•  The 5^th Annual Phoenix House Recovery Month Celebration Event, at Phoenix House Academy of Los Angeles  – On Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. to 4:15p.m. at Phoenix House Academy, Lake View Terrace, CA, the 5^th Annual Recovery  Month Celebration will take place, guided by a motto, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Now More Than Ever!”  The event will include an awards ceremony for a poster-making competition by teams of boys and girls and presentations by youth about their volunteering for community activities. 

 

• “Dodgers Recovery Month Baseball Game” for Phoenix House Academy of Los Angeles - On Thursday, September 23, 2010 in the evening, youth and approved parents from Phoenix House Academy of Los Angeles, at Lake View Terrace, will go on a field trip to a special Dodgers Baseball Game celebrating Recovery Month at the Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles. The team provides discount tickets to an annual game and a celebration for clients enrolled in treatment programs in Los Angeles County.

 

• “Dodgers Recovery Month Baseball Game” for clients at Phoenix House Santa Fe Springs – September, date TBA. Women and children from Phoenix House Santa Fe Springs will go on a field trip to a special Dodgers Baseball Game celebrating Recovery Month at the Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles. The team provides discount tickets to an annual game and a celebration for clients enrolled in treatment programs in Los Angeles County.

 

• “Voices of Recovery – Poetry Reading” at Phoenix House, Venice -  This event will be held on September 21 at 2 p.m., at Phoenix House, Venice, with featured poets Jon Epstein (who writes about his personal experience with addiction and recovery) and Dr. Maja Trochimczyk.  The event The event will include poems by Phoenix House clients published in an anthology, “Words That Free US: Voices of Recovery,” an Open Mike for current clients, and music created by youth in the Phoenix Rising Music Program at the Phoenix House Academy of Los Angeles.

 

• “Voices of Recovery – Poetry Reading” at Phoenix House Orange County -  The Poetry Reading will take place on September 16 at 2 p.m., at Phoenix House Orange County, Santa Ana, with featured poets Dr. Maja Trochimczyk and her guests. The event will include poems by Phoenix House clients published in an anthology, “Words That Free US: Voices of Recovery,” an Open Mike for current clients, and music created by youth in the Phoenix Rising Music Program at the Phoenix House Academy of Los Angeles.

 

• Poster Contest, T-Shirts and a Luau with Talent Show at Phoenix House Orange County - In a month-long celebration, clients of Phoenix House will participate in a poster contest. The design chosen as the winner will be printed on T-shirts.  The events also include a collaborative Fund-raising Event/Car Wash with Dairy Queen on September 24th to raise awareness about Recovery Month. The festivities will culminate with a Luau and a Talent Show at the Santa Ana Facility.

 

• Phoenix House San Diego participates in “Recovery Happens 2010” San Diego County-Wide Event  - On September 17, 2010, at 11:00am – 2:00pm at the County Administration Building (West Lawn), 1600 Pacific Coast Highway, San Diego, CA 92101,  San Diego’s county-wide “Recovery Happens 2010″ event will be held, with the participation of numerous community organizations,  special speakers and entertainment throughout the day.  Phoenix House will participate in a Recovery Resource Fair and present its evidence-based residential and outpatient treatment programs for teens in the County.

 

• Open House at Phoenix House Academy in Descanso -  On Thursday, September 30th at 9:30am to 11:30am Phoenix House Academy of San Diego will hold an Open House at 23981 Sherilton Valley Road, Descanso, CA 91916.  Tours will be conducted by staff and residents and refreshments will be shared with guests.  Elizabeth Urquhart, Director, may be contacted at eurquhart@phoenixhouse.org for more information.

See what great friends they are? The dog and the pig even sleep in one bed.

Students at Phoenix House Academy in San Diego know that pets make wonderful friends and are a great help in recovery. The Academy, located on extensive grounds in Descanso and surrounded by mountains, parks, and ranches, is an ideal location for keeping pets and living close to nature. Currently, three dogs, four chicken, and a huge pig stay at the facility. The dogs and the pig are free to roam the grounds, but the chickens have to stay at home, due to a threat from coyotes.
For the same reason, there cannot be any cats, unless they were permanently locked up indoors: they’d quickly become food for the wily coyotes. Local wildlife, often seen on the premises, includes coyotes, deer, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossum, lots of birds and a variety of snakes.

Visitors from the DJ AM Memorial Fund pose with staff and residents of Phoenix House Academy of Los Angeles in the facility’s recording studio.

Phoenix House Academy of Los Angeles was thrilled to receive a grant from the DJ AM Memorial Fund to honor the late Adam Goldstein, better known as DJ AM. The grant will help expand and enhance  the Phoenix Rising Music Program, which benefits teens struggling with substance abuse and related problems. In addition to this generous financial support, the DJ AM Memorial Fund will also donate DJ equipment. These wonderful gifts will allow Phoenix House Academy students the opportunity to record, perform, and learn how to DJ. 

