This is a report on Rochester LSR, for myself, for the Service Center, and perhaps for any other convenor who has the time. Much of it is not information that, as Wilfred said, may be of general convenor relevancy. ("I often ask, "Is this going to help anyone?" "Does this really matter?" ) So please feel welcome to skip over this post and move on.
There has been "some" success so far in promoting LSR in Rochester, Minnesota. There has been some frustration, too. I will try to acknowledge the frustration in a positive way.
The meeting was heralded in the local newspaper by an article about the new meeting, an article on July 15th, 00. The first of 33 Friday-evening meetings started July 21st. The attendance has been "limited". Specifically, the attendee count, including me, runs as follows: 1,1,1,2,2,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,2,1,2,1,3,2,1,3,1,2,1,3,2,3,3,2,2,3,0,2,2. The "0" was from February 16th, when I was in Brooksville, and the only other "regular" had other plans made about 10 weeks earlier. About a month before the Congress I stopped promoting because I was embarrassed to say, "Every Friday except February 16th." Since the Congress, I have returned to promoting, but I'm also thinking I need to change what I'm doing.
The Service Center mailed to 17 "treatment facilities" on August 5th and another one shortly thereafter, and again to all 18 on October 13th. I'd like to run down the list, saying what I've done with each, with a few name and ownership changes, address changes, and what has resulted. At the Congress, Marty suggested a third mailing, to include the workbook this time.
1. Aimsonian Clinic; Chemical Dependency Pr; Ironwood Square, 300 3rd Avenue SE, Rochester, MN 55904. Went there on October 19th. Receptionist said Carla, the lead CD counselor, was really into "spiritual". (She must have seen one of my flyers that said "Secular (spirituality not an issue)".) Carla would call if she wants to meet and talk. Never did. But they twice sent people to the meeting, I think to "check it out". One attendee was a nurse with no addiction problem.
2. Corrections Recovery Services (part of Olmsted County court administration); Outpatient Program; 151 4th Street SE, 4th Floor Government Center, Rochester, MN 55904. Just visited on February 26th. Receptionist gave me the card of Steven Ulmen and said I'd have to make an appointment because he's so often not in. Went out in the hallway and used station phone to leave message on his voice mail, positively requesting a meeting. He has not returned my call, or emailed me.
3. Cronin Homes Inc.; 825 West Silver Lake Drive, Rochester, MN 55906. Visited with the guy in charge, Michael Frisch, on October 16th. Left brochures. He seemed positive "on the surface" (perhaps for appearance sake). Asked me to return with more brochures in a couple weeks. Returned on October 29th. (This is a place where alcoholics can live for awhile, and where they have AA meetings. The brochures were there in case anyone recovering wanted an alternative to AA. Mike had said let's see if anyone is interested, and if they are, fine. Like, he has no problem with being open-minded, on the surface.) No brochures reportedly had been looked at, and no more were needed. He mentioned "The Olmsted County Chemical Dependency Providers Network", which has a board meeting every 3rd Friday of the month, and invited me to give a "10-minute" presentation and answer any questions that might be asked afterwards. Scheduled for 12/15, at noon. Got off work and was well prepared. Had a little lunch with them. (He nicely made it all very relaxing.) Kept me to 10 minutes, though. Only one question: Any "structure" to meetings? I said whatever the members decide is most helpful. Each meeting different therefore. Gave nice handout outlining the presentation. And it must have been given to others not there, (about 8 were there), because someone came to my meeting from Mayo Clinic (which was NOT represented on 12/15) and showed me a letter distributed within Mayo saying LSR is here, and that faith and recovery are "separated". My handout said, "2. Secularity a. Any religion respected, but usually kept private, like on my bus b. Usually separate faith and recovery, like learning to ride a bicycle, but theoretically they can be put together". There may have been quite a few good private references to LSR made from this 12/15 meeting, because "suddenly" (may have been a coincidence) inquiries came in from Anoka (and Cronin Homes has a presence up in the Twin Cities) and from Waseca, 60 miles west of Rochester.
