Picking up the phone and calling an addiction treatment center or rehab can be one of the most terrifying things an individual or family member can do. Often that phone call is made during a crisis, where fear and stress are magnified. If the caller is the potential patient, they are often calling after years of distress and feelings of hopelessness. If the caller is the parents, spouse, or loved ones of a potential patient, they are often calling after years of trauma related to their loved one’s substance use disorder.
Here at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, we understand the situation and feelings a caller is going through when they pick up the phone to inquire about getting help for themselves or a loved one. Because of this, we wanted to make sure that our team answers the phones here at MARC offers callers everything they need in order to feel safe and secure, and that our admissions staff is well-versed in identifying the needs of the potential patient and their family. This is so we can make sure that our services here at MARC fit their needs, or if they don’t, our team can make an informed recommendation for another rehab, program, professional, or service that would better meet their needs. This includes have a clinical understanding of substance use disorder and mental health, a familiarity with professionals and programs throughout the local, state, regional, and nationwide area in order to make clinically-appropriate referrals, and expertise in insurance coverage so that financial means or restraints are accounted for when seeking help. While many treatment centers or rehabs have call centers that answer admissions calls, we believe that admissions is as vital a part of the MARC program as any other, and therefore employ a team inhouse that works in conjunction and collaboration with the rest of the staff to best support patients and families and make sure that a caller’s first experience with MARC matches the high-quality treatment services we offer once a patient admits into our program.
Therefore, we believe it is important that people know who exactly is answering the phone when they call us. Who are the people charged to help families and potential patients navigate what can often be a difficult, confusing, and often overwhelming process of choosing the best treatment center to support them on their journey of recovery?
Learn More About the Maryland Addiction Recovery Center Admissions Staff:
Maura Maguire
Director of Admissions
Maura and her admissions team are the first points of contact when a family, potential patient, or referral source calls MARC seeking help. Maura has worked in the field of behavioral health and addiction treatment before joining MARC, where she was the Director of Residential Services at a substance use disorder treatment center in Bel Air, Maryland. In her role there, Maura served as the liaison between the clinical and residential staff, provided supervision and guidance to the residential staff, and worked directly with patients to support them as they began their journey of recovery. As a person in long-term recovery from addiction herself, Maura choose to work in the addiction treatment field after experiencing guidance and mentorship from treatment professionals in her early recovery, and she wanted to be able to provide the same guidance and empathy to individuals and their families that had been impacted by the disease of addiction. She says, “The most rewarding part of working in the MARC admissions department is having the opportunity to provide direction and support to both patients and their families as they are navigating treatment options.” She continues, “It has been an incredibly beautiful experience to witness the transformation of the family system that takes place in the extended care treatment setting.”
Amanda Winfield, ADT
Intake Specialist
Amanda received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and social work and is currently an alcohol and drug trainee (ADT) in the state of Maryland. Before working at MARC, Amanda worked as a substance abuse counselor at an addiction treatment program, doing direct patient care, for 7 years. Before that, she worked as a case worker for the Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF.) Amanda says that the driving force behind her choice to work in behavioral health and addiction treatment was the need to help others. “I want to help people feel understood, heard, and validated,” she says. “My ultimate goal in the field is to help teach skills that bring meaning and positive change into the lives of others.” Amanda finds it most fulfilling to work in the addiction treatment fields because it is a field where people can see amazing success stories and watch people turn their lives around. She explains, “It is rewarding to see families come together to work on communication skills, develop healthy relationships, and put in work to set goals for themselves to overcome the stigma of addiction.”
Tim Holt, LMSW
Intake Specialist
Tim is an LMSW who received his Master of Social Work from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Originally from Connecticut, Tim found personal recovery from addiction and went back to school to pursue a career as a clinician in order to help others suffering from substance use disorder. He has worked in the addiction treatment field for the past 6 years in different roles at organizations in New York City, Connecticut, and now Maryland. The positions Tim has held while working in addiction treatment include working as a social worker, a sober coach and a sober companion, a case manager, and now in admissions as an Intake Specialist at MARC. Tim believes that his personal experience in recovery, coupled with his clinical background and education, allows him to play an integral role in helping people empower themselves to implement positive changes in their lives. He says that the most rewarding part of working in admissions is “watching the transformation that occurs in patients when they form a trusting bond with our treatment team and successfully complete the full continuum of care here at MARC. I enjoy offering a helping hand to potential patients or families when they call up and feel hopeless and I can help them start to see hope for themselves or their loved one.”
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 web site at www.marylandaddictionrecovery.com.