Center for Addiction Treatment

Mollie Sands, Summer 2014

A few months prior to starting my UHP internship, a person close to me passed away as a result of their struggle with alcoholism. Needless to say, my experience at CCAT was of great importance both intellectually and personally. I feel that the stigma of addiction holds back those suffering from seeking treatment, and so they suffer in silence. As a society, we need to push past the connotations of shame and discord that surround the issue of addiction, and treat it for what it is--a disease that ravages thousands, crossing all ethnicities, socioeconomic classes, and ages. I felt truly honored to work at CCAT, where they work to combat addiction and rebuild families who have been affected by its aftermath.

During my summer, I continued work on the SOLACE program, a grief support group targeted towards those who have lost loved ones to addiction. Although there was an excellent curriculum designed by the previous year's UHP intern, there was an issue of sustainability; CCAT didn't have the resources to have a staff member continually available to run the program. By creating a curriculum guide, additional resources, and extra sessions, I made the SOLACE curriculum one that could be led by a peer volunteer.

I am happy to have had this amazing experience at CCAT, and am grateful for the wonderful staff who provided support throughout the entire process.