. Anthony Dining Room in 1950. Since then countless people men come through the doors looking for a hot meal and found hope by later entering St. Anthony’s Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program, a year long program that emphasizes the tools and 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

With the convention behind us I wanted to take a moment to look back and get the perspective of the Father Alfred Center staff who attended the Convention.

Administrative Coordinator Raynette Page Johnson says:

“I had the privilege and honor to greet our clients at the Northern California Convention of Narcotics Anonymous XXXII in Santa Clara, California.  Forty six  residents of Father Alfred Center attended.  We were in the company of thousands of recovering addicts from all over California and other states.  The Northern California Convention of Narcotics is the largest convention in California. The first convention was formed in 1979 in San Jose California.  There were approximately 350 recovering addicts in attendance.  This celebration of unity, simply known at NCCNA, now hosts between 6,000 to 8,000 recovering addicts annually.”

Manager Michael Hurd writes in:

“It is an awesome opportunity for Father Alfred Center residents to experience a NA Convention. I think it is surreal to imagine over 5,000 recovering addicts in one place at one time from all different cultures, races, backgrounds, beliefs to gather together for one common goal ,that goal being to help the addict who wants to recover is unimaginable until they see it. Then I think there can be a physic change where they can really start to believe that being clean for them is possible. I witnessed the stoic glow in several of our residents at the convention there expressions said it all. For me to witness the joy, hope and relief I see in the faces of our Father Alfred Center residents is priceless! I look forward to exposing new residents to this awesome experience again next year.”

Saturday April 3rd, 2010 is the date of the widely anticipated State Wide NA Convention in Santa Clara, CA. Each year Father Alfred Center, St. Anthony Foundation’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, throws a dinner for Alumni, families and friends to raise the money for our residents to attend this event.

Father Alfred Center Assistant Manager Eric Clark tells us:

“At Father Alfred Center we treat drug & alcohol addiction and one of the strongest indicators of continued recovery from addiction after residents leave the program is their participation in 12-Step recovery groups. Addicts rarely get clean alone and rarely do they stay clean all by themselves. The opportunity to be present at an event where there may be more than ten thousand other recovering addicts present has been truly awe inspiring for our guys. There is no better way to present the message that any addict can recover than in this environment of unlimited support that is available virtually anywhere. The gratitude our residents express for the ability to attend this event & the message of hope that they receive there has been worth every effort to get these guys to the Northern California Narcotics Anonymous Convention.”

Excitement is growing as the days countdown to the convention. The Father Alfred Center Kitchen Crew will be preparing bagged lunches, snacks & drinks for the guys on the way down and back. The bus leaves at 2PM promptly for Santa Clara, CA under the supervision of Father Alfred Center counselors. Some off duty staff will be attending the convention as well.

When they arrive, residents will be able to attend workshops, marathon meetings, an ice cream social & even a golf tournament. Live music, Karaoke, comedy shows, and an illusionist will also be there, in the spirit of fellowship with other addicts in recovery.

The highlight of the convention is the main speaker who is scheduled to go on at 8pm, Followed by a dance at 9pm.

When asked for a few word about the benefits of the convention; Father Alfred Center Councilor Alvin Emerson said:

“Recovering addicts from all over the world will be in attendance, making this a rare opportunity for our guys to see the beauty & power of what recovery from addiction can do for them.”

Residents will re-board the charter bus after the dance and return home around 1am that morning. All and all it will be a long day for Father Alfred Center Staff and residents. But one they will not soon forget.

Finding help in substance abuse treatment can be difficult. It adds yet another barrier in an already painful and difficult situation. A Google search for “drug addiction help” or “alcohol rehab” will bring up countless advertisements for costly inpatient rehab that many folks, even those currently employed, simply cannot afford or that insurance does not cover.

Fr. Alfred Center, St. Anthony’s Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Program, exclusively enrolls men with no income or resources to its year long program. Free or low cost opportunities for recovery happen across the country, some as stable and long lasting like St. Anthony’s, and some with rolling enrollment. It’s hard to keep track of all of it, and harder to navigate when undergoing the physical, mental and spiritual crisis of chemical dependency.

Today I stumbled upon All Treatment, a resource center and free directory of substance abuse programs in the United States. It’s comprehensive and easy to navigate, and is not affiliated with any specific treatment center or addiction recovery company.

