For women battling substance use disorders who can’t afford medical and clinical care, a new “scholarship” program has been announced this month, National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, by Mountainside treatment center and Release Recovery Foundation.
— an announcement from Mountainside Treatment Center
The aim of the scholarships is to offer life-saving inpatient treatment services to women struggling with alcohol and drug addiction who are not otherwise able to afford treatment.
Release Recovery Foundation, co-founded by “Bachelorette” Season 16 winner Zac Clark and Justin Gurland, is a nonprofit dedicated to getting professional treatment for people with substance abuse, despite financial barriers.
A Need Now to Treat Women
There is no better time to launch this partnership than National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, which aims to raise awareness of the impact of substance use disorders.
Unfortunately, women face additional barriers — both emotional and societal — to seeking treatment. Childcare challenges, the high cultural standards placed on women as caregivers, and the stigma of addiction can all contribute to a perfect storm in which women feel they cannot leave home to address their substance use disorder.
Photo by johndhl on Morguefile.com
The Release Recovery Foundation Scholarship will cover inpatient stays in Mountainside’s detox and residential programs.
This Release Recovery Foundation Scholarship was created to help women overcome these obstacles and embrace their own healing.
“Everyone has been impacted by COVID-19, but shortly after the pandemic began, we saw a noticeable decrease in women enrolling in detox and residential treatment,” says Andre Basso, chief executive officer at Mountainside.
“No one should have to sacrifice their own healing, for financial reasons or otherwise. We are eager to team up with Release Recovery to continue raising the bar in treatment by making services more available to women, who are oftentimes the backbone of families and communities.”
Photo from Mountainside Treatment Centers
women participate in a group counseling session at Mountainside.
For many women without an alcohol use disorder, COVID-19 stressors have intensified their drinking during the pandemic. A September 2020 study by RAND Corporation showed that heavy alcohol consumption among female drinkers increased 41 percent from 2019 to 2020.
Couple this with the 30 percent surge in drug overdose deaths last year, and widespread support has never been more urgently needed.
The Scholarship and What It Covers
The Release Recovery Foundation Scholarship will cover inpatient stays in Mountainside’s detox and residential programs.
The treatment center will provide a 24-hour, medically monitored detox, plus a 35-day treatment program focused on holistic wellness, to help women better understand the roots of their addiction and develop healthy coping strategies moving forward.
To receive a scholarship, individuals must demonstrate a medical and financial need, along with a desire to take the next step in their recovery.
Photo from Mountainside Treatment Center
A family counseling session
“Our hope is to encourage people to reclaim their lives in treatment and inspire them to give back to the world around them,” Clark said. “We are eager to partner with Mountainside to deliver quality, holistic care to those in need while raising awareness about the many benefits of recovery.”
All proceeds from the scholarship fund will go directly toward client care. Together, Release Recovery and Mountainside will optimize individuals’ first year in treatment — the most crucial period for sustained sobriety.
For more information about the Release Recovery Foundation Scholarship, please email connect@releaserecovery.com.
About Mountainside Treatment Center
Mountainside is nationally recognized for the effectiveness of its drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs. We are one of only three addiction treatment centers in the United States to hold a 3.7 ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) certification as well as dual accreditation from CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) International and The Joint Commission.
Our Integrative Care Model provides a comprehensive set of treatment and care offerings coordinated by a multidisciplinary treatment team to best fit the unique needs and interests of each client.
We partner with clients, their families and healthcare professionals to develop treatment plans to promote long-term sobriety.
About the Release Recovery Foundation
The Release Recovery Foundation was formed by Clark and Gurland at the start of the pandemic as a branch of Release Recovery, a full-service recovery organization located in New York dedicated to helping clients build a strong foundation in early recovery.
The foundation is dedicated to ensuring all who are ready and willing to seek professional treatment are able.
Contributed photo
Mountainside’s Vice President of Business Development, Sarah Verrelli, with the Release Recovery Foundation’s co-founders, Zac Clark and Justin Gurland.
The foundation offers scholarships to those who need treatment for substance abuse and mental illnesses to bridge the gap between what people can afford and what they need to transform their lives.
All of the money raised by Release Recovery Foundation, a a 501(c)3 nonprofit, goes directly for patient/client care for individuals in need.