The DJ station is a great new addition to Phoenix House’s music program, which was established several years ago through donations by singer / songwriter Kara DioGuardi. For more information about the DJ AM Memorial Fund and its support of Phoenix House, please click here (The Huffington Post).

Each year, Phoenix House Academy provides residential treatment and schooling to over three hundred teens who, like Samantha, suffer from co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders and their related problems. Click here to see the articles that appeared in the Los Angeles Daily News  and the Los Angeles Times about this year’s Academic Bowl.

On behalf of Phoenix Houses of California’s board of directors, Geoffrey Nathanson presented her with a plaque acknowledging “her tireless efforts on behalf of those in need in our community” – a token of our thanks for all she has done to help support families who are struggling with addiction and its related problems.

In the photo (left to right): Anthony Belcher, Phoenix House graduate now on staff at New Directions; Congresswoman Jane Harman; Sheila Monsod, coordinator of Outpatient Program; Nicholas and Anthony, two current residents; Counselor Thomas Tophia; Geoffrey Nathanson, member of Phoenix House’s Board of Directors; and Simon Dahi, Ph.D., Mental Health Therapist.

Phoenix House Santa Fe Springs

“Phoenix House helped me become the mother I had always wanted to be.”

I came to Phoenix House Santa Fe Springs after 22 years of drug abuse and chaos. I wanted to be reunited with my two children, but the staff taught me that I had to learn to love myself first.

After six months in the program, they helped me regain custody of my son and he came to live with me at Phoenix House. Phoenix House helped me find the financial aid I needed, enroll my son in preschool, find a local doctor, and be the mother I had always wanted to be.

After a year, with the encouragement of my counselors, I felt ready to be on my own. My son and I moved in with another graduate of the program. I enrolled in school and went on to receive my associates degree. A year later, Phoenix House hired me as a childcare worker and I now help to provide the same family support that I received as a client. I am working toward my bachelors in psychology and eventually hope to become a therapist at Phoenix House.

Today, seven years sober, I’ve vowed that I will never go back to the drugs that took away such a large portion of my life. I can’t erase the past, but I can build new memories. This month, on Mother’s Day, I finally saw my fourteen-year-old daughter for the first time in ten years. I expected her to be angry, but instead, she wanted me to tell her where her blue eyes came from. We now send text messages every day—and I’m looking forward to being part of her life.

Phoenix Academy of Los Angeles

“I’m proud to say that I made it through the rough times and grew strong through recovery.”

Life can be great when we ignore a lot of hurt, especially as kids. But as we get older and memories strike back, there’s no turning away. I am 18 years old. I grew up in a strict household, where I wasn’t allowed to do many things that other kids were. As many young kids do, I kept everything inside me, ignoring the pain and hurt. I went from feeling put down, to feeling humiliated, to feeling that many people took advantage of me.

In 2003, I started to hang out with a bad crowd. I just wanted to feel loved and strong again. It was then that I was introduced to drugs. I started inhaling drugs as days, months, and years passed. I continued to try new drugs. I went from marijuana to cocaine, to meth, to alcohol. I became an addict. I moved away from my house to have what my body was crying for – the drugs. I completely got what I wanted. I was an alcoholic and a drug addict. I smoked my dreams, sniffed my problems, and drank my pain away. My emotions were gone. I became a cold-hearted girl with no sign of hope or a miracle. I thought nothing could help me. I didn’t care about anyone, not even myself.

Although I was doing well in school, I started getting kicked out. I began meeting new people that were in the same situation I was in. There was a silence in me; the secret was kept inside me. All the friends I had also had problems, but none of us talked about them. All we ever talked about was how good our first hit of a blunt felt. I didn’t share those same feelings. I started hanging out with gangsters and getting involved with bad crowds. I truly believed I was going to end up like my birth father – locked up. He is currently doing 16 years for committing various crimes. All I knew was that I was following in my father’s footsteps and I was proud of it. I believed I was in control of my life. If I didn’t smoke or drink, I wouldn’t eat. Somehow I had to get the drugs that I craved so much. The boyfriend I had at that time would always provide me with them.

My mom kept trying to interfere. I hurt her mentally, emotionally, and physically. I had run away a couple of times and I was getting tired of my life. My mom would always tell me that everything happens for a reason and that I was going to change. I laughed and kept doing my thing. I hated her and my family.

But years passed and I was really getting tired of my lifestyle. I started thinking, “What’s happening? The weed doesn’t hit me anymore. I don’t get drunk as fast after taking a lot of shots.” I then started to sniff crystal meth and that worked to get my high to what I wanted. I would do anything to get crystal. I once sold a Chihuahua just to get an “8 ball.” I almost sniffed it all by myself. I went days without eating.

