Hello and welcome back to another episode of A Day in the Life with the team at Ascend! As we spotlight different staff members each month, we hope you’ll learn more about how Ascend operates and what makes it such an effective place for substance use and mental health treatment.
This month, we’re excited to introduce Janet! She’s an essential part of recovery at Ascend because she’s in charge of teaching our clients about recovery from substance abuse, and showing them how it can impact their body, mental health, and overall life trajectory. Discover what Janet does at Ascend, and how she helps our clients thrive.
Janet’s Job
Janet works at several of the Ascend houses, providing psychoeducation about substance abuse. She teaches clients about the 12-step model and how they can best apply it to their lives. Janet also helps them maintain their abstinence outside of treatment by connecting them with outside resources and support systems to guide them as they transition.
You can find Janet at both our outpatient and residential facilities, running groups and helping clients one-on-one. Most often, she helps clients with anger management, cognitive restructuring, codependency, and relapse prevention due to maladaptive behaviors.
What Is Psychoeducation?
This treatment is an evidence-based therapy for clients and their families that revolves around providing information, education, and support for their struggles. Research shows that with more information, clients better understand their issues and find new ways to cope with their concerns. Psychoeducation can be applied to a broad range of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and personality disorders.
When applied to substance abuse, research shows that psychoeducation reduces the rate of relapse and improves the recovery process.
Where Janet Got Her Start
Janet has been in recovery for over 40 years, so it makes sense she wants to help young people who are struggling with similar issues. She had an amazing circle of support when she first started her recovery, and this has inspired her to provide outstanding care and compassion to others in the same situation.
Because Janet knows how easy it is to get trapped in the cycle of substance abuse, she can connect with our clients on another level. She speaks in a way that resonates with our clients, helping them understand the negative consequences of substance use.
Life Before Ascend
Before coming to Ascend, Janet was a Community Drug Counselor in youth settings. She has a clinical background in the field of substance use treatment for both adolescents and adults. Janet has been a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor since 2010, and has been assisting young people with their transition back into the community for the last decade. She has worked with teens that struggle with chronic trauma, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and schizophrenia.
Why Ascend?
Janet loves working with Ascend because she believes we truly care about every individual that comes to us for help. She sees how hard every member of our team works to improve the quality of life for our clients and their families. Janet and her coworkers are always looking for ways to better assist clients and provide them with the personalized care they need to overcome their own mental health challenges and reconnect with their families.
At Ascend, Janet also gets to see the clients transform their lives. It’s so encouraging to see someone who was once miserable rediscover their love for life. Every day at Ascend makes Janet feel like she’s making a positive difference for these teens.
We Need Janet!
Janet has been a major force in bringing the 12-step process to our facilities. She introduces clients to the 12-step meetings and helps them find locations near their home where they can attend once they leave us. Her compassion for clients from the moment they walk in the door is undeniable, and her no-nonsense demeanor ensures clients trust and open up to her.
In addition to the amazing work she does for us, Janet also started a group called Ink Expressions. In this program, kids explore their creativity through productive outlets that assist with their mental health needs. Arts and crafts helped her so much during recovery, so Janet now provides the same therapeutic benefits to others.
A Day In Her Life
If you followed Janet through her day, you’ll likely find her in one-on-one sessions with clients across four houses, including Canyons, Trails, Culver, and Agoura. In between her individual sessions, she’ll run group sessions and facilitate 12-step meetings outside of our treatment programs.
Janet collaborates with many of the Primary Therapists at our treatment facilities, sharing notes from her individual client sessions with their therapist. She also works with the Clinical Directors of each house to help evolve our programs in the direction they need to go.
Find Out More About Ascend
We hope that Janet’s job as a psychoeducator has taught you a little more about what we do at Ascend. For even more details, you can explore our other spotlights on the blog page.
If you’re someone who needs support, or you have a loved one that may benefit from time at Ascend, reach out to us today at [direct] to connect with our team.
