Alumni
Now that you’ve completed treatment, we want you to stay connected to Maryville. It’s important that as you transition into your life of recovery, you have a strong support system available to you. Our Alumni Services program offers a number of ways to get involved, free of charge. We offer:
- Social activities and events
- Webinars and workshops
- Volunteer opportunities
- Speaking opportunities
- Education on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
- Relapse Services
- Services for families and friends struggling with a loved one’s substance use disorder
- General community resources and information
There’s no pressure to participate and how much or how little you become involved is completely up to you. This is an exciting time for you and we hope we can continue supporting you in your journey.
This is a great opportunity to build supportive friendships, socialize in a clean environment, learn skills to help you reach your goals, and help others along the way. Most importantly, Maryville Alumni Services is intended to help you sustain your recovery. The longer you stay sober, the more likely you are to avoid relapse down the line. We all want the same thing…to see you succeed and live a happy, healthy, fulfilling life!
Contact Sheri Sabot, Director of Development & Alumni Services for more information:
- Office: 856-237-9312
- E-mail: alumni@maryvillenj.org
- Text: 856-237-9312
Older graduate? Lapsed alum? We welcome all Maryville alumni, no matter how long ago you attended Maryville! Join us and expand your circle with people who understand and care. We look forward to meeting you soon.
Maryville’s Alumni Services program holds recreational events to offer opportunities to socialize in a clean environment with others who are on the same journey. They are intended to foster supportive friendships that may help you sustain your recovery. Best of all, they’re free to alumni! Past events include movies in the park, bowling, holiday dinners, and more.
In addition, we offer educational events and workshops.
To request a copy of your records or if you have questions, please reach out to our records department at 856-629-0244, ext. 313.
Download the Release of Information form HERE.
Mail to:
Maryville Addiction Treatment Center
Medical Records
1903 Grant Ave
Williamstown, NJ 08094
Fax: 856-629-3760 for Williamstown and 609-283-0262 for Maryville at Post House in Pemberton.
Email: records@maryvillenj.org
“My name is Kim, and I’m an addict.” But, because of Maryville I no longer feel like that sentence defines me. Now I can say, “My name is Kim, I am living proof that with the right support anyone can recover.”
I knew from early on that something was wrong. Growing up I didn’t have a stable loving home. My father was an alcoholic and addict who suffered from severe mental illness. I started smoking marijuana at 11 years old, had alcohol poisoning at age 12, and at age 13, I started in my first unhealthy, abusive relationship with an addict. In fact, every single relationship that I’ve had since has been unhealthy. I lost my whole childhood and young adulthood to using and toxic relationships.
As an adult, my addiction progressed from alcohol, pills, and marijuana to the harder stuff like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. I was arrested several times, lost my license, lost every single job that I had, and the hardest of all, I eventually lost custody of my daughter.
My first taste of recovery came 6 years ago when I became pregnant with my son. This recovery awakened in me something that I never thought was possible. I was able to regain custody of my daughter and I had a few years clean. Then the pandemic hit. The meetings that I was attending were shut down and I lost the only support that I had. When children’s services came into my life again, I knew I had to make a choice – my kids or a life of using and suffering.
This is what brought me to Maryville.
Maryville was not my first time in treatment, but it was the first where I felt supported and connected. They never made me feel ashamed of my past.
I had never before experienced an organization or people so hard working and dedicated. From the counselors to the receptionists, to the alumni team, to the drivers, and even the lab tech who does the screening, every single person at Maryville has had an impact in my life. They’ve given me the strength and support to become a responsible adult and parent and to do what is best for both of my children and for myself. Most importantly, after 20 plus years of active addiction, I now have the tools I need to stay clean.
Today my life is super busy and fulfilled! I am a better mom, a better friend, and a better person. I even started my own business. I am now 18 months clean! I still spend countless hours at Maryville in group treatment, by choice, because that’s what I need for my recovery.
Larry’s life story could have ended five years ago. Instead, he found Maryville.
