Any one else with more knowledge on Marathon House circa: 1974-1975, I would appreciate the heads up. I was there from 2/74 until 12/75. The Director was Joe Geronimo, Staff Ray Law, Bruce ? and Jim Fletcher. House population was about 35 co-ed participants, 1/3 women and 2/3 men.
I hear a lot of horrible abuses from these programs everyone went to, physical and mental. I am almost ashamed to bring up I went to this program. We did not have the violent abuses, we were abused by just being warehoused with no education for a year. We had groups but they were not aggressive, we did have a place by the front door that you would sit if you were acting out. There were not any behavioral methods or LGAT's to the degree you folks are explaining.. They weren't breaking you down mentally as described here but they were not helping you either.
Really it just seemed like a big commune where we were, everyone had chores in the house and outside. If you were new you were watched by others who had been there longer. All the food was donated so each day there were stops to make to pick the food up, usually bakeries,super markets ect....churches came by often with food.
The worse punishment I saw while there was a male get his head shaved for getting high on a home visit. Everyone there was from Rhode Island or western Massachusetts along the shore. I have been racking my brain to remember more people who were there with me. So far I have 4 names, 2 of the names I have know for years the other 2 I can not find.
I was sent there by my high school for getting busted smoking pot on school grounds during study time. I went outside with another guy to smoke a joint and got busted by the Gym teacher. My father had been worried about me for about a year leading up to that incident. I had started staying out past curfew, smoking cigg's, skipping school, drinking more (he caught me drunk several times) hanging out with some derelicts and so on.
I was in the adolescence house in Newport/Middletown R.I., we were in Middletown during the day at the house and at night we slept at a Apt. house in Newport. The women stayed at the house upstairs and the men in the Apt.
Just some info here,
If you are wondering if I knew a fella that was posting here for some time who also went to Marathon House for a short time, I do. That is where we met, we became friends went into the service together later on. We have been friends now for years, I work for him and have for the past 16 years. He introduced me to this site.
I would rather not get into any more detail then that. I said that much so to quell any suspicion that anyone here would be confused as to who is posting. The IPS addresses will be the same because of where I do most of my posting is in the same office.
Guys I can tell you, he is gone. I do not believe he will be back. This experience did not prove to be one of his better embarkations into his past treatment history.
Thanks
I found this information below on their web page and thought it was interesting.
http://www.phoenixhouse.org/Democrats and Republicans Will Agree…
Incarceration is often 12 times more expensive than substance abuse treatment. Here, Phoenix House President and CEO Howard P. Meitiner discusses economic reform that both parties can support.
As election season approaches, it seems as if Republicans and Democrats will never agree on anything. Yet here’s a step we can all support: replacing incarceration with substance abuse treatment for non-violent offenders.
In this weekend’s New York Times, Op-Ed columnist Charles M. Blow aptly put a price tag on incarceration. He doesn’t mention, however, that every dollar spent on substance abuse treatment can deliver a return of $12.00 or more in reduced incarceration costs. With all the federal funding that currently supports the criminal justice system and collateral crime expenses, it is easy for other vital spending areas – education, housing, and health, for example – to get lost in the shuffle.
What many people don’t realize is that the cost of crime is also the cost of addiction; according to the Council of State Governments, 80 percent of state prisoners report a history of substance abuse. Remember, this is 80 percent of an increasingly large prison population: One in every 100 American adults is currently in a state or federal prison. This is not the global norm. “The United States now imprisons a higher percentage of its citizens than any other country in the world,” points out Virginia Senator Jim Webb. “Also, the composition of prison admissions has shifted toward less serious offenses. Nearly six in ten persons in state prison for a drug offense have no history of violence.”
What are we accomplishing by imprisoning non-violent, low-level drug offenders instead of offering treatment? We are wasting taxpayer dollars, disregarding human behavior patterns, and fueling the rate of criminal recidivism. Without proper treatment, these offenders are released from prison only to resume their criminal behavior to support their drug habits – 50 percent will be rearrested for committing a crime within the first year. Thus continues the vicious cycle of substance abuse and incarceration.
This is a major problem with some simple solutions. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reported that only 1.9 percent of 2005 federal spending on substance abuse went to prevention and treatment, while 95.6 percent went towards “shoveling up the wreckage” – namely, putting people in prison instead of getting them help. We need to flip this statistic, because doing so will save billions of dollars and improve millions of lives.
Today, increased substance abuse treatment and community-based alternatives to incarceration should be considered economic necessities. They are not only cheaper than imprisonment; they are also more effective, fundamentally fair, and considerate of the human condition. Treatment is an option in which both parties win – and all it takes is the political courage and bipartisan behavior necessary to enforce change.
