The 2014 WestBridge Family Weekend of Hope is in the books. To the casual observer, this gathering probably didn’t look different from any other similar event — say, Parents’ Weekend at college. But for our current WestBridge families, the weekend was so much more.
The fun began that Friday night, when about 100 people arrived for a Memphis-style barbeque dinner. It was a great opportunity to meet and mingle with other family members, have some fun, and enjoy great food. Participants facilitated a self-help meeting, and dessert ended the evening.
On Saturday, after a group breakfast on the campus of Southern New Hampshire University, participants learned more about Multidisciplinary Approaches to Treatment. The session was led by Mary Woods, CEO of WestBridge, and featured a panel of expert speakers, including Lisa Marsch, PhD, Director of the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health at the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center (PRC), Delia Cimpean Hendrick, MD, and Kristen Walker, LCMHC, MLADC. Jim Gamache, MSW, LADC, and Julian Armstrong addressed the crowd and answered questions about the history and scope of AA communities and meetings.
Later, a closed Family-to-Family meeting gave families the chance to bond and discuss experiences in an atmosphere of confidentiality and privacy.
Then it was time for some friendly competition. WestBridge staff, participants and family members played a softball game. Don’t ask us who won. The key word was friendly!
Musical entertainment followed a formal dinner at SNHU that night. Along with the talents of singer-songwriter John McAndrew, Elvis made a special appearance.
Sunday’s main session was a panel discussion of the book When the Door Opened, by Mary Woods, facilitated by co-author Katherine Armstrong. Several participants who contributed stories to the book by Mary Woods talked about their experiences of treatment and recovery. Family members provided insight and encouragement to others facing similar challenges at the event.
In the end, the Family Weekend of Hope was about enjoyment, encouragement, education, and bonding. Thank you to all who joined us.
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