Testimonials

Having worked in the addiction field for over twenty years, I have collaborated with few treatment centers as compassionate, thorough, and clinically insightful as MARC. While I was the staff psychologist at the internationally-eminent addiction treatment program Father Martin’s Ashley, I became familiar with many treatment centers across the United States, and it is clear that there is significant variability in client care and individualized treatment is lacking.

Having gotten to know and collaborate with the staff at MARC on some very complex cases, it is clear that they also understand and practice quality, individualized client care and treatment planning. This is so important as we now realize the prevalence of co-occurring disorders and the development of a quality continuum of care for successful addiction recovery.

Kudos to Sam Bierman and the staff at MARC for developing and implementing a much needed high quality resource for individuals and families, who are hurting and in need of addiction treatment that recognizes a “one size fits all” treatment is not effective for every individual and family.

Peter H. Musser, Ph.D
Private Practice Psychologist

MARC has changed my life forever and will continue to shape my life forever. My journey began in Men’s Phase I, then Men’s Phase II at Caron, PA before arriving at my new home in Baltimore. This program is tough and intense. So is addiction, therefore, recovery. Try to learn to trust again while also learning how to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. MARC is a very special place to me and the treatment team is abundant with seasoned professionals. Go and get your money’s worth. Take advantage of the resources surrounding you. This program can save your life if you allow it to.
– A.O., MARC Alumnus


MARC has forever changed my life. One thing MARC and the 12 steps has taught me is that I don’t know anything. Prior assumptions were to my detriment. Despite that, I will say this: I know no matter what happens from here, MARC has set me up in the best possible manner. You have an incredible staff. Seriously, from top to bottom. The way the clinical team is run. The way the community living is run. It’s uncanny how beautiful of a program MARC is. It is not for the faint of heart. It certainly is incredibly challenging, but it’s the safest place on earth to go through those challenges. I not only had to change in order to grow, but I had to become a completely different person. All of that is so because of what MARC offers. Because MARC gave me the tools to change. MARC gave me the ability to practice self-love; it taught how to be an adult. Like for real. Learning how to budget on was one of the best things for me. I mean, dude, I didn’t even know how to bake a damn chicken breast before coming to MARC. I had no capacity to be of service to anyone. Not anyone. But MARC, and the 12 Steps, taught me that if I can’t practice self-love, if I’m not willing to work through my trauma, and if I’m not willing to work through my resentments, then this disease we share will kill me. I no longer want that to happen. I no longer have the desire to fade off into a heroin abyss. All of this, every ounce of this, is because of the tools MARC gave me. I mean dude, MARC is what actually introduced to me AA. It’s so beautiful how the two things coincide- treatment and recovery. Alright, I won’t ramble. Seriously, from every member of my family- thank you. From someone who never felt safe in his own skin and as someone who was almost certainly going to die from this disease- thank you so fucking much for your program! Nothing but love.
– MARC Extended Care Alumnus


I came to MARC directly out of a 28-day inpatient center, into a city that I didn’t know and had never even really been to before. At 22 years old I was honestly terrified of what lay ahead for me in terms of recovery and I didn’t really have much faith or belief in myself at all. Due to this fear I was initially very defiant and resistant towards the treatment program and staff at MARC. I felt like I was being forced to stay at the facility, since I had no money and no one else who would take me in. It was safe to say I had pretty much burned every bridge by that point.

I struggled in my first couple weeks at MARC and this showed in my actions and my defiance towards staff. Despite this by the end of my first month I had begun to notice that maybe, just maybe, these people actually cared about my well-being. Maybe they actually knew what they were doing when it came to guiding my recovery. It was at this point that I began to notice myself become more open and receptive to MARC’S method of treatment and recovery. Once this small change began to happen, everything else in my life began to change in a rapid and significant way.

