Message from the President/CEO

William L. (Bill) Bailey II

Thank you for your interest in Cenikor. I am convinced that our Therapeutic Community model is one of the best for helping men and women in recovery develop the skills they need to be responsible citizens. So much goes in to making that happen.

I would like to have the opportunity to sit with each new resident and share my personal belief: "If all we do is help you gain your sobriety in the two years you are with us, we have both missed a golden opportunity." In addition to helping our residents gain their sobriety, we must help them improve three major areas of their lives: family relationships, education, and job skills. Leaving any of these to chance is an invitation to relapse. We work very hard to address all three.

When we accept a new client, we take the whole person. And that means family. Our Familes First program helps family members understand addiction and ways they can help themselves and their loved ones. One of my greatest joys is attending graduations and hearing residents share their failures and successes with everyone present, but most importantly their families. This is a powerful example of family reunification.

I come from a university background, so it's no secret that education is important to me. People who come to us with no education will leave with a GED, computer skills, and an opportunity to attend college or vocational school, with Cenikor-provided scholarships if needed.

At Cenikor, work is therapy. People with addictions often lose the ability to hold a job. When our clients work in the community, they are no only learning new work ethics and skills, they are gaining a new self-respect and preparing to sustain a life of sobriety.

Addressing our three major areas helps our residents deal with the physical and emotional pain of addiction. All of us, at some point in our lives, must have what I call a "moment of clarity" - that moment when we make a life-changing choice, not for instant gratification, but for a brighter future.

Our graduates have had that moment.