Transcription
0:00:00
If it’s the third Wednesday of the month, we go around the towns with the McCall Behavioral Health Network on 97 .3 WZBG. Now interestingly, our guests, both of my guests this morning, Have been here in different capacities and this time they’re here to talk about Hotchkiss place Which is part of the offerings of the McCall behavioral health network want to welcome back Conrad Sinkowich Conrad welcome back great to have you on the show good morning and Lydia Babbitt and Lydia Great to have you on the show as well You’ve been here in your capacity with with Goshen players and other things Conrad with other services in the city of Torrington You’re both here regarding Hotchkiss place, which is part of what McCall is all about for folks who may not know too much about Hotchkiss Place, and I count myself, I didn’t realize it’s been around for what, about 20 years? Yes. Okay, so it’s off Midgen Avenue, so tell us what Hotchkiss Place is. Sure. Hotchkiss House has 11 beds and it is for men and women that are working on their recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
0:01:17
It’s a three to four month program. Folks come in, look for employment, get employment, and then hopefully move on to either a sober house or independent living. So this, there has been some, uh, adjustment, some change from 20 years ago, what Hotchkiss Place was doing. Yes. Yes. We were a court ordered program before, uh, just for men.
0:01:44
Um, so men would be coming out of jail or on probation, uh, much earlier on in their recovery. Uh, and that was a six to nine month program. Okay. So now we’ve got men and women there. So they’re in a different place in the recovery path. right?
0:02:00
Yes, yes, yes. Much further along in their recoveries. All right, Lydia, your experience with Hotchkiss House and capacity. My only real experience with Hotchkiss House is the fact that my husband works there. However, my experience with McCall Behavioral Health Network is as a patient. I sought help there nine years ago for alcohol addiction.
0:02:21
And the fact that I am still sober is in large part due to the treatment I received there and the support of my husband. What made the difference at McCall for you? Because we hear about their success stories. the incredible willingness to meet you where you are. There’s no judgment. There’s nothing, you know, they’re willing to do what needs to be done.
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My first step into recovery did not go really well. I felt very judged, felt very, you know, dismissed. But part of that first step was a lifeline, which was a referral to McCall Behavioral Health Network, Intensive Outpatient, IOP. And it was a 10 -day waiting period between my first foray and my referral to McCall. And it was a 10 -day, 10 days a whole nine by the tips of your fingers. But we made it.
0:03:16
And, and, but McCall was, willing to just start where I was and just they want you to succeed and they’re gonna do whatever they can to help you succeed and that was such an eye -opener because it was so terrifying to Ask for help because you think I’m gonna lose my job and lose my family. I’m gonna lose everything I’m gonna lose any respect anybody ever had for me, but these people there’s you know, no, we’re just gonna make it. Okay, and and they they were huge huge they played a huge role huge role for me how long were you in recovery with mccall you’re obviously independent now but how long was your journey my journey with mccall went from 2017 to when the pandemic shut down group meetings because I was attending group therapy with them right up until March of 2020. So that was, and it was weekly, it was an absolute bedrock of staying on the right path. Well, good for you for being this far along in your journey and being in a good place.
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Oh, yeah. But like I said, the support was huge. And the fact that no one was sitting there, well, you ought to. It’s like, no, we’re going to help you do what you need to do. And so between Bacall and my family, Conrad specifically. Um, it was, it was just, you know, it was just huge.
0:04:37
Love to hear those great news stories and good luck on your continued journey and, uh, in recovery, uh, about Hotchkiss house. And this gives us a placement. So where, where people are on the journey, they get to a certain place when it’s part of their treatment that may work for them. They go to Hotchkiss house. You said it’s two to three months. Yes.
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Yes. Within Hotchkiss house. Yes. Okay. Yeah. So, What’s going on there?
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It’s 11 beds. It’s outpatient counseling of people transitioning back into mainstream. Where are they in the lifestream here? They are looking for employment so they can get financially stable once again. A lot of them, or I shouldn’t say a lot, a number of them are from other towns, so they are acclimating to Torrington. Some are choosing to stay there once they have employment and continuing with McCall Services.
0:05:30
And then some folks may return to their towns of origin if they feel they can deal with many of the temptations that come with that. Is this kind of, I don’t want to call it an end stage because recovery is a journey that goes on, but when folks complete treatment at Hotchkiss House, are they then mainstreamed back? Are they still doing outpatient therapy? Yes, they’re still doing therapies. They will continue with their outpatient therapy, definitely.
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What’s feedback you get from folks who get to this place in McCall at Hotchkiss House and about this transition back to the life they want to get back? What are you hearing from those folks that are under your care? Most of them are grateful to be someplace that gives them a little more independence and a little more freedom and brings them closer to their goal of a fairly normal life, working, having a place to live. Getting back to whatever normal is. Yes. Of course, normal is just sitting on a washing machine.
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That’s good. But also, I think the therapies and the treatments that Hotchkiss House and McCollin General allows people to do is figure out their new normal. Because the normal is what their normal is, our normal, and I will include myself in that group, is what landed us here in the first place. So going back to where we were, it’s not a viable option. So there’s other options out there. There are other paths.
0:07:00
Our guests this morning, Conrad Sienkiewicz and Lydia Babbitt, husband and wife, joining us this morning and talking about experiences at McCall Behavioral Health Network, specifically Hotchkiss House. And I guess if folks want to find out more, they can simply reach out to McCall. And Lydia, I’m sure you encourage people to do exactly that. Absolutely. Call them. I believe it’s 860 -496 -2100.
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You bet. That’s the main number. Yeah. someone who is willing to talk to you. And it’s terrifying, I know. But you know what else?
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It’s worth it. So if you’re not sure, give them a call. And again, online, that’s mccallbhn . org. And like you said, they meet you where you are. Absolutely.
0:07:44
Absolutely. Well thank you both for joining us on the show. Thank you for having us. Continued success Lydia in your journey and also for Hotchkiss House and all the good work that’s done there Conrad. Thank you. All right back to the newsroom with Jeff coming up next on 97 .3.