I got involved in an outside 12-step program and really threw myself into the therapy provided by the clinicians in treatment. I developed strong connections with other members of the community at MARC and learned to become vulnerable with these peers in ways I never had been able to with anyone ever before. Today, with almost 3 years sober, I personally believe that MARC’s methods and approaches to recovery changed my life. I am a huge believer in their program and recommend them to anyone who has been unsuccessful at staying sober through other short-term treatment programs.
David M.
MARC Alumnus


I have been wrestling with alcoholism for 20 years. Over that time I have been through more than a dozen detoxes, rehabs, outpatient programs, psychiatric hospitals & recovery homes only to return to my alcoholic lifestyle within months of successful completion. Along with my family, friends and everyone else who knew me, I had lost hope in my recovery and began to except that there wasn’t anything that was going to save me from this condition. It was just a matter of time before alcoholism would take my life. Then in September 2017 I was lying in a hospital bed barely surviving alcohol withdrawal, wanting nothing besides a bottle of whiskey, when I received a call from the clinical team at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center. They asked me if I would come back.

The question running through my mind was “What are they going to do?” but what I said was yes. Why I don’t know. You see, MARC was one of the 20 pitstops that I successfully completed and yet here I was in the hospital again, barely alive and dying from alcoholism. The team at MARC made all of the arrangements for me to go from that hospital to a detox facility and then to the MARC facility. I arrived coincidentally on 9/11 beat up, broken, angry, confused, hopeless and afraid. I made it very clear that I wasn’t done drinking and they made it very clear that they weren’t giving up on me. Over the next few months MARC pushed, prodded and challenged me like no person or institution ever has. No matter what my complaint, fear, hurt or delusion of the day was they only offered me the truth and forced me to make a decision based on that truth.

The residential program at MARC really served in a powerful way to fully immerse me in a process where recovery is dealt with in every facet of my life. This program fostered an environment which forced me to face and deal with recovery physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Where the willingness came from to face the truth, fear, wreckage of my life and let go I don’t know. What I do know is that once I had it MARC was there to help me walk it out every step of the way like no place I’ve ever been. Everyone from the TA’s to the therapists to the executive team and even alumni became involved in my recovery process.

As hard as they were on me they were equally as compassionate, encouraging and supportive as I begin to change how I lived. From there I began to lean that changing how I lived had nothing to do with my circumstances or situations and had everything to do with my choices and decisions. I began to live with authentic freedom even though from the outside my circumstances may have appeared as though I lived in captivity/rehab.

It has been 10 months since I hobbled into the doors at MARC. At the age of 39 this has been the hardest year of my life without question. I am still sober and I am now starting to experience some joy and peace without whiskey for the first time in 20 years. MARC has helped me make recovery a way of life rather than a part of life. Now I continue to pass on what I’ve been given as an alumnus to the new patients arriving every month in hopes that they will find the freedom that I have found.
Michael S.
MARC Alumnus


My recovery from drug addiction is nothing short of a miracle and I truly believe I could not have done it without MARC. The individualization of the program and the personal attention I received from therapists and staff made all the difference compared to other treatment centers I have been to. I was challenged more than I have ever been in my life and from that I was able to truly change my relationship with drugs and with myself.

The inclusion of my family in therapy sessions and the program’s commitment to developing a strong recovery network have continued to help me stay sober long since I have left treatment. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been a patient at MARC and am grateful every day to be in recovery.
MARC Alumna


When I came to MARC, I was struggling with my addiction, had recently made a suicide attempt, and was grieving the loss of a close friend who had passed away. Today I’ve been clean since September of 2015, no longer struggle with suicidal thoughts, and have made an incredible amount of progress with my grief, thanks to the wonderful staff and patients at MARC.

Because of MARC, I realized the severity of my situation and found the motivation to get and stay clean. While the process was not always easy, I am incredibly grateful to MARC every single day for helping me get out of the dark place I was in and getting me to the happy, healthy place I’m in today.
MARC Alumna


I thought my life was over with my progressive self destructive behaviors so out of control. My drinking, depression and immorality had reached new lows. This was after having relapsed and being in and out of 12 step programs for years. My marriage of just 6 months certainly seemed over. My business was on the brink of complete failure. My self esteem was never more down.