4. Dunatos; Outpatient Program; P.O. Box 7267, Rochester, MN 55903. Since this is not in the Rochester phone book, and only has a P.O. address, I sent a nice letter on February 20th, but have not received any response. I don't even know if they really exist.
5. Family Service Rochester; 903 West Center Street, Rochester, MN 55902. This is a counseling service in the same building as the Rochester LSR meeting. By October 16th I had left 3 phone messages requesting that the in-charge therapist, "Marie Dotson" (that's how sounds, not sure how to spell), let me meet with her. She did leave one phone message with my home phone. Almost got a meeting I think, but her not responding at the end was "unmistakable". Of two floors, they're on the top, and LSR is on the ground floor. On February 14th, when I left a door sign with the United Way Services Building in-charge saying that there'd be no meeting on 2/16, he said he'd have no problem with my putting some LSR brochures in a brochure rack on the ground floor, so I left 5 each of the 3 S's. On 3/2 I checked the rack and 13 of the 15 were gone. (Replaced with 23 more (this time including the unhooked.com brochure).) Maybe Family Service Rochester therapists are looking at out brochures, besides perhaps some chemically addicted people. I think I may have a chance with "Marie". (But we should not write her name until we know how to spell it.)
6. Fountain Center; Cedarwood Plaza, 4422 18th Avenue NW, Rochester, MN 55901. Visited on November 1st with in-charge Jolene Engelby. Nice visit. Said she'd check with her headquarters in Albert Lea, MN. No referrals.
7. Gables Recovery Home (a home for young women); 604 5th Street SW, Rochester, MN 55902. Visited on October 23rd. Wasn't let in, but said I could set up appointment with "Sandy Mathew" (not sure how to spell). She did not return my call.
8. Guest House, Inc. (a home for recovering "priests"); 4800 48th Street NE, Rochester, MN 55903. Visited on December 7th. Cordial 10-minute meeting with in-charge. (Didn't get his name or his card.) Said his clients have serious medical problems and he can't use a support group that doesn't have a proven track record. Told him we're not going away. Left brochures. Pushed even less than usual because of nature of clients (religious).
9. Mayo Adult Chemical Dependency Treatment Center; IAP; Generose Building, 1216 2nd Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Visited on October 23rd. Would have to set up appointment. On 10/27, arrived for appointment. But when she finally saw me, time was starting to get short, and during our meeting she got a long phone call. Rescheduled for 10/30. Extremely nice meeting with Mary Pattridge, the Program Coordinator Addiction Services. Gave her both of my own Presenting . . . booklets, so now they had four of them. A "Dr. Flavin" (not sure how to spell), the guy in charge, hadn't read anything yet, but he may have seen Marty in New Orleans.
10. Mayo Foundation; Outpatient Addictions Services; Generose Building, 1216 2nd Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Same as 9 above. Probably more clients.
11. Pathway House; 613 2nd Street SW, Rochester, MN 55902. Visited on November 2nd. Met at door by lady who said, "Our people go to AA. We're NOT INTERESTED." Quick but painful!
12. Pathway House; Pathway to Parenthood; 103 6th Avenue SW, Rochester, MN 55902. This house is just a couple doors around the corner and connected by back parking lots to number 11 above. Never have visited.
13. Perkins Counseling Services; Aurora Outpatient Program; 1500 1st Avenue NE, Suite 200-B, Rochester, MN 55906. Set up appointment and had nice meeting on August 24th with Mark Perkins. He's kind of a "rebel" in Rochester, I thought. But he said he'd come to my meeting and never did. He gave me his handouts advertising his services, which I agreed to show at the meeting, along with our handouts. Finally, I threw them out about 10 days ago. Friendly comments by him at the 12/15 Provider's Board meeting presentation. I get the feeling he has been told by others to not promote LSR.
