Since 1994 I entered this industry in hopes of making some sort of impact. My first internship was at Tarzana Treatment Center in southern California, a 12 Step facility that housed over 100 people. It taught a combination of the 12 Steps and what they termed “I.T.” or industrial therapy. Industrial therapy was basically having the clients mop, clean, cook, and serve the meals. If clients were...Learn More
When someone finishes our program, we make a big deal out of it. Our Partial Hospitalization program runs 4 weeks and goes 5 days a week for 6 hours a day. It is the equivalent of residential treatment, but you don’t need to get locked away from family and friends. Facing yourself for an entire month to me is the hero’s journey. Who wants to deal with the worst parts of themselves? Here we do...Learn More
Independence day. They are just two words but emotionally can mean a lot. If you are not independent you are dependent. So what are you dependent on?
The definition of Dependence is:
The state of being determined, influenced or controlled by something else.
The state of being dependent on another for financial support.
The condition of being dependent on a substance such as a drug or on a...Learn More
This article should be entitled personal responsibility since in changing ourselves, it has to be done by ourselves. So often people want to have others swoop in and rescue them because we feel it is their fault, they are making me feel this way, when the truth is, it is all about us.
In taking personal responsibility, we are no longer victims of what others do or say. In all actuality, it is...Learn More
When I began my career in 12 Step Recovery a whole new world opened to me. It was what I liked, being around a lot of people, people opening up and talking about their difficulties, and others lending support. The 12 Steps were new to me because my recovery was basically white-knuckling it and praying the cravings would go away. My recovery was simply five months of pacing my apartment and...Learn More
How long do you want to tolerate your problems? How long do you want to hide from life? Even if you have tried the treatment in the past – you’ve never been through treatment quite like this.
We Get to the Root of the Problem
I am Dr. Scott Alpert from Basic Steps Mental Health. Our Outpatient program is the most unique in the country because we treat problems at their root....Learn More
Each morning we do a little check in with our clients. This morning the clients talked about what they liked about the Basic Steps Mental Health Program.
One person said “I was tired of 12 Step Recovery. I failed so many times and each time I felt like the group shunned me. It was humiliating walking to the front of the room, past all the people I have sponsored, to pick up my newcomer chip. I...Learn More