I came into MARC outpatient program with no expectations but plenty of preconceived notions. Gradually and incrementally the magic of the program, the staff and tools gained took hold of my life. Suddenly at about 4 weeks into intensive outpatient my addictions were no longer as intense. I gained a connection with my peers and the staff and the miracle took hold. I followed the staffs suggestions much against what I considered ‘right’ and life completely changed for me.

My marriage was saved and I have been sober more than a year. My business is thriving and generally my entire life is nothing like it was a little over a year ago. If a person really wants to get well, is willing to follow suggestions and be completely honest, the staff and MARC process will work miracles. I cannot begin to express the level of gratitude and deep appreciation I have for the caring staff and amazing process they follow with both residential and outpatient treatment.
Mark
MARC Alumnus


Thank you for such a wonderful sendoff. I had forgotten what I was like 8 months (less 3 days.) It was gratifying to hear that people had “felt my pain”. I was so centered on self that I thought I was a pitiful wretch that no one was listening to or even cared about. I am truly humbled that my misery had been of help to others. I had no idea until today. Now that I have found a new way of living – correction “LIVING FOR THE FIRST TIME – I just want share the my new found freedom and peace.

The Alumni Program will afford me the opportunity to pay back my debt to MARC for helping me heal. Earlier in the week I had another moving experience. While another current patient and I were prepping dinner, I told him my whole story, the story I told countless times in the recent pass that it had become almost a rote exercise. As I was telling it, I had to stop several times to gain my composure – on the verge of tears. Praying on it later, I realized that it was the first time I told my story without anger, resentment, self-pity and regret. It was like I was grieving for myself.

I can now let the past lie where it should – in the past . Just had to share. Gratitude fills my heart today. I will be ever thankful for the rooms of AA & Maryland Addiction Recovery Center programs, the fellowship of AA, the group and my faith community and especially my sponsor, therapists & doctors. All of whom have given me the tools I need for living. May God give me a long life.
Tom M.
MARC Alumnus


I was a dedicated booze hound for 21 years until I broke my neck and 6 ribs in a car accident. I suffered a collapsed lung, heavy internal injuries, and possible paralysis. After my recovery, I was forced into therapy and after atrocious experiences with a therapist and her recommendations, I luckily somehow landed at MARC. My position was fairly unique: I had been sober for a bit, so the booze problem, at least, had temporarily remitted. But my life problems remained. As you can imagine, 21 years of excessive boozing scars you and you can also imagine how my wife felt seeing me broken and intubated in while the trauma ward at Sinai Hospital. In short, there was plenty of work to do and MARC helped me get to work.

First, I initially met Sam and he was kind and worked directly with me to sort out my tedious financial insurance snags. Then, I did the “intro interview” with Dawn and it was a great first impression. She made a potentially miserable personal survey enjoyable and positive. I landed in the IOP night groups, led by Laura 4 times per week. I did this for about 5 months or so, and it proved insanely valuable. You meet great people, with similar issues, sometimes with other substances or behaviors, and you become personally invested in their stories and continued success. No stigma or judgment, it grew into a team that helped each individual sort out their specific problems of the day and the generally rocky journey to more long term sobriety.

Laura was just great, a funny balance of toughness and compassion. And the yoga helped, too, especially for those who might not have tried anything like that before. I had weekly individual counseling at MARC as well, and this part was probably the most important for my specific goals. Cheryl quickly identified that my most pressing need was patching up my relationship with my wife, who was rightly pissed that I had nearly killed her husband. I met individually with Cheryl, which helped, but the big miracle came when we worked to repair the marriage in family sessions. After IOP, Rachel was great in leading the after care group and in my later individual “graduate” sessions as well.

As you probably figured, I can’t recommend MARC strongly enough. I speak from the position of a severe ex-boozer. And my wife also gives a wholehearted recommendation from her position as a loving family member. So, if you or someone close has issues with substance use, I urge you to give MARC a call.
Greg G.
MARC Alumnus

We cannot say enough about how Maryland Addiction Recovery Center (MARC) has saved our daughter’s life! She experienced treatment in several other programs in Maryland, DC, and Pennsylvania for about two years without success. Only with the expertise of MARC was she able to truly understand her addiction and the work she needed to do towards her recovery. She has now been in recovery for over 2 ½ years!

