Offering opportunities for educational development for local college students pursuing a career in the addiction treatment field was always part of the mission here at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center upon opening our doors over six years ago. To be a local facility that supports ongoing learning, whether through offering ongoing professional education and development or as a local training site for students, aligned with our mission of being a community-based, community-driven addiction treatment center.
“When we were creating the clinical philosophy and programming here at MARC, we had always hoped to be a destination where we could not only help individuals and families access treatment and find recovery, but could also be an organization that supported the local professional and clinical community, and that helped shape the next generation of addiction treatment professionals,” said MARC Executive Director Sam Bierman.
Over the last year, through the dedication and support of Maryland Addiction Recovery Center management and clinical leadership, the goal of creating an atmosphere and environment to provide educational opportunities for local students interested in creating long-term careers in behavioral health and addiction treatment was happily achieved. Based on the quality of clinical work provided and delivered at MARC, our organization has been able to partner with numerous institutions of higher learning to offer their students necessary real-life educational opportunities through internships and fellowship programs. Colleges and universities such as University of Maryland, Towson University, Stevenson University, the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), and Howard County Community College have designated MARC as an approved training site for their students to gain much-needed experience as those students move towards achieving their educational and academic goals.
As MARC believes in the value of higher education for our own patients, as evidenced by our Caron’s College Success™ Program at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, so too do we believe in the need for undergraduate and graduate students interested in careers in addiction and mental health treatment to be offered high-quality training opportunities. At MARC, these students are both challenged and nurtured as they are fully integrated into our treatment team. Our goal is to provide the most comprehensive experience possible so that students will gain knowledge, confidence, and clinical sophistication during their time with us.
MARC Clinical Director Dr. Jennifer Richards is an adjunct professor at Howard County Community College. One of our recent interns, Megan, who was a student of Dr. Richards at Howard Community College and who was recently accepted into Stevenson University’s Counseling and Human Services program for the Fall noted, “Being at MARC solidified my choice in not only continuing my collegiate career but the fact that I am in the field I need and want to be in. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for everything you guys taught me. I felt like a staff member and a valued part of the team, not just an intern.”
“It has been exciting to collaborate with like-minded university staff on providing the most immersive and thorough training experiences possible for their students,” Dr. Jennifer Richards explained. “My own internships and fellowship were pivotal in shaping my pathway as a psychologist and I have always been eager to provide similarly enriching opportunities for students interested in the addiction field. I am confident that the environment at MARC will provide for a dynamic, challenging, and supportive training experience. I have been very impressed with the students that have been placed at MARC and am thrilled to be welcoming Damian from Stevenson University and Hannah from UMD this Fall.”
Recently, we have been able to provide ongoing education opportunities for college students through partnerships with these incredible local institutions of higher learning. Maryland Addiction Recovery Center Clinical Director Dr. Jennifer Richards has personally worked with colleagues at local colleges and institutions to offer MARC as an approved placement site for internships and fellowships. Dr. Richards has worked with Patricia Quinn Stabile, LCSW and Monifa Johnson, LCSW-C, LICSW at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Patricia is a clinical instructor for the Substance Use Disorder Interventions Fellowship (SUDIF) and Monifa is the clinical instructor/program coordinator at UM. Dr. Richards has also worked with Field Placement Coordinator and Associate Professor, Counseling and Human Services Department, Mayaugust Finkenberg, Ed.D, LCSW-C, at Stevenson University, Dr. Erin Girio-Herrera, Internship Coordinator, Psychology, at Towson University, Cindy Paige Desi, Director of Service Learning, for Howard Community College, and Dr. Ted McCadden, LCADC, CPP, ICPS, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator- Human Services Counseling, and the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC).
Outside of students pursuing their educational opportunities at MARC, we are proud that several of our staff and alumni have engaged in pursuing ongoing educational and academic goals at MARC. Several of our recovery support staff have returned to school and achieve their clinical certifications or degrees before receiving clinical licensure. Additionally, many of our alumni have engaged in ongoing learning opportunities post-completion at MARC and utilized this partnership with their institution of higher education and Maryland Addiction Recovery Center to pursue their college internship. MARC alumni, Jeff, was just one of those students, and offered this insight into his experience:
“My experience as an intern at MARC was far better than any expectations I could have had,” Jeff detailed regarding his time as a student intern at MARC. “As an alumnus, I have always had the highest respect for the institution and the staff but was able to gain even greater respect when dealing with them professionally. Everyone had something to contribute to my training and their own individual style that made for a truly well-rounded educational experience. Lastly, my direct supervisors were amazing! I received clear, concise instruction every step of the way, in a direct but caring and sensitive manner. I am super grateful for the experience.”
We are absolutely grateful for these colleges and universities for their partnership and trust in Maryland Addiction Recovery Center as an approved site for their students to further their education and experience as they move along their journey of a career in behavioral health and addiction treatment. As America’s addiction and mental health epidemic grow, so grows the need for skilled professionals to deliver a high quality of treatment and patient care. We are thankful that we are able to play a small part in preparing today’s students to offer the highest quality of comprehensive care for those that will be in need and seek services in the future.
If you or someone you know needs help for addiction or co-occurring disorder issues, please give us a call. Maryland Addiction Recovery Center offers the most comprehensive dual diagnosis addiction treatment in the Mid-Atlantic area. If we aren’t the best fit for you or your loved one, we will take the necessary time to work with you to find a treatment center or provider that better fits your needs. Please give us a call at (410) 773-0500 or email our team at info@marylandaddictionrecovery.com. For more information on all of our drug addiction, alcohol addiction and co-occurring disorder services and recovery resources, please visit our website at www.marylandaddictionrecovery.com.
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