Since The Dorm’s inception, our guiding philosophy has been one of individualizing care in an effort to address the diverse needs of young adults. Central to this approach is our commitment to flexibility as well as appreciating collaborative partnerships with outside providers who share our clinical perspective. “We know that some of the most effective treatment teams extend beyond the walls of The Dorm”, shares Founder & CEO, John McGeehan, LCSW. “We encourage outside providers who have built rapport with families to retain that connection while clients are in care with us. What matters is that we share the same goal: to help the client and the family unit work toward a comprehensive recovery.”
To illustrate how this approach takes shape in practice, our Director of Admissions at The Dorm spoke with Jeanette Friedman, MA, MS, LCSW—one of New York’s most respected clinical providers—about her experience with this collaborative model over the past fifteen years of sharing clients at The Dorm.
Key Article Takeaways
The Dorm: Thank you for your time, Jeanette. You’ve had the opportunity to experience The Dorm’s unique approach to working with outside professionals for over a decade and a half— how has this evolved?
Jeanette Friedman, LCSW (Jeanette): I’ve been working with the team from very early days when they were just a few providers working out of a single campus in New York City. Even then, they were doing something unique and innovative—offering an approach to care that integrated mental health, substance use, and harm reduction treatment along with psychological, educational, and holistic care components. Simultaneously they were including family work as a necessary component.
While this approach has become more common today, The Dorm’s model still feels distinctive to me, and stands out in both New York City and DC when one reviews other programs in the area. Their commitment to collaboration with like-minded external partners, not only the clinical professionals but the educational consultants as well, is what makes working together with the Dorm’s team such a pleasure
The Dorm: What does this process look like exactly?
Jeanette: I recall a particular case where we were working with a client for up to a year coordinating a transition from a treatment center in California to The Dorm. It was a very complicated case diagnostically, and included conflicting opinions among professionals, high sensitivity and a great deal of resistance to the transfer. With time, it became clear that the therapist in California needed to be included in the treatment plan in order for the client to agree to the move. The Dorm was willing to do this and ultimately, that was what made the successful transition possible. The client needed this support and validation, and the Dorm was able to provide it despite the additional work involved. This was a clear example of the kind of creativity that makes a difference and what can be achieved when everyone is working towards the same goals versus being overly rigid about one point of view. Together this allowed us to:
- Avoid splitting
- Minimize resistance to the transfer and sustain continuity of care
- Maintain trust and communication to facilitate a smoother treatment process
The Dorm’s willingness to collaborate in this way serves everyone: the family, the clinicians, and above all, the client. It models the respect for one another’s work and experience that reverberates in the larger community.
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The Dorm: This really strikes a chord. In my own career I have always sought flexibility to do what’s best for the client or patient rather than being limited by specific protocols and “ways of doing things” that may not serve a particular case.
Jeanette: Exactly. Sometimes when we have such a rigid point of view, we can lose sight of the mission we have. Curiosity and energy are so important. The work we do is high risk. If we get it wrong, or perhaps don’t adapt to a specific person’s needs, if we fail to see what is in front of us we might lose them — in more ways than one— and while everyone loses, it is the client who often pays the highest price. Something I was taught early in my career was that everyone is in treatment during the treatment process – the therapists, the case managers, as well as the identified clients. That means we are all in a learning, growing environment and we must be able to stretch and challenge established patterns while maintaining safety. The Dorm epitomizes this.
The Dorm: What are some of the ways in which you continue to stay involved with The Dorm clients and families when they are in treatment with us?
Jeanette: Much of my work focuses on the education of the family so they can support their loved one from a position of strength and insight. While families at The Dorm already receive coaching, many family members need additional assistance, and my support can dovetail seamlessly with the work of The Dorm clinicians. I continue working with family members on a weekly basis, providing updates to The Dorm team, just as they keep me informed about developments in coaching and family therapy sessions on their side. Often, the family, The Dorm team, and I collaboratively determine what new services and steps forward best support the family’s growth and goals.
The Dorm: Why is this so important?
Jeanette: For treatment to be successful and enrich a person’s quality of life and health, every family member must actively work toward changing problematic attitudes and behaviors. Family support is integral to this process, and I’m here to facilitate that support and advocate for the goals set as part of the treatment plan. I often help families stay committed to aftercare, providing guidance and support even when challenges arise post-treatment. The aftercare plan is often when clients and families can regress for a time. We need to be there for those moments as well.
The Dorm: Yes! Families are often the first to regress after treatment is done. Not the client.
Jeanette: Absolutely. It’s invaluable to have a treatment partner who has been there from the beginning to help ‘right the ship,’ so to speak. It takes time to know and understand people, and there is such a thing as fatigue….! I’m fortunate that The Dorm team makes that collaboration easy, as everyone shares the same principles and approaches to care. Whether it’s an abstinence-based approach to substance use or creatively addressing the needs of clients with ADHD or autism, we’re always on the same page thanks to the communication we maintain. While it would be simpler, more time-efficient, and cost-effective to bring everything in-house, The Dorm chooses not to, recognizing the value of outside perspectives. Even though it means one more person to keep informed, they don’t hesitate, and it has felt seamless in the cases we have shared. We are all willing to go the extra mile as a group and we all know there is strength in numbers.
The Dorm: I couldn’t agree more. Thank you so much for your time, Jeanette. We are so grateful for your professional partnership and valued clinical expertise for so many years.
