WHAT’S NEW?

November 10, 2008   Announcement from Ann Smith

Hello Everyone,

Recently I was contacted by the CEO of Caron Treatment Center (formerly known as Chit Chat Farm) a longstanding addiction treatment facility located in Wernersville, PA (near Reading).  I was asked to consider returning to Caron to restore and revitalize a program that I developed and directed from 1983-1991, at that time called Caron Family Services.  A generous gift of $5 million dedicated to this program along with a new facility on Caron’s main campus has created an opportunity to expand and improve their life changing 5 day experiential treatment program. 

For the past 17 years I have enjoyed the best of two worlds, sharing a successful private practice with respected colleagues and friends where I found great satisfaction and fulfillment in my work with clients while also offering intensive group therapy workshops every month at Harmony Farm retreat center in Parkton Maryland.  Although I had no thoughts or intentions of making a change, I found this opportunity too amazing to ignore.  As part of our discussion I asked Caron to allow me to bring “Breakthrough Healthy Living Workshops,” my current 5 Day program held monthly in Maryland, to Caron under the name “Breakthrough at Caron” and they agreed.  As a result we will be able to offer this unique group therapy program in a beautiful new facility to 19 clients per week rather than the current 12 per month without compromising the quality of care to which we are committed. 

The existing Breakthrough program will continue to be held at Harmony Farm in Maryland in January and February 2009 as usual and will begin in the new facility in Wernersville in March 2009.  The Breakthrough staff, including Marilyn Hawn will be part of the clinical team in the new program.

Once again my career has been guided toward keeping alive the dream of a place of healing for anyone who feels a desire to improve the quality of their lives and relationships.  I am confident that with the autonomy and creative freedom Caron has given me and the current Breakthrough and Caron staffs we will be able to offer this one of a kind service for many years to come.

I would like to give special thanks to Judith and Kevin Campbell, the owners of Harmony Farm, who appeared when we needed the perfect environment for Breakthrough in 1997.  They renovated and then watched over their former home for us while month after month the healing took place in this inspired, safe and secluded retreat with an almost magical connection to nature.

Thank you to everyone who entrusted us with your needs. Please feel free to contact me personally with any questions you may have. Rosanne Eastman will also be available for any administrative concerns.  For further information on Caron programs and updates during the transition please go to the Caron Website www.caron.org.