Howard P. Meitiner
President and CEO
http://www.phoenixhouse.org/locations/new-england/http://www.phoenixhouse.org/locations/n ... de-island/Phoenix House adolescent programs in Rhode Island give teens a chance to break with the past and take control of their lives. Our residential and outpatient drug treatment programs provide substance abuse treatment in a safe and supportive environment.
Residential Drug Treatment Programs
Phoenix House Academy at Wallum Lake
Phoenix House Academy at Wallum Lake provides comprehensive substance abuse treatment to adolescents, while helping them catch up academically, reunite with their families, and reclaim lost opportunities. Our six-month program combines alcohol and drug treatment with a high school education program directed by state certified teachers in partnership with the local school district.
Teachers and counselors work together to create a supportive environment in which adolescents can develop and grow. Students learn the values of honesty and responsibility and confront the underlying causes of their substance abuse. Since family involvement is a key factor in the success of the program, we offer parent education, counseling, and family therapy.
Phoenix House operates three outpatient programs for teens at centers in Providence, Wakefield, and Westerly, Rhode Island.
Phoenix House Academy
at Wallum Lake
2076 Wallum Lake Road
Pascoag, RI 02859
401 568 1770
Outpatient Drug Treatment Programs
Parental involvement is a key element of the program. Families take part in extensive education, therapy, and recreation activities throughout the course of the drug treatment program, and work towards creating a home environment that will support teens in their recovery from addiction.
Phoenix House
Outpatient Center
205 Waterman Street
Providence, RI 02906
401 421 5255
Phoenix House
Outpatient Center
101 Franklin Street
Westerly, RI 02891
401 348 9995
Phoenix House
Outpatient Center
1058 Kingstown Road
Wakefield, RI 02879
401 783 0782
Phoenix Houses of New England – originally called
Marathon House – was founded in 1967 by a coalition of social service professionals, clergy, business, and political leaders in Providence, Rhode Island. Through their efforts, the first treatment program was opened in the basement of a church in Providence. Today, some 3,000 adults and teenagers receive treatment annually through more then forty-five programs in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Fees are based on a sliding scale, and no client is denied treatment because of the inability to pay.
Meet the Phoenix House
New England Team
Patrick B. McEneaney
Senior Vice President, Regional Director, Phoenix Houses of New England and Florida
Mr. McEneaney joined Phoenix Houses of New England in 1999 when Phoenix House acquired Marathon. He assumed the leadership post in Florida in July of 2008. Previously he headed his own consulting firm, HR Diagnostics, and served as vice president and director of human resources for the Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens for more than 20 years. Mr. McEneaney holds a bachelor’s degree from Queens College and an executive M.B.A. from Baruch College in New York. Send an email
Neil Gaer
Vice President, Senior Program Director and Director of Clinical Affairs
Mr. Gaer joined Phoenix Houses of New England in January 1999 as program director of the adult residential treatment facility in Springfield, Mass. He was subsequently appointed and served as deputy director of national training at Phoenix House Foundation in New York before rejoining the New England organization in 2001 as senior program director and director of clinical affairs. In April 2006, he was named a vice president. During his tenure, Mr. Gaer has been responsible for the development and implementation of clinical and administrative operations throughout New England. Mr. Gaer has more than twenty years of experience at various social and human service agencies. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of New Haven. He is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Send an email
Fred A. Trapassi, Jr.
Vice President, Director of Rhode Island Programs
Mr. Trapassi began his career with Phoenix House in 2000 as Program Director for the Phoenix Academy at Wallum Lake, Rhode Island. He went on to serve as Senior Program Director for adolescent programming in the New England Region, the Senior Program Director for all Rhode Island programs and is currently the Vice President and Director of Rhode Island Programs. Prior to joining Phoenix House, Mr. Trapassi was the Director of Client and Program Services for Crossroads. He was presented the Jefferson Award for public service in 1989 and the Nyswander Dole (Marie) Award for treatment advocacy in 1991. Mr. Trapassi has been a peer reviewer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and served on several boards and committees including the Providence Juvenile Hearing Board, the United Way of South Eastern New England, and the Rhode Island Justice Commission’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Board. He holds a B.S. in Public Administration from Roger Williams University. Send an email
Susan Shubitowski
Vice President, Director of Finance
Ms. Shubitowski joined Phoenix House in January 2001 as Controller and was named Regional Director of Finance the same year. In April 2006, she was promoted to Vice President and Regional Director of Finance. Prior to joining Phoenix House, Ms. Shubitowski held several finance positions in the profit sector, including Accounting Manager for LogoAthletic, Inc. and Controller for Omega Electric, Inc. She holds a B.S. degree in Accounting and an M.B.S from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Send an email
