Dr. Moshe Winograd, Ph.D. and Yehuda Alcabes, LCSW, CASAC-G, CSAT attended the Jewish Recovery Center Retreat recently.  The retreat provided a great opportunity to learn more about the recovery process from the perspective of both individuals in recovery and their families and understand what helped them. It also provided an opportunity to network with other professionals and highlight Lifeskills South Florida’s excellence and clinical expertise.

The Jewish Recovery Center is a key resource for Jewish addicts in recovery, their families, and the recovering Jewish community across the country, making it nationally important. The Center has close working relationships with leading programs and addiction experts, providing a vital link for those seeking treatment in South Florida.

The weekend was unique in that Jews from all different denominations and backgrounds came together, united by a shared experience through the challenge of addiction and recovery. It was beautiful to meet those who too often struggle alone, ashamed from sharing openly with their family or community, come together and be strengthened by a peer community. We had the opportunity to hear inspiring stories of the struggles and recovery process from individuals and professionals engaged in a search for truth, meaning, character refinement and spirituality.

The retreat offered the time to attend meetings, workshops, process groups, and more casual connections throughout the weekend. One of the highlights was a comedy presentation by the legendary SARGE, a comedian in recovery, who is clean and sober and has dedicated himself to assisting others who are facing the same battle. His comedy show was both hilariously entertaining and deeply meaningful to see someone use their life’s struggles and experiences in support of those facing the same challenge. Another weekend highlight was getting trained on the proper use of NARCAN to reverse opioid overdose.

Overall it was very powerful to see how recovery shares some common features that ensure success, but that individuals and family members must find their unique path and spiritual truth. For so many families at Lifeskills South Florida, spirituality is so important to them, and this was an opportunity to understand further how spirituality plays a role in individuals’ recovery.

It was an honor connecting with such a wonderful organization and group of like-minded people and to represent Lifeskills. People were very impressed to learn about the high level of care and evidence-based therapies offered by Lifeskills and we value our relationship with the Jewish Recovery Center.