We know that it’s very difficult to find a quality treatment center when searching for help for you or your loved one. Well-documented are the unscrupulous, immoral, and often illegal actions of many addiction treatment facilities. Less well known, but potentially even more widespread, are the marketing tactics used online by many rehabs. This often comes in the form of fake reviews, untrue 5-star ratings on Google or Facebook, or fake testimonials on web sites. If it wasn’t so detrimental to the health and recovery of those in need, it would almost be funny to truly understand how many facilities flood social media or Google with high ratings, often before those rehabs are even open. It is not uncommon to find a treatment center that has not even opened it’s doors, or just been opened for several weeks or months, to have dozens of 5-star ratings of people clamoring about the amazing work they are doing.
But how would a parent searching for help for their child know the difference between actual patient experiences or experiences of parents or professionals from fake reviews put up by the treatment center itself? It is often impossible, and that’s a major issue. It is why we suggest that anyone researching a possible rehab for themselves or a loved one go deeper than simply reading reviews on Google or Facebook. We suggest calling the treatment center, going in for a meeting, seeing the facility and speaking to the staff. This is still not a fool proof way of identifying quality treatment services, but if you can couple that with the experience and expertise of the staff, that will give you some indication of whether this facility might meet the clinical needs of yourself or a loved one. You should also go with your gut. If it sounds fishy or it smells fishy, it probably is.
However, with all that being said, there is often no better indication of the quality of a facility than the experiences that patients, parents, and professionals have had with that rehab. And we are extremely proud of the organization we have created, the care that we offer, and the work that we have done. So, therefore, we offer below actual testimonials of alumni, families, and professionals who have received our services or who have worked with us collaboratively. We will not mention the names of anyone, although you can find them either on our web site under “Testimonials”, on Facebook, or on Google, where they were given openly and freely, often with names attached. Please feel free to read them now.
Alumni Testimonials:
“At 25 years old I never imagined being an empty shell of a human- feeling hopeless and broken. My journey had been up and down with visits to several treatment centers, sober livings, therapeutic communities, etc. The concept of victory in surrender was too hard to grasp, until I reached MARC. Maryland Addiction Recovery Center truly saved my life. As an alcoholic and addict suffering with depression and anxiety, I walked in with no hope. The entire clinical team genuinely cares about the well-being of their patients, and I felt loved immensely. I was challenged in all the right ways and managed to keep a program of recovery in the forefront. The staff is very involved with the growth and development of each individual that comes from all walks of life. The cohesion of the MARC program is phenomenal- there were times I felt like giving up and with the right support I learned to love myself. I commend the entire team for being professional and consistent! It goes without saying if you have a family member or loved one that is struggling, MARC is a phone call away.”
“I cannot say enough about the program and especially the staff and counselors at MARC. Unfortunately, as part of my journey for a number of years, I tried different programs, both inpatient and outpatient programs, while I battled my alcoholism. It wasn’t until I found MARC in 2015 that I was finally able to get my addiction under control and my life back. It wasn’t always easy, as the counselors and staff are demanding and hold you accountable but looking back, I see why they were the way they were, and I am forever grateful. If you are ready to get your life back from addiction, go to MARC and do everything they ask of you. The results can be amazing.”
“I attended MARC for an extended period of time. Coming in, I had no clue what to expect, and if any treatment center for that matter was going to work on a guy like myself. I forgot how to live while being off of drugs and alcohol. Not only does this program and clinical staff (therapist, counselors, and assistants) assist you on digging deep to the root of your own issues, but it teaches you how to become a functioning member of society again. From budgeting one’s money and cooking your own meals again, to attending 12 Step meetings and building a network of sober support in the fellowship, this treatment center and the way they operated helped save my life, along with my own actions of course. This place taught be how to be honest again and reach out for help when I needed it the most. The therapist here was the best that I’ve ever dealt with and I attended many rehab facilities before this one. I would recommend this place to absolutely anyone seeking help with substance abuse disorder and alcoholism.”
“Coming to MARC wasn’t an easy decision to make in the midst of my alcoholism. I couldn’t imagine living life without alcohol, but at the same time, I know this disease was going to kill me if I didn’t get help. Aside from my alcoholism, I struggled with anxiety, depression, guilt, shame, and most of all, fear. The therapy groups, the individual sessions, the peer community relationships, and the medical attention at MARC were all vital in addressing, processing, and overcoming many of these hardships. The MARC staff challenged me and cared for me- an appropriate balance of tough love and empathy that I needed so desperately. I continue to use my experiences and lessons learned while at MARC throughout my recovery today. Fortunately, my family was engaged with my treatment throughout the process. I was able to restore these relationships, as well as build them into more communicable, vulnerable, and trusting bonds. I am forever grateful for MARC and all the staff, not just for what they did for me but for what they continue to do for those suffering from addiction.”