Your program really works, and not just for individuals with active addiction. Our entire family benefitted from the therapy we underwent with Lisa’s MARC therapist and the guidance we received from other MARC staff on what to do and not to do to help our daughter towards recovery. As you know, it certainly wasn’t always easy!

We believe the key to our daughter’s long-lasting success was MARC’s professional understanding of the need to commit the necessary resources (individual, group, and family therapy; sober living residence, attendance at recovery meetings, etc.) over a period of time long enough to have a lasting impact. At MARC, she soon realized that she needed to really commit to recovery with her family’s support, and her needs were not going to be met in only a month or two, that she required long-term care for her disease. With MARC’s guidance, we were able to demonstrate that we were serious about and committed to her recovery. She gradually realized this and began to have more faith in herself and became able to work with MARC staff towards her recovery. She eventually became a sponsor to other young women. Moreover, just last week she spent all day at her former high school telling her personal recovery story to 10th grade health classes, something she has done at other area high schools.

Thank you for all the work you did to help our daughter. We will always be grateful to MARC for giving us back our daughter.
Parents of MARC Alumnus


My son was admitted to Maryland Addiction Recovery Center in May 2017. He was suffering from drug addiction as well as an underlying psychiatric disorder. My first experience was with Caroline in admissions, who was kind, patient, answered all of my questions and provided great guidance. She arranged the admission quickly and checked on us during our travels to MARC (we travelled a long distance to get there) and was a great source of support. It was too late when we arrived to go to the treatment center, so I dropped my son off at the residences. He was treated with respect and kindness by Jason and the other TA’s. I left there feeling a sense of relief that I have not known in years.

My son was evaluated by a psychiatrist, who started him on medications immediately. He began an intensive program of individual counseling, group sessions, yoga classes, and had access to a gym. When my husband and I saw him again in two months, he looked better than he had in many years. He was alert, kept good eye contact, had gained weight, and overall looked healthy and was very clearheaded. We began biweekly family counseling sessions with his therapist Tyler, who has been absolutely amazing. He has been such a good fit for my son, and for our family, and the sessions are always enlightening and productive. Tyler is extremely insightful and compassionate and an excellent therapist.

Everyone that I have worked with at MARC has been dedicated, compassionate, intelligent and caring. Sarah is always so welcoming when we arrive. Sam Bierman has been extremely helpful and kind during our son’s stay at MARC. The program is phenomenal in its approach to addiction. MARC’s program is a long term program that treats the addiction and underlying psychiatric and emotional issues, but also supports the patient in vocational and life skills training. Each patient participates in group sessions, individual counseling, and attends meetings in the community. My son found a sponsor and sober support persons who have helped him tremendously. In the past, he was in drug treatment programs on four separate occasions. He was only there for a week each time, and resumed drug use almost immediately upon discharge.

My family and I highly recommend MARC and its recovery program. Each patient is treated with respect, dignity, and kindness. We had prepared ourselves for the worst when our loved one continued to suffer with the disease of addiction. We believe that MARC saved his life, and feel so blessed that he was able to enter this program. He is now seven months sober.
Parents of Patient


At the end of last month, our daughter celebrated her 1-year-sober date. We could not let this event pass without expressing our deep appreciation to each of you personally, and to MARC collectively, for the critical role you’ve played in her reaching this milestone. From the early advice about 28-day programs and half-way homes, to assistance in navigating financial payments and claims, to counseling that put her firmly on the road to healing, you have been an indispensable part of our daughter’s recovery. Even more, your program helped transform Baltimore from a place of unpleasant memories to be avoided, into a locus for growth and a true community of friends and partners.
Parents of Patient


More than three years ago, our son came to us with a devastating problem and asked for our help. As parents we felt a myriad of emotions: shock, terror, sadness, anger, confusion. We knew nothing about addiction and even less about treatment options. After countless phone calls to other treatment facilities, we finally reached Sam Bierman at MARC. That was the phone call that set our son’s recovery in motion. Sam was receptive, friendly, genuine and empathetic. He immediately put our worries at ease and answered all our questions in an unhurried manner, as if he valued our son and our unique situation. From that phone call on, everything fell into place.