To meet Larry today, you are likely to see a devoted husband, a loving father of three, a successful master’s level chief engineer for a multibillion-dollar real estate investment firm, and an altruistic individual who, alongside his family, regularly devotes his time and energy to help people struggling with addiction. What isn’t obvious at first, is how complex Larry’s journey to this point has been; how Maryville helped save his life, and why he finds it so important to help pave the way to a better life for others living lives of pain and destruction due to substance misuse and trauma. Simply put, the life Larry lived for many years.
Born in southwest Philadelphia to parents heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol, Larry spent his early years enduring daily physical beatings at the hands of his father; and regularly watching his mother be taken to jail before abandoning him for good. Despite his grandparents intervening, the trauma had already left its mark. By age 10, Larry was prescribed Xanax for his severe anxiety. As his age increased, so did his dosage. At 16, Larry began experimenting with marijuana and over the next few years became addicted to OxyContin, crack cocaine, and finally, heroin. This set in motion a 15-year chain of events that included more than 75 arrests, multiple jail and prison stays, two home raids, removal of his children twice, and a vicious circle of recovery and relapse. “I was a cancer to everyone around me. I stole. I hurt people that I loved.”
At age 20, Larry met his future wife, Adrienne, who, as his girlfriend, eventually began doing drugs with him. A year later they learned they were going to have a baby. They sought help, and stopped using for the next few years until relapse occurred first for Larry, with Adrienne following suit. Their daughter was removed from their care and placed with family, which fueled Larry’s depression and shame. Without coping skills, the pattern repeated. “I just thought this was the way my life was designed to be; that I was a drug addict, I had nothing to offer in life, and this is the way I was going to die.”
Larry and Adrienne eventually regained custody of their daughter, had a second daughter, and the substance use, along with his criminal activities, ebbed and flowed until one day Larry overdosed again. His wife and children found him on the floor, and only after three doses of Narcan was Adrienne able to revive him. “I knew I didn’t want to live like this anymore but didn’t know how to do anything different. This was all I knew.” Larry was arrested, his home was raided, everything of value was confiscated, their house went into foreclosure, and his family was shattered. He was losing everything.
It was then that something shifted and Larry began seeing things differently. He knew he was facing a life sentence and would likely lose his family forever. For the first time, he accepted his reality and decided that no matter the outcome, he was going to get himself together and face things clean and honestly. Much to his surprise, he received the opportunity to enroll in the state’s Drug Court program. Larry was transported to Maryville where he spent the next 35 days, participating in the treatment programs that restored his health, hope and healing. Larry says this is where he became honest, open-minded, and willing to listen. This changed mindset allowed him to complete the program, receive a suspended sentence, and leave with new insight along with the motivation to keep moving toward a life of recovery.
“Maryville did something for me that I could never repay…they kept me in the moment. They worked with me and I was able to get clarity on what was really going on in my life. Since then, I have soared to heights I have never thought was possible for someone with my past.”
Last month, Larry celebrated five years in recovery. He has worked relentlessly to rebuild his family, including gaining the trust of his children, which he strives to continue earning each day. His daughters are thriving in college and middle school; and he and Adrienne welcomed a son 18 months ago. In addition to working in his dream position, Larry is also obtaining his real estate license with plans to open sober living homes alongside his wife. Larry is an active volunteer with Maryville; an elected member of the Hamilton Alliance Against Substance Abuse, and a recently elected member of the Mercer Council Board of Alcohol and Drug Addiction.
“I was a hopeless individual just waiting to die, and now I am a productive member of society. I appreciate the small things…the sunrise, a warm cup of coffee. Things I never saw when I had tunnel vision during my addiction. Maryville helped get my journey started. This is a great facility and it has changed my life forever. I will be forever grateful for giving me another shot at life.”
Larry, Maryville Alumnus
"I was a 20-year addict. I was in and out of detox and rehab, and I kept relapsing. I finally joined Maryville’s outpatient program and they helped me and my family on a whole new level. I’m almost two years clean and I couldn't be happier. My kids are with me and Maryville and I made that happen!"
"This is my first experience with inpatient treatment and the care I received at Maryville far surpassed my expectations. The personnel responsible for my care in every aspect was supportive, respectful, caring, considerate, informative, and went above and beyond to make sure my stay here was as beneficial for me as it could be. I would like to thank the entire staff for working so hard to help me become successful in my recovery. I feel confident I can function normally in society with ease."
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