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SUSAN
B. ANTHONY RECOVERY CENTER RECEIVES $35,000 GRANT
FROM THE BAXTER INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
Grant
Will Support the Expansion of the Agency's Aftercare Services
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.,
November 27, 2002 - The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic
arm of Baxter International, Inc., has awarded a $35,000 grant to the
Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center, which provides transitional housing
and support services to substance-addicted women and their children. The
grant will enable the center to expand aftercare services through the
hiring of a case manager.
In as many as 80 percent
of all cases of child abuse and neglect, substance abuse is cited as one
of the most common reasons for children entering foster care. An alcohol
and drug dependent woman may be impaired in her ability to take adequate
care of herself and her children as she often faces the simultaneous stresses
of poverty, homelessness and motherhood with little to no family or social
resources. These impairments may result in serious negative consequences
for her children including, increased risk of emotional and physical abuse,
developmental problems, and criminal involvement.
Susan B. Anthony's
transitional housing program, Stop The Cycle, fulfills an unmet need in
the Fort Lauderdale community for substance addicted women with children
by providing a safe environment that provides the intensive treatment
services needed by these women while keeping the family intact. The center
provides a unique opportunity for a woman and her children to reside together
while the mother completes her treatment and skills acquisition.
Upon completion of
the program, aftercare services are provided for up to three years to
support families who have left the security of the residential facility
to transition into independent living. The addition of a case manager
will allow the aftercare program to provide home visits to the women and
their children, as well as relapse prevention groups and other support
activities.
"The transition
to independent living is a time of great risk for relapse when the women
need the additional in-home support that will be provided by this professional,"
said Marsha Currant, executive director, Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center,
"The Baxter International Foundation grant will enable a greater
number of women with children to remain substance free while participating
in the aftercare program."
The Susan B. Anthony
Recovery Center has designed a state-of-the-art program that is geared
to meet the special needs of substance-addicted women with children. A
full range of collaborative services are provided to the women and children,
including housing, 24-hour supervision, transportation, substance abuse
treatment, relapse prevention groups, parenting classes, domestic violence
classes, vocational and educational counseling and individual, family
and group counseling. Every woman is assigned an individual therapist
and may remain in the residential component up to eighteen months, as
well as participate in after care services for up to three years.
"By providing
a way for women with children to complete their recovery while keeping
the family together, the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center is making a
positive long-term impact on the health of these children and on their
future," said Patricia Morgan, executive director, The Baxter International
Foundation. "The Baxter International Foundation is proud to support
them in their efforts to improve the lives of these families."
The Susan B. Anthony
Recovery Center, founded in 1995, serves over 50 women and 80 children
at any one given time. The comprehensive transitional housing services
provided at the Susan B. Anthony Center are designed to address the multiple
needs faced by substance-addicted women with children. The services are
delivered in a manner that empowers the women to participate actively
in their recovery process while residing in a safe environment. The residents
are given the time they need to heal emotionally while learning the skills
necessary to become functioning, non-abusive parents and productive citizens.
Since its inception, the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center has aided and
reunited 181 families.
As the philanthropic
arm of Baxter International Inc., The Baxter International Foundation
helps to increase access to health care in the United States and other
countries. In 2001, foundation grants totaling $4.8 million improved access
to care for children, the uninsured and the elderly, helped prevent child
abuse and neglect, promoted health education, expanded education opportunities
for health-care providers, and helped victims of global disasters.
Baxter International
Inc. is a global medical products and services company that, through its
subsidiaries, provides critical therapies for people with life-threatening
conditions. Baxter employs more than 1,700 at its facilities in Ft. Lauderdale,
Largo, Pinellas Park and Tampa.
FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
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- Media Contacts:
- Tanya Tyska, Baxter, 847-948-3256
Marsha Currant, Susan B. Anthony, 954-733-6068
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