Our son worked extremely hard with the counselors and staff at MARC. They gave him the individual attention that was paramount to his recovery. Through treatment, he became a much more confident, strong and caring man. It was amazing to see his transformation. We fully understand and appreciate how lucky we were that he not only received the best of care, but that he was willing to make the difficult changes in his life that lead to his recovery. Our son has a very bright future ahead of him largely due to the support and attention he received during his treatment. We will forever be grateful to MARC.
Suzanne Long
Mother of MARC Alumnus and Current MARC Employee


After realizing our daughter had a problem with addiction, she came to us for help. She went to detox, then a 28 day treatment facility. We thought she would be cured. So many questions we all still had. What do you mean addition is a daily struggle? What do you mean addiction is a disease? How can this be? We raised her with values. She is smart, educated. She had everything life could offer our young beautiful girl. We made sure of that. We can fix her. We will take care of her. We won’t let her fail.

After sending our beautiful girl to Maryland Addiction Recovery Center for extended care, we realized this was a very necessary part of the recovery process. This was the beginning of our recovery journey. Yes, this is a family disease. When addiction affects a person in the family, everyone is in need of help.

The help our daughter got at MARC made us realize this was the best treatment facility we could have asked for. They treated her for her addiction and helped her deal with newly diagnosed co-occurring mental health issues. She was very fortunate to have a wonderfully talented team of psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors and staff. In patient living facility and groups helped keep her from isolating. She learned to be social, think independently and become her own person.

With the help of everyone at MARC she is on medication for her mental health issues and working a twelve step program that is vital to her recovery. As parents we learned from MARC the need for our daughter to be independent and let go of our co-dependency. We also learned we needed counseling because this didn’t just happen. This addiction was building for years before. Parent groups help us feel we are not alone. We have learned so much about addiction and recovery. It is a long road and without the expert advice and guidance MARC had to offer I am not sure we would be where we are now. Almost Two years in recovery and still learning. MARC is a fully staffed and educated facility that keeps working on ways to reach out and help families suffering from the disease of addiction. Our sincere gratitude to MARC and all the staff who helped us along this journey.
Tony & Kim
Parents of Patient


I wanted to thank all of you for all you have done for our son. His transformation has been nothing short of miraculous, and I know all the staff at MARC played a crucial role in this. Your care—to him, and to us as a family—was so impressive; it is clear that all of you are entirely dedicated to the cause of treating addiction.

Since our son was asked to leave MARC he has done really well. I am not naive about the risks in the future and the lifetime burden addiction/mental illness brings, and I fear and know he will have serious obstacles ahead. But one thing is for sure: you helped him develop crucial skills to handle the issues he faces.

Ironically, his sudden release from MARC, including the dangers it brought for his recovery, made him want to prove himself more than I have ever seen in him. To date, he is respectful to us, does not badger for things, enjoys being around us (and vice versa), and he enjoys his new job. We have frequent contact, and conflict is almost entirely absent. He seems to have matured 3 years in 3 months. On his own, he located a new IOP after exploring several different clinics (his current one is not as good as MARC, he agrees, but still good), and he continues to go to AA meetings. The network he built through AA has been extremely important he tells us.

You laid the foundation for all of this. In a sense it is a bit regretful our son left MARC the way he did, but it is precisely because you held firm on everything that he does well now I think.

I honestly cannot thank you enough for your dedication and quality of care. After having had him in 5(!) different treatment facilities over the past year, I can only conclude you are lightyears beyond the rest in quality and approach.
Mother of Former Patient


Last week our son marked his one-year anniversary of being clean and sober. I am filled with gratitude that my son is not only alive and healthy, but that he is happy and thriving. And that I too have found sanity and serenity. One year ago, two, three, four years ago, I could not have imagined this outcome.

Thank you for what you have created at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center. In addition to having a highly skilled and compassionate staff, MARC is an organization with integrity.