“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 aftercare 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.”
“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.”
“On July 4th, 2014 I called MARC. Filled with a tremendous amount of shame and guilt following a 5-year relapse-this was the only outpatient I was willing to go to because I knew the owner from HS. And he picked up the phone. On July 4th. Who works on July 4th?!?! Dedicated, hardworking, caring, empathetic…just a few words I could use to describe the staff I encountered at the time I attended MARC for the last 6 months of 2014. Therapists (other than my own) taking their time to get to know me, remember details of my life, and check back with me. Taking a true interest in my life and helping me to feel important and valued again. Sam goes above and beyond his job description to ensure each patient feels welcomed, respected, included, and valued. I would recommend MARC to addicts needing intensive outpatient treatment.”
Parent Testimonials:
“How can I best express my gratitude to MARC for what it did for our son? Let me begin by saying that when we were looking for the “next step” to a 28 day residential treatment center, MARC was the ONLY place recommended by a very astute friend of ours (who knows really well the treatment center options out there, from first-hand experience with her family). She knew that MARC’s philosophy and approach to recovery would work, IF our son chose to follow their direction. The first phone call my husband had with Sam Bierman in and of itself was enormously helpful: It answered a lot of our questions and allayed a lot of our fears and concerns. When we arrived at the residence to do our son’s intake we were, to say the least, extremely anxious and apprehensive. But we were met by professionalism and great kindness by the resident managers and staff on duty. And their way of relating to our son was equally professional; yet also kind and showed understanding in just the appropriate way. Our son had many normal adjustments. struggles and ups and downs in the months that followed; but in the end he has achieved almost 3 years of sobriety. He has fully embraced recovery and lives it every day. As my husband says: “MARC saved his life.” His primary therapist showed such patience and perseverance with him. She also believed he could recover and held out this hope for him and for us. She also held him accountable in many important and critical ways. And when he was ready for each next step of taking more responsibility for his life and his recovery, she urged him on in a really good way. Moreover, she challenged him when that is what he really needed. She also listened to our concerns and did her best to answer our questions and help us know how best to help him at different intervals. Our son also benefitted from other residential staff and clinical staff that are part of MARC. Different ones played different roles in his whole recovery. Finally, MARC encouraged our son to take seriously the value of the 12 steps and the role of his sponsor and the whole 12 Step support network. The last comment I would make is that MARC respected his dignity as a person, even while calling on him to “take back his life” and push himself to go further in recovery. And while this may seem a subtle point, I actually think it is the foundation of any successful recovery program. In the end, I believe our son’s life was “saved” so that he can help save others’ lives. And MARC was a very important part of how this happened. I am full of gratitude!”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
Professional Testimonials:
“As an interventionist who works with whole families to influence treatment and recovery and a mother of a young adult in recovery, I’ve found that MARC is an excellent treatment provider, an ethical and innovative leader in the industry, a community builder and is devoted to whole family healing. My family clients are thriving in the MARC community.”
“The quality of care, compassion, and ethics of the owners and staff are outstanding.”
“MARC is one of the leaders in the industry of addiction, recovery and behavioral health. They have serviced our clients with empathy, love, care and ethics that our client families have been extremely pleased with the outcomes. Sam Bierman and Zach Snitzer are two of industries finest”
“As a clinician in Maryland, I’ve coordinated care with MARC on a number of occasions. In my experience, the leadership of MARC uses the most current data to continue to evolve their program in order to meet the changing needs of their patient population. The clinicians are skilled, caring, and focused on individualized treatment.”
“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.”
“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. I would highly recommend their program.”
“Having worked in the addiction field for over twenty years, I have worked and collaborated with very 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. 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.”
“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.”
“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, and eventually an extended care 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 extended care and 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.”
If you or someone you know needs help for addiction or co-occurring disorder issues, please give us a call. Maryland Addiction Recovery Center offers the most comprehensive dual diagnosis addiction treatment in the Mid-Atlantic area. If we aren’t the best fit for you or your loved one, we will take the necessary time to work with you to find a treatment center or provider that better fits your needs. Please give us a call at (410) 773-0500 or email our team at info@marylandaddictionrecovery.com. For more information on all of our drug addiction, alcohol addiction and co-occurring disorder services and recovery resources, please visit our web site at www.marylandaddictionrecovery.com.
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