Community News from Walden


Join Beacon of Hope of Walden at the Fed Up! Rally in Washington DC on Sunday Sept. 28

Concerned about the rising number of individuals addicted to opiates in our community and ready to do something about it? Join Beacon of Hope of Walden's advocacy team in attendance at the Fed Up! Rally in Washington, DC. FedUp! Rally is designed to raise awareness for an immediate, coordinated and comprehensive federal response to end the epidemic of addiction and overdose deaths related to opioids (including heroin) and other prescription drugs.

"We want to help those in Southern Maryland who care deeply about this issue to be a part of this event. Anyone 18 and over who wants to attend and would like to attend with our group can contact us. As long as space is available, we welcome new additions to our group," explains Laura Webb, Recovery Support Services Director of Walden.

The FedUp! Rally starts at 1 p.m. on the Mall in Washington, DC and continues with a march to the White House at 3 p.m. To read more about the FedUp! Rally itself, go to http://feduprally.org.

For more information about joining up with the Beacon of Hope of Walden team for this event, please contact Laura Webb at 301-997-1300 x 804 or 301-751-7258. You can also e-mail us at lauraw [at] waldensierra.org.

Recovery and Wellness Community Block Party: all are invited Sept. 14, 2-5 p.m. in celebration of National Recovery Month!

Beacon of Hope Community Center and The Cove/D.F.Z. Youth Center of Walden are sponsoring a free, public event on Sunday 9/14 from 2-5 p.m. in Millison Plaza, Lexington Park, outside Beacon of Hope at 21800 N. Shangri La Drive.

This outdoor/indoor event is a family friendly way of marking National Recovery Month, a month dedicated to highlighting the many ways that people can and do recovery from addictive behaviors and other mental or behavioral health concerns. National Recovery Month also invites us to explore the benefits of recovery to individuals, families and the community itself. "We hope that individuals and families alike will come out to have fun and support the joy of recovery," says Laura Webb, Recovery Support Services Director for Walden. "Treatment is effective, people can and do recover, and the community is stronger for it."

From 2-4 p.m., activities and entertainment will include entertainment, an airbrush tattoo artist, face painting, arts and crafts, music, and more. Information tables and staff from local wellness resources will be on hand. Participants will enjoy a cook-out lunch served from 2-3 p.m. and hopefully save room for dessert. Give-aways will also be available while supplies last.

At about 4 p.m., all those who would like to participate may join us in a Recovery Whoop and a raffle drawing.

All activities, entertainment and food at this event are free while supplies last.

For more information about this event, please contact Laura Webb at 301-997-1300 x 804 or 301-751-7258. You can also e-mail us at beacon [at] waldensierra.org.

Walden Earns Coveted CARF Accreditation

Walden, a behavioral health treatment provider in Southern Maryland, has again received a 3 year CARF accreditation. This marks an important hallmark for the staff at Walden, who have been working to promote the overall health of its surrounding community since 1973.

CARF, the Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, is at the forefront of promoting the quality and value of services offered through rehabilitation facilities worldwide. Its consultative approach and continuous improvement services focus on enhancing the lives of those served by its accredited organizations, of which there are more than 6700 throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa (www.carf.org).

CARF accreditation is significant for Walden due to its selectivity and competitive distinction within the industry. CARF requires accredited organizations to commit to a continual improvement in services, as well as an ongoing focus to meet the unique needs of each individual person.

Walden’s long history as an outstanding provider of behavioral health treatment and services was again recognized with the highest level of accreditation. Leveraging the unique strengths of its dedicated employees and industry experts, Walden offers a full menu of service options including crisis intervention, mental health, psychiatric, and crisis therapy and counseling, drug and alcohol treatment, as well as community initiatives and recovery support.

“Receiving a three-year accreditation from CARF is an honor and a testament to the dedication and professional work of our entire team at Walden. We are proud to have earned this distinction and look forward to continued innovations, “best practices”, and partnerships to serve even more of the deserving people in Southern Maryland” said, Walden CEO Kathleen O’Brien, PhD.

About Walden

For over 40 years Walden has offered a comprehensive array of behavioral health treatment, and recovery services to individuals and families throughout the community. These services include crisis intervention, psychiatric and mental health therapy, trauma services related to relationship abuse or sexual assault, drug and alcohol services and community and recovery support services. Walden also operates one of the oldest professionally staffed hotlines in the country.

For more information about how Walden can help, visit http://www.waldensierra.org, contact the 24-hour crisis hotline at 301-863-6661 anonymously, or call the appointment line at 301-997-1300/888-912-7366.

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