There are several things that I believe have been critical to his success in your program:

  • The necessity of long-term treatment: he did not just get sober, he learned how to create a life and to start living it; he learned that he could be both sober and happy. It took a full year for these things to happen.
  • The importance of support and continuity during transitions: from residential to halfway house, from FT IOP to step-down, getting a job, completing the recovery program. MARC and his primary therapist were constants throughout this process and that was a key to his success. We were never left on our own.
  • Developing a multi-pronged support network: the involvement and growth of our family; the involvement and reliance on AA, a sponsor and program friends.

Keep doing what you’re doing! You are changing lives. Saving lives.
Mother of Patient


The staff at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center offered our family a safe and secure environment during the time that our son was a client there. Dealing with these issues was very trying and was a difficult time for us as parents. The staff at MARC was understanding, compassionate, and never made us feel judged. They took the time to talk with us and even included regular treatment sessions for my husband and me.

They made the process comforting and at a time when we felt lost as parents they were able to bring some clarity and focus. They gave us great tools that we can now use to help support our son in his recovery.
Mother of an Adolescent Client


We are beginning to understand that addiction recovery is a process and we have learned a lot along the way. The first program our loved one completed included the use of Suboxone. We were apprehensive, especially since our loved one has a dual diagnosis, but this was one of the main treatment modalities used there. We were reassured that it was the treatment of choice for opiate abuse and not addictive. In our experience Suboxone was not “as advertised.” There were side effects and it was, in our loved ones words, “a nightmare to get off of.”

Unfortunately, after four years without substance abuse and two years post Suboxone, our loved one relapsed this year. Knowing what we now know, we were relieved to find that the approach at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center is one of abstinence rather than the use of prescribed medication. This approach takes considerable time and commitment. The staff at Maryland Addiction Recovery Center is absolutely behind both the patient and family and in our experience goes the extra mile to provide responsible/personalized treatment that included collaboration with our physician.

We recently found ourselves in a very challenging situation. We are indebted to Karen and Sam for the significant energy they put in to our loved one’s care. Their priorities clearly are about what is best for the patient, not what’s best for the business. Their commitment was exemplary. Without hesitation we would recommend this program to others.
Jane D.
Mother of Patient


The disease of addiction quickly controlled our daughter’s life and took our family to a very tumultuous, dark and scary place. Unfortunately, the lack of cohesive and comprehensive treatment information was overwhelming to my husband and I during this complicated and chaotic time.

Sam Bierman immediately provided us with much needed direction. He explained the disease and provided treatment options with both compassion and patience. The support of Sam and the fabulous staff at MARC provided the framework of individual care my daughter required to deal with her disease.

The staff was always unbelievably supportive and responsive to our needs throughout her time in treatment. The added family care that MARC provided during our daughter’s treatment was invaluable as we began our own healing process. We will be forever grateful to Sam and the staff at MARC.
Jill G.
Mother of Former Patient


My heartfelt thank you for the guidance, direction and encouragement you extended to my son as he struggled through his drug rehab program. Your support gave him the confidence to believe that his recovery was possible during his inpatient rehab stay and after he went back to the real world on the outside.

My son remains healthy, happy and drug free in large part because of your emotional and physical involvement all through his inpatient and outpatient recovery. My son feels that he can contact you at any time if he needs emotional support. Thank You for giving my son back to me and to himself.
Arlene M.


Maryland Addiction Recovery Center’s comprehensive program not only addresses the medical and therapeutic aspects of early recovery, they truly understand the need for ongoing social and vocational support critical to the recovery process, and tailor it to each individual under their care.

Too many times, institutions take only the time necessary to stabilize the patient, pass them on to a short term in or out patient program, then it’s back out on the street with no long term plan, and little hope of long term recovery. Only with ongoing support from professionals who really understand what YOU need, can you hope to permanently break the bonds of addiction, one day at a time.

