To us, how we treat someone is just as important as our treatment programs.

“Two weeks ago I was giving a new client a tour of our facility. As I went to unlock her bedroom door, I heard sniffles, and noticed she was crying. I asked her, ‘hey, what's that about?’ And as her eyes filled with tears, she said, ‘I've just been waiting so long for this’.

I met up again with her later to see how her day went, and she told me a little bit more.

She talked about being in several treatment centers. Never having her own space. Never feeling like she was at home. And more than that, not feeling as though she belonged. She said that every treatment center she went to just felt like a temporary home, and ‘this feels more welcoming. I'm glad I'm here’.?

A few days later, I met up with her again and she was sharing her trauma history. She mentioned being told in her prior treatment to ‘contain her trauma’ and not grieve the loss of her father yet (he passed a month prior) and to ‘wait until she got to CGE to address that stuff’.

I was visibly shocked and baffled. She smiled and said, ‘So I guess you won't be telling me to hold off on grieving?’. I assured her that no, we wouldn't be telling her that. Nor would we be expecting that of her.

She then told me that she had been wanting to talk about the loss of her father, but had not felt safe enough to do so — until now. This was only day 4 of her admission to our program.?

Providing a caring and welcoming environment to everyone who walks in our door. That’s what makes CGE different.

- Fiorella Garrido, LSW, Program Manager, Adult Residential Program?

The Center for Great Expectations provides substance use treatment and a safe environment for moms, pregnant women and adolescents, and their children (up to age 5), and men. To learn more, visit https://www.cge-nj.org/?

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