Antidotal Success Stories:
Meet Paula and Robbie. Mom turned a blind eye to her 18-yearold son’s drug use He was
using heroin – shooting it and smoking it. Additionally he was using other drugs as well
– however heroin remained his drug of choice. After an attempt to detox her teen off of
heroin, Paula sought the help of the ACTION Parent & Teen Support Group Program.
Cary Quashen intervened and provided a stay at the ACTION adolescent residential
treatment center and continued treatment in ACTION’s intensive outpatient program.
Robbie is now clean and sober and they attend ACTION Parent & Teen Support Group
Programs regularly.
Meet Brian and Corey. Corey is a 13-year old sexually promiscuous, marijuana smoking
female who was failing school. Brian, Corey’s dad, did everything he could think of to
change her behavior, even transferring her from school to school in the William S. Hart
Union High School District. Dad began attending the ACTION Parent & Support Group
meetings with Corey and have attended meetings for nine (9) months now. Brain happily
reports that Corey has settled in – her grades have improved, she stopped her marijuana
use, and Brian now understands how important it is to be an active part of his daughter’s
life.
Meet Michael and Jordon. Jordon was a 16-year old disrespectful, marijuana smoking teen
male. His grades plummeted, Dad began to suspect drug use. Michael and Jordon began
attending ACTION Parent & Teen Support Group Meetings. Jordon, being a rebellious
teen, continued to rebell more. According to Jordon, “marijuana, was natural, God made
it and it grows from the ground.” He continually said there was nothing wrong with using
marijuana. Dad attended ACTION meetings for three months and said this doesn’t work.
Jordon began getting in trouble with the law, he was now about to be expelled from school.
After a six-month hiatus Michael and Jordan returned to ACTION. Cary Quashen placed
this teen in an intensive outpatient drug and alcohol treatment program. Both father and
son now attend ACTION meetings on a weekly basis and Jordon is now clean and sober.
Meet Ulysses and Carlos. Ulysses and his son Carlos began attending ACTION meetings
because Carlos was using methamphetamine, marijuana, cutting school and had extensive
at-risk teen issues associated with his father’s behavior. Ulysses had his own problems with
drug use and severe anger problems. ACTION teen counselors and ACTION parent group
facilitators began working with both of them. They are both now clean and sober. With
great pride and accomplishment both Ulysses and Carlos recently took a 6-month sobriety
chip for being clean and sober. Dad is fully engaged with his son now telling him on a daily
basis how much he loves him. It is amazing what the genuine expression of love can do for a
family and that’s what ACTION teaches.
Meet Dave and Laura and their son 14-year old son Tim. Imagine the raging anger of a
teen that is so violent that he would physically attack his father, batter him and break his
ribs. ACTION helped this family pull themselves back together. While Dave and Laura
placed Tim in a long term military school, the ACTION Parent & Teen Support Group
Program continues counseling with them, helping to pull this broken family back together.
Both Dave and Laura (with the help of ACTION) have become proactive and are taking
their home back.
Meet Balmore, father of two daughters. Balmore was released from prison, upon returning
home he found his family in complete disarray. He began attending ACTION meetings
to learn the parenting skills to pull his family back together, and to work on his teenage
daughter’s drug and alcohol use. Working with the ACTION teen counseling staff and the
ACTION parent group facilitation staff, Balmore’s teen daughters are now clean and sober
and Balmore has and continues to acquire strong parenting skills. Peace has returned to
Balmore’s home.
Meet Krissy McAffee. She lost her son 15 months ago to a heroin overdose. As a result of
her experiences she now attends ACTION on weekly basis to share her experience, strength
and hope with other families. She also participates in ACTION school assemblies sharing
her personal story and encourages teens to “say no to drugs.”