The first Wednesday of each month is a special day at St. Anthony’s : it is the day that our drug and alcohol rehab program, the Father Alfred Center, celebrates graduation. After spending 12 months of hard work to get and stay clean, graduation allows us to recognize the accomplishments of our Fr. Alfred Center participants while acknowledging that their recovery will continue after they leave.

Each of the St. Anthony Foundation departments who work with the Father Alfred Center participants makes a brief presentation as a part of the graduation ceremony. This month, it was my turn to speak for my department, the Justice Education, Volunteer, and Advocacy program, also known as JEVA.

I used my presentation as an opportunity to acknowledge how important the Father Alfred Center participants are to JEVA. Father Alfred Center participants speak with each of our student volunteer groups, sharing their personal stories about addiction and recovery. By sharing their stories with our volunteers, our Father Alfred Center participants are educators. Their stories are often painful; however, one person’s story of addiction and recovery, painful as it may be, is a great gift to our volunteers.

Hearing a personal story gives our student volunteers a chance to understand some of the social, economic, emotional, and spiritual factors that shape the experience of the disease of addiction. The stories of any of our St. Anthony Foundation guests, though very personal, underscore our common humanity; that is why they are so powerful at breaking stereotypes and at helping people understand a complex social problem.

This month’s graduate did more than just educate our volunteers. He also participated in Hunger Action Day in Sacramento this past spring. In fact, a group of folks from Father Alfred Center joined St. Anthony Foundation staff, volunteers, guests, and other community members for this statewide lobby day aimed at ending hunger.  I reminded our graduate that not only did he use his story to educate our student volunteers, he also educated our elected officials and policy makers in Sacramento.  Father Alfred Center participants described how hunger issues affect people recovering from addiction and called on our lawmakers to support legislation that would allow people in recovery to be able to access anti-hunger programs like Food Stamps.  By being storytellers, our Father Alfred Center participants were teachers and advocates.

Everyone’s story is important because everyone’s life is important.  Sharing our stories with others helps us transcend the sadness, pain and suffering that we have experienced.  But sharing our stories is more than just a cathartic experience:  sharing our stories can help us move toward a more just society!

Homelessness and substance abuse are linked, and are associated with alarmingly high mortality rates. Mortality, a very scientific and dissociative way of saying people are dying in the streets, literally, before finding help with addiction. The average age a homeless person in San Francisco dies is 41. Seventy-eight percent of those who die on the streets are intoxicated at the time they die.

That is dark, difficult to hear, and incredibly saddening. But somehow that has not been enough for the city of San Francisco to help to it’s residents who are dying on the streets by offering comprehensive drug and alcohol rehabilitation to those who most need it, and saving the programs that DO WORK from complete elimination during budget season.

According to the San Francisco City Fire Division intervention, and diversion programs work. As Chronicle  columnist C.W. Nevius has pointed out, repeat ambulance transport and emergency care spent on homeless users is very costly to the city. One of such intervention programs, McMillan Drop-In Center, created beds for emergency response calls dealing with intoxication to bring people to detox, sign-up for drug and alcohol recovery programs, and receive counseling and social services support to further stabilize themselves. In one year this program brought 300 people into detox and recovery programs, and 750 people case management linking them with critical supportive services such as housing.

Through this program “a number of high-profile homeless inebriates have been engaged and housed,” according to the San Francisco Medical Society’s study of the program. The SF Fire Department, St. Francis Hospital, SF General and other partners were thrilled by the success of the project, saving money and more importantly helping increase health and stability of at-risk San Franciscans.

But that was not enough to save the service, and McMillan Drop-In Center was cut. A similar program, Buster’s Place, was initiated in the same rite and same location. This program too, was cut.

Emergency visits are costly. Critical care is costly. Without the preventative care, supportive services and case management that help people become stable and seek help before it becomes an “emergency”, these costs will continue. To see that this is a problem in hindsight takes no special talent. But, to take action and create and support (especially in difficult times of budget crises) programs that comprehensively address the dangerous problem of drug and alcohol abuse, that takes determination and compassion. Criticizing those the system has failed has no productive ends, criticizing the failing system can bring about powerful change that makes a stronger city and citizenry.