If you or a loved one are suffering from the terrible disease of addiction, give Maryland Addiction Recovery Center a call. Their staff of professionals are committed to helping you build the foundation you need to live the life you truly deserve.
Denis D.
Hillsborough, NJ

By far, the best substance use treatment setting and approach I have ever worked with in my 40 years as a clinician. Extremely knowledgeable and caring. The people I have referred there have done so well.
Heidi Waltos, Clinical Psychotherapist


Smart, passionate, intuitive, insightful, and incredibly committed to the recovery process are just a few of the phrases I’d use to describe Sam Bierman. As the Senior Clinical Advisor to one of the nation’s leading residential treatment facilities, a clinician in private practice in Manhattan and advisor to the Dr. Oz Show on issues relating to addictions, relationships, and family dynamics, I’ve had the opportunity to observe many professionals in the field.

Mr. Bierman stands head and shoulders above any of the professionals who I’ve encountered. The Maryland Addiction Recovery Center, the individuals, and families whose lives he will impact are incredibly fortunate to have him at the helm of their challenging and profoundly rewarding journey.
Paul Hokemeyer, JD, PhD


Having facilitated interventions for individuals and their families stricken with the diseases of substance abuse disorders and behavioral addictions for over thirty years, I have had the opportunity to see countless service providers come and go; some that provide compassionate and competent care with remarkable outcomes and some with less than remarkable outcomes. In 2010, a study was released stating that the greater Washington-Baltimore region had the biggest gap between the need for chemical dependency treatment services and providers available of any metropolitan area in the nation.

It was shortly after that study was released that I had breakfast with my friend and colleague Sam Bierman, whom I had worked with for many years, and where I first met Zach Snitzer. During that meal Sam and Zach shared their dream to meet the needs of the Baltimore region by opening an intensive outpatient program to treat the persons and their families that were struggling with alcoholism and/or addiction. As I left that meeting I thought, if they can harness their zeal to help, combine that with their knowledge of treatment and the integrity that they have, then there was a good possibility that they would be able to make a substantive contribution through actualizing their dream.

Roughly three years later, Sam and Zach opened Maryland Addiction Recovery Center. They have established themselves and their organization as the preeminent provider of intensive outpatient services in the region. This is as the result of them adhering to a strict value proposition of all decisions being driven by “What’s in our client’s best interest” grounded in integrity of compassionate care first, hiring gifted, educated and talented staff, providing countless community based advocacy seminars, being personally involved with each of their clients, partnering with other providers in the treatment community and their recognition that strong partnerships will allow us to collectively positively impact more individuals and their families.

It is a refreshing pleasure to be aligned with Sam, Zach, and Maryland Addiction Recovery Center.
Don Sloane
Recovery Care Partner, Owner


It has been amazing to see the growth and success of Maryland Addiction Recovery Center in such a short period of time. I personally attribute this to the make-up of their founding team members and the passion and talent of their entire staff.

Not only are they knowledgeable, but they deeply care and truly understand the needs of clients, family members, and the community. You must be passionate to be successful in the addiction treatment business and I believe this is MARC’s greatest strength!
Gary Perlow
President The Nikki Perlow Foundation


The staff of Maryland Addiction Recovery Center is incredibly effective and have a tremendous impact on the individuals and families who suffer from the disease of addiction.

Sam Bierman and Zach Snitzer possess a compassionate and concise understanding of the disease and go beyond their work to change people’s lives. They are both true pioneers in our field.
Nancy Rosen-Cohen
Executive Director, NCADD-Maryland


Solid, ethical leadership. Deeply committed staff. I’ve worked in addiction treatment for 10+ years and I’ve referred numerous people and families to MARC and I’m always impressed with the feedback I get. I highly recommend.
Alex Denstman
Ashley Addiction Treatment


As a trauma and addiction therapist, my experience of the Maryland Addiction Recovery Center is great! Their therapists have attended a training I gave and I know they value education for their staff. I have talked with them at great length about the importance of treating addiction from a trauma-informed lens and from a systems-based model. They even honored me with a guest blog post on trauma. I would highly recommend their program.
Robyn Brickel, LMFT
Clinical Director, Brickel and Associates LLC

happy family all on beach posing

If you or a loved one need help, we are here to guide you through every step of your recovery. Call us today at 410.773.0500