14. Recovery House (a halfway house); Fountain Center; 1623 4th Street NW, Rochester, MN 55901. Visited on October 25th and was asked to call back after a couple weeks. Called back on November 22nd and set a meeting for November 30th. Nice meeting with Tammy, but just like Jolene (6 above), she said she'd have to check with Fountain Center in Albert Lea before allowing clients to attend. None so far.
15. Rochester Behavioral Health Services; 333 16th Avenue NW, Rochester, MN 55901. Visited on November 2nd, and immediately had a very courteous and polite meeting with all three counselors. At the end, one asked how long I had been sober, and I said 137 days. He replied that this was not very long. None of their clients so far.
16. Zumbro Valley Mental Health Center; Recovery Basics; 1932 Viking Drive NW, Rochester, MN 55901. This is the outpatient program I was forced to go through in order to get my bus driving job back after testing positive for marijuana. I HAD to go to AA to complete the program. Two weeks after completing it, I resumed drinking for over a year. On July 10th, when I got the room for Rochester's meeting, I contacted my counselor there and requested a meeting. She said it would have to be with the entire Board of Directors, and I said, "Sure." Two days later she left a phone message saying, "We feel things are working just fine here. We're going to stick to recommending the 12 steps." (The Program involved actually doing the first 5 AA steps in their program, and they had worksheets and client presentations of them involved in their program.) They didn't even want to meet. How could they involve the steps so completely in their program and then have someone come in and talk about a one-step program instead? How could they recommend, in such obvious agreement, each step of AA, and then have me come in and talk to their clients about how we feel that if a person relapses, it might not be because he or she is doing a perfect program wrong, but because a different program is right for that person. That no program is right for EVERYONE. So I understood their reaction, even if I didn't like it. Haven't contacted them again yet.
17. Zumbro Valley Mental Health Center; Right to Recovery Programs; 917 North Broadway, Rochester, MN 55906. Visited with Patty Von Holtum on October 16th. Nice meeting, but none of their clients so far.
18. Zumbro Valley Mental Health Center; Crisis Receiving Unit (Rochester's detox); 2116 Campus Drive SE, Rochester, MN 55904. The in-charge, Judy "Eichman" (not sure of spelling) did not want to talk to me.
So after detox, I went to Rochester's Federal Medical Center, a prison. (Sounds pretty bad, huh :o)) A man at the front desk said I'd have to call back and talk to Rich Drexler. The place smelled kinda bad, and I suddenly wondered why anyone IN PRISON would have a current chemical dependency problem. Won't call him back until I talk to Mitch Moore, the counselor in Waseca's prison who said he'd come to Rochester's meeting to talk, a month ago, but so far hasn't. I should call him and see if he wants to talk elsewhere. The mailing address for FMC would be: Rich Drexler, Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, 2110 East Center Street, Rochester, MN 55904.
There it is. That's mostly it, besides posting flyers, salting books, briefly visiting the Salvation Army and leaving brochures with them, and having a listing in the Newspaper's Take Note section. A mailing to all 19 addresses, with Marty's workbook this time, is probably the next thing to do. I should keep up a positive willingness to visit with these places, although it's not exactly a situation where if I don't, I'll lose support. There isn't much that I see at this time. I need to return to many of them, though, especially the Mayo Clinic, which was where I received the warmest reception from one person. But I certainly don't want to start to be unwelcome when I want to meet, a pain in the ass with the others, and I may be near that cliff edge.
Rochester, like Glo's Montrose, Minnesota, is a very conservative, religious place. Yes, there is a slow influx of modern thinking from the coasts. But if I could get some of the clients of these treatment facilities asking these providers about secular alternatives, about LSR, perhaps they'd be more open to letting us be an available choice for their clients. I'm thinking of radio and TV. (By the way, actual ads, twice, on 8/19 and 8/23 in the Paper I feel weren't even noticed, although they were only 2" X 2".)
Radio and TV!!
-- Roger L.
Reprinted by permission from lsrcon 3/4/01