One day, I felt like I was overdosing. I couldn’t breathe, my body was shaking, and I was dizzy. I tried to run to the kitchen, hoping there was milk in the refrigerator. I drank and drank until I finished the gallon. I asked God, “What’s happening to me?” I pleaded with Him and started to pray. I remember saying to Him, “No, don’t take me now, not right now!” I rushed to the bathroom and got sick, then passed out. This is exactly when I knew I had a problem and that I needed to change.

I looked for information on rehabs. I didn’t know a place like that even existed. I found one in my city and one in Lake View Terrace. I thought the best place for me would be to be far away, where no one will know me. Believe me – it is a small world. I called Phoenix House and made an appointment. I was ready to change my life. February 21, 2006 – I said goodbye to my Mom, my sisters, and my little brother. My brother had also made a big decision in his life and was now moving to North Carolina. I saw my mother cry and it hit me. I had never felt her pain.

After three weeks of being at Phoenix House, I cried for the first time in years. I missed my family. I kept thinking of my past. I was realizing the person that I had become was someone people didn’t believe in. I became strong during my therapy sessions. I became involved in meetings and talking to people. I was more honest that ever. I wanted to prove to myself that I was ready to change and I was now. I helped other teenagers with their addiction.

I am now 17 months sober – ready for one more day and I am taking it day by day. I have proven to myself that I can do it and I am proud of myself. I have met new friends who helped me define the true meaning of friendship. I learned to cope with my feelings. Staying strong is one of my strengths and helping others is one of my motivations. I’m proud to say that I made it through the rough times and grew strong through recovery. I never AWOL’d and I never relapsed.

Today, I am still in school, trying to finish my credits. I am also helping others that need help. I am sharing my testimony with those who need it. I go to church and I pray to God for everyone in this world to find a way out of addiction and to give a hand to those who need it.

Phoenix Academy of Los Angeles

“I stopped caring about everything. I was too busy gangbanging and getting high.”

I was born in Los Angeles, CA. As I child, I remember my Dad’s and Mom’s families always fighting, literally. My Mom’s oldest brother had a serious problem with alcohol and only recently got rehabilitated and is now sober. Back then, my Dad didn’t get along with my Mom’s family. He had a lot of problems with my Mom’s brothers. There were some specific events that I remember that increased the tension between my Dad and my Mom’s brothers, the oldest in particular. One time, my cousin and I were fighting, and my cousin who is three years older and a lot bigger than me ended up breaking my arm. Big things like that caused the most drama. However, the average drama was not much different, just more constant.

One day I was coming back from kindergarten, and I saw a big moving truck in the driveway. I didn’t get a chance to go into the house; I was told to get into the truck immediately. My Dad drove the moving tuck and my Mom drove the car. I didn’t really understand why we were leaving, but the truth was my Grandpa had kicked us out of the house. He owned that house as well as the houses in the back. I had no clue where we were going. I just know it was like about an eight-hour drive. We ended up in Salinas, CA. My Dad’s sister lived there. We stopped by her house and asked her if we could stay there for a while. She said we could only stay there a little while.

We ended up moving to the north side of Salinas. I went to Gavilan View Middle School. I started smoking weed during this time. I was fourteen years old when my mom decided to move back to East Los Angeles. We moved back to East LA and I went to Garfield High School. I met my girlfriend in the 9^th grade. At the time I was getting good grades. During the middle of my 9^th grade year, I started using crystal meth. I was selling at first, then I started using my own supply. At this time I was already kicking it and rolling with the neighborhood.

It didn’t take long before I got put on and I started banging. I was using very heavily at the time. However, my grades were still good, and my parents didn’t really know I was using until a year later when I overdosed and ended up in the hospital. My mom took me to Mexico to get detoxed, but I came back and the situation got worse. I stopped caring about everything. I was too busy gangbanging and getting high. It got to the point where I stopped coming home and I was in the streets for months. I would sleep at the park and at homies’ houses.

Then one day my girlfriend got pregnant. However, I still didn’t care, and I kept messing around. One day I was drunk on my bike and crashed into a police car. I had crystal in my pocket and they took me in. They called my parents and they picked me up from the sheriff’s station. Two days later, I was in a car with my girlfriend and I got pulled over and arrested for possession of crystal meth. They towed my car and they took me to the sheriff’s station again. My mom picked me up again and they set a court date. I went to court and they put me on house arrest for three months. While I was on house arrest I would always ditch school and go get high and drunk. I would also go to school drunk. My Parole Officer was real cool, and he would always let me slide, because I always had excuses and my parents were always there to back me up.

I ended up being detained for a dirty drug test. I was in the juvenile hall for about a month and a half. My judge ended up sending me to Phoenix House as a form of suitable placement. By the time I got here, I had already decided I wanted to change. I knew I had a baby coming soon and that it was time fort me to make that change. I plan on being the best father I can be.

After graduating from Phoenix Academy, Antonio is attending Pasadena City College and working at Universal Studios. His son is almost two years old and Antonio is a successful father and provider. He has been sober for two years and is doing well.