Author Description

School To Open Doors To Teen Addicts. The Tennessean Headline Grabbed My Attention As I Made My Everyday Morning Commute. Reaching A Traffic Light, I Read On. In What Might Be The First Private Initiative Of Its Kind, Began The Article, The Oasis Center [a Local Non-profit Agency] Plans To Open A New School In Nashville This Fall Targeted For Teens Recovering From Alcohol And Drug Addictions. Only A Year Removed From Earning My Master's Degree In School Counseling, I Was Headed To My Job As A School-based Therapist In July 1997. I Had Recently Completed The Additional Coursework For A Community Counseling Specialization, And I Also Identified As An Adult Child Of An Alcoholic. A School Providing Therapeutic Services For Youth In Recovery Thus Appealed To Me On Multiple Levels. Professionally, A High School Focused On Substance Use Recovery Aligned With Both My School And Clinical Training. Personally, I Had Felt The Impact Of Addiction Having Had A Parent Who Struggled With Substance Use And Co-occurring Disorders. I Had Experienced First-hand The Dynamics Of What Is Often Called A Family Disease, And I Had Developed A Passion To Help Prevent The Spread Of That Malady To Future Generations. And Vocationally, The Opportunity To Help Start Such An Innovative Program With The Potential To Save Lives Held Tremendous Appeal. I Picked Up The Phone That Day To Call And Express My Interest In A Counseling Position At The School, And A Month Later I Was Hired-- Provided By Publisher.