In November and December, during the six weeks from Thanksgiving through New Years, our schedules fill up with celebrations and festivities. While the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year for some, it’s one of the hardest times of the year for others. For those with substance use disorder, the holidays often come with challenges. The biggest seasonal challenges are holiday triggers – a term that refers to any behaviors or activities that can tempt those with substance abuse disorder to lean toward substance misuse during the holidays. Triggers are something that all in recovery manage, but more work is needed during the holidays to minimize, address, and cope with triggers. And since knowledge is power, the first step in navigating holiday-specific triggers is … [Read more...] about Common Holiday Triggers & How To Navigate Them
September was quite a busy month for the Sojourner House team as we joined forces with fellow organizations across the Pittsburgh community and participated in a number of Recovery Month events. Recovery Month is an important annual observance to Sojourner House and is a wonderful opportunity for us to focus on community outreach. In partnering with organizations and community members, teams across our city and county worked together to share resources and information with those who need help and support in recovery. The Significance of Recovery Month For 34 years, health and wellness organizations have used National Recovery Month (or Recovery Month) as a time to: Recovery Month is also a time when we can reinforce the message that behavioral health is essential to overall … [Read more...] about Recovery Month May End, But Our Work & Mission Continues
Every day, Sojourner House provides compassionate recovery services and works to create a brighter future for families. We are proud to help the mothers in our care make major steps towards a better life for themselves and their children. And this September, our team is also proudly sharing our knowledge and mission with the Pittsburgh community by taking part in Recovery Month. This annual observance is particularly significant to us, and we are excited to be able to work with the Pittsburgh community throughout this month to share knowledge and hope related to recovery. Throughout the month of September, Sojourner House will attend Recovery Month events and wellness fairs, and will work with community leaders to spread an important message: that no one is alone in the journey … [Read more...] about Honoring Recovery Month at Sojourner House
Every day Sojourner House’s team works to help mothers and their families make significant steps towards a better, substance-free life. Treatment and supportive services are a major part of recovery, but it’s only a single piece of the solution offered by our team. This month, we’re focusing on the things that help the children of Sojourner House grow. Supporting Children at Sojourner House Our philosophy is family-focused, and in line with this philosophy, we offer services specifically designed to benefit the children of those in recovery. Research shows that children of substance-abusing parents often suffer silently as their parents struggle with their illness. They’re likely to miss school, fall behind on their education, or develop abandonment issues and attachment disorders … [Read more...] about Partners Help Sojourner House’s Families Go Back To School
What do you think of when you hear or read about cannabis? Cannabis – also commonly known as marijuana – has been a focus of policy and public debate for decades. As far back as the 1980s and 1990s, it was heavily depicted in media as a dangerous substance associated with crime and perversion. Since the 2010s, however, the discussion surrounding cannabis has become more nuanced. After first legalizing medical cannabis, many states have gone on to legalize its recreational use as well. In a day and age when many parts of the United States have fully established adult-use recreational cannabis markets, Sojourner House’s experts and staff wish to remind our community that cannabis use is not a risk-free activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s … [Read more...] about When Cannabis Use Becomes Cannabis Use Disorder
As of May 2023, Sojourner House has had the pleasure of welcoming Laura McCurdy to the team as our new Director of Advancement. Laura comes to Sojourner House with over 25 years of experience working with non-profit and mission-based organizations. We recently sat down with Laura to hear about her role in her own words: How did you first learn about Sojourner House? I was aware of Sojourner House’s programs because I know someone that's gone through the program. What is your typical day like? Right now, I’m in the information-gathering phase, but in my role, a typical day consists of meeting with key constituents and attending networking opportunities to bring more exposure to the organization. The goal is to foster relationships that will drive funds and help to … [Read more...] about Meet Laura McCurdy!