The way we work in the community, the way we get involved and the way we help others, really instills in us the sense of service work and it gives us a sense of pride and a sense of giving back after all these years of taking and using. Giving back, being one with the community and having a chance to sort of build back some of that self-esteem that we've thoroughly trashed throughout our using history is really important. Also the recovering community here as a whole, separate from Gray Wolf, is amazing. They are completely supporting. They make time for us. They listen to us. They welcome us with open arms, and it is in the truest sense of the words, a community of recovering people and another community of people that really care and really want to see us succeed.

After spending 5 years as a CD counselor in a wilderness treatment program in Montana, Gray Wolf's newest member of the clinical team feels that her transition into working here has beensmooth and really enjoyable..."I've been working with this population for quite a while now, plus I already knew some of the staff at GWR. It's really been a blessing to work in a place where first and foremost I can help the residents grow and change and can also do the same myself."

Kerry holds a BA in Human Development and a second degree in Addictions Studies. She has been a CD counselor for eight years and has had the unique opportunity to work with her husband, Steve, a trek leader, for the last five years.Lisa recently moved to Port Townsend from the Midwest. Before relocating she worked for Power Adventures facilitating teambuilding, high ropes and adventure travel, working with all populations from corporate professionals to community groups to people in treatment for addiction. Her favorite trips were canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and hiking in Switzerland and New Zealand. She realized a dream come true in moving to the northwest, having always loved the water and the mountains. Working at Gray Wolf Ranch is another dream come true, combining her outdoor experience and schooling in addiction treatment. She is very excited to be working with the residents here at Gray Wolf.

At Gray Wolf, our treks are an integral part of our life, as are the preparations needed to organize gear, pack food, store equipment, and gather supplies. Although we've had an area for trek prep in the past, we realized that with our increase in numbers of residents and treks, we really needed more space. We often send up to 36 people, in 3 separate groups, on trek at the same time, which means a lot of activity in the Trek Center both before and after our trips.

We designed our new, larger building from the ground up to meet the needs of our expanding program. One of the most important additions is a 1,300 square-foot staging area. While simply a roof over a concrete slab, it is a long-awaited addition. This space gives residents a place to pack as well as a space for tents and other equipment to hang after a trek. It may not sound like much, but the staging area is a really exciting improvement and will make our trek prep much easier. We put a lot of thought into this new Trek Center, and we're delighted with what it has to offer.

Snowboarding Trip Report

On Wednesday, March 20, alumni arrived at Gray Wolf for the first-ever alumni ski weekend at Mt. Baker. They departed the next day with Peter B. and David L. for three days of fantastic skiing and snowboarding. The conditions were great, as was the company. Glacier Creek Lodge provided rustic accommodations and a hot tub to soak those aching muscles in. The alumni themselves provided the entertainment. This particular group of guys was very fun to hang out with and clearly demonstrated that no one needs drugs or alcohol to have a good time.

The alumni were joined on Friday by most of the residents from the Ranch, who were on their second overnight of the season. The motto was "The more the merrier at Glacier Cabins!" The residents enjoyed the company of the alumni and were somewhat awed by them, while the alumni were reminded of how far they have come in their lives since their residency at the Ranch. Even though the skiing and boarding was exceptionally fun, all would agree that the most important aspect of the week was reconnecting with the friends and "family" of Gray Wolf Ranch.
More Alumni Treks

Our Gray Wolf Alumni Treks have proven to be a great success, and we plan to offer more in the future. Our vision is to have up to six of these treks each year and to include family members on some of these excursions. We think that family boating trips (longboats, canoes, sea-kayaks, or sailboats), or possibly llama-supported hiking trips, would be a great way to accommodate all ages and abilities. The Pacific Northwest has a lot to offer, and we want to share the adventures with as much of the Gray Wolf community as we can.

Father-and-Son Trek

As a step towards this goal, we are planning to offer a Father-and-Son trip this summer, August 29th through September 2nd 2002. If you're interested, or if you like the idea of family treks in general, please let us know. A little encouragement goes a long way! Give Peter B. or me (Alex B.) a call with your thoughts. You will be receiving information and details about this trek in the mail soon.

GWR has been conducting independent follow up research on resident satisfaction. We have recruited the services of Lanstat Incorporated, an independent outcome studies company. We began this important work in 2000 after at least 100 residents had been admitted.
Resident satisfaction is measured at admission, after 60 days of residency, at discharge and post discharge. They complete a simple questionnaire that measures ease of contact of the agency, staff performance, clinical services, physical plant and overall satisfaction.

Overall, residents report that they have been very satisfied with their experience at GWR. More specifically, our most recent survey, completed after the first quarter of 2002, indicates that at the time of admission, 100% of the respondents said that they were pleased at how easy it was to obtain information on GWR. In fact over 90 % of the respondents were pleased at our overall services. At the
30-day threshold, 100% of the respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with staff treatment, counseling services, treatment planning and aftercare services. The post discharge survey, the indicator we tend to place the most emphasis on, was also promising showing that 88% of the respondents saw their experience as positive. 90% of the residents said that they would highly recommend Gray Wolf to others. 92% said that the problems that brought them to Gray Wolf had greatly improved and they felt prepared to take the next step. They reported overwhelmingly that they felt the assistance they received from the staff was very valuable and that the staff cared about them as individuals. Residents also said that the wilderness component of the program was highly spiritual and was a highlight of the program for them. They reported that they learned how to have sober fun as well as being challenged and having a sense of real accomplishment and completion. They found the support from their peers to be very positive, and found it helpful that GWR is age and gender specific. They were very complimentary about the food quality at Gray Wolf and gave Meg Mason (GWR Chef) two thumbs way up!

This work only confirms for us what we have been hearing informally that our residents are very pleased with their time spent at GWR.

Our next goal in outcomes study is to begin to survey the parents in the same regard. We feel that their input is equally as vital.