By: Megan Garvey, Clinical Director, LCSW MCAP Therapist and Dr. Maureen Esposito, Executive Vice President of Clinical Services
“If we can get through this we can get through anything” 
As many know, Hurricane Irma made landfall in South Florida over the past weekend. We at Transformations would like to extend our concerns and sympathies to those people who have gone through one of the most ferocious storms in the history of Florida and the United States. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Harvey in Texas and Irma in Florida. We ended up in the path of good fortune and we feel grateful that the Transformations facilities were spared major damage.
The Transformations Hurricane Team implemented a safety protocol and plan which included evacuating clients to a safe environment. During this emergency situation, our clients were provided the opportunity to utilize their newly learned coping skills outside of the therapeutic milieu. We could not be more proud of the staff and our clients’ dedication to treatment, sobriety and maintaining safety throughout the hurricane’s duration. Clients came together and supported one another in ways that could only be illustrated by direct experience. Following direction, remaining calm and using their coping skills, our clients returned to the Transformations facilities successfully knowing that they did not succumb to panic. Instead, they learned how to rely on staff and each other to survive without the false aid of drugs or alcohol. It takes a village to navigate the trials and tribulations of life, and we certainly proved this point in the last few days.
Opportunities for growth presented themselves throughout the entire ordeal which presented challenges in the form of traffic, hotel accommodation issues, power outages, fear of the unknown and high risk situations. It was when a client was overheard saying, “if we can get through this we can get through anything,” that we realized how enriching and supportive this ended up being for not only the clients, but for the staff as well. One staff member stated, “it was like an ongoing team-building experience” as all departments had to work together to ensure our clients’ physical and emotional safety.
While we hope to never go through this type of crisis in the future, we have gained the knowledge and confidence necessary to instill hope in our clients and staff no matter what the circumstances are. If anyone needs help or knows someone struggling with addiction, please call us so we can provide an environment conducive to healing. The suffering can stop and recovery begin with a treatment team ready and willing to help.
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