Herman Rosenblum, M.D.
Adolescent Center Help and hope for young people in our day treatment program
Dear Colleagues, We have exciting news to share here at Christiana Care’s Herman Rosenblum, M.D. Adolescent Center, Delaware’s first psychiatric day treatment center for youth ages 12 to 18 and one of the few in the region with an academic component that helps students keep up with their classes in their home schools. dedicated Our story is an odyssey of hope and healing, starting with a talented and iatrist staff of full-time therapists, teachers, an educational coordinator and a psych of any who work with an average of 15 young people, the best staff-to-patient ratio parents, day treatment program in the area. In addition to students, we work with referring clinicians and school counselors to ensure continuity of care. Our y, program includes group, individual and family therapy, cognitive therap tion. drug and alcohol treatment, classroom instruction, art therapy and recrea blum. But the big news comes from the youths whose lives are transformed at Rosen s We asked students who have completed the program to tell their own storie program through essays. They wrote about what brought them to us and how the helped them to lead happier, more productive lives. people These personal triumphs don’t usually make headlines. But these young have important stories to tell. They prove that not all heroes wear capes. We hope that their success stories will uplift, enlighten and inspire you. motivate us here, each and every day. With warm regards,
Norman Broudy, M.D. Founder, Medical Director
They
“Better, happier and more confident” The reasons I came to Rosenblum are multiple suicide attempts, depression, anxiety and an unstable mood. I was also having family problems. A lot of my problems have improved since I’ve been here. I am now more able to cope with my problems in healthy ways, like deep muscle relaxation and deep breathing. I am also now more confident of myself. The staff and peers helped a lot with that. I'm also on some really good medicine now that is helping, along with cognitive behavioral therapy and psychotherapy, to make me feel better. Group therapy was really hard for me at first, opening up to a whole bunch of strangers. But as I grew more comfortable with the program, I did start to open up. Individual therapy has been the best for me! I had the most understanding therapist I’ve ever had. She was really down to earth and could even relate to some of the things I was dealing with. She made me comfortable enough to really open up to her, and I was able to talk to her about anything. I love the way she could show me that there is positive in every situation. Medication management and psychiatry have been very helpful. Dr. Broudy really listened to me. I am now on some great medicines that, for the most part, have me stabilized and I couldn’t ask for more. I have become a better, happier and more confident young lady. Class time has been great. It really helps and gives you enough time to complete the work you have. I love my teacher, she is the best. She pushes you just enough to motivate you to get work done and never loses faith no matter if you have a bad day, or a bad week.
–Jennifer, 16
“Now, I communicate with my mom…” I was very insecure and unsure of myself. Also, I had low selfesteem which influenced me in a negative way, because I gave into peer pressure easily. I was having family problems because I wasn’t communicating with my mom and I was very isolated/distant from my family. I was struggling so much with school. I used to skip every day and smoke pot and I was failing all my classes and getting in trouble. I loved smoking pot because it was an escape from reality. I didn’t have to deal with all the problems that were going on around me. Plus, it was just a fun thing to do with my friends. These problems have improved in a lot of different ways. I haven’t smoked for two months and I plan on keeping it that way. I do all my class work and homework so, academically, I am doing well. Now, I communicate with my mom and the rest of my family and ever since family therapy, me and my mom’s relationship has grown so much. I know they can trust me and it makes me feel good about myself. Group therapy has been very helpful to me in many ways. I get feedback from people that are my age and they understand what I’m going through. Also, I learn a lot about people during group, and I enjoy all the social interaction. Once I tell people all my problems and get it off my chest, I feel so relieved. My ADD medicine helps me focus on whatever task I am working on. This is helpful to me because I needed help with focusing at school. Now, I am happier about my life. Mrs. Cheryl has been an excellent teacher. She is very smart. She’s not only book smart, she’s also street smart and knows when to work and when to have fun, which was good because I need boundaries. Erin, who was in charge of my school meeting, made me feel very comfortable and eased my anxiety a lot. Without that extra push I probably wouldn’t have transitioned so soon but I am glad I did. My class time here at the program was very structured and organized. There was always help available whenever I needed it.
– Joanne, 15
“Everything has changed for the better” In my school work I could not concentrate enough to complete an assignment. Family problems mainly consisted of disrespect towards my father and stepmother. I would regularly engage in pointless arguments for the sake of it, only to prove a trivial point. I would ignore rules put before me by my father and stepmother and this would also create constant turmoil. My impulsive mindset landed me in several predicaments, including the inflammatory e-mail sent to my English teacher at my regular school. Everything has changed for the better. I have done more work in my two weeks of therapy at Rosenblum than I have all the rest of the year in mainstream education. It is noticeably quieter around my house and my stepmother and I rarely argue anymore. I find it a little peculiar that I didn’t come to Rosenblum a long time ago because it was the kick that I needed to get back on track with my schoolwork, giving my elders the respect that they deserve and basically doing the things that I would not take responsibility for. My medicine had to be a large portion of my success. I believe it helped me focus on the task at hand such as schoolwork or a chore I needed to do at home. The doctor that prescribed my medication was the first that I’ve met that actually took into account variables that I mention to determine what medication I should take. I have gotten the encouragement needed to help me get organized and prepared for the challenges that are daily brought up by mainstream education. I have gotten caught up (and in some cases ahead of) almost all of my classes. I am actually at the level of math my algebra instructor is teaching. – John, 16
“School’s become a lot easier to handle” The rape put me in a very negative spot and it also brought all of my other issues into light. I went to Rockford because I was feeling suicidal and when I was discharged, my parents and I decided that Rosenblum was the best day program because it had the most focus on keeping up with school. I was having personal problems with my self-esteem and selfconfidence. My family wasn’t functioning sufficiently to give me the support that I needed, and school was too overwhelming for me to handle because I was so depressed that I did not care about doing well anymore. My problems have improved in that my family has been trying to connect with me and spend more time at home, including family dinners. I have felt more comfortable talking to my parents about what’s going on without lying. Mood gym has really helped me learn how to improve my self-image and prevent me from getting back to the point at which I was that put me in Rockford in the first place. School’s become a lot easier to handle because my teachers are more understanding that I wasn’t in school for a significant period of time. Group therapy has been really helpful to me because it made me feel like less of an outcast for leaving school to deal with my problems. It made me realize I’m not the only person my age with these kinds of problems because other normal kids go through the same things, too. –Lindsay, 17
oices” “It has helped me think about my ch anxiety.
ression and I was having family issues and I had dep ut suicide. I tried cutting myself and thought abo learned how to These problems have improved. I have and find ways to deal with communicate better with my parents self. my depression other than hurting my at my problems Individual therapy has helped me look also shown me that I from other people’s perspectives. It has t running away from them. have to face my problems instead of jus getting me out of my Medication has been helpful to me by one but now want to be alone and not talk with any ays alw to d use I n. sio res dep nt sta con just being more open with people. I am around my family a lot more and can me realize that I do have issues and I Cognitive behavioral therapy has helped feelings can really affect others. It and ts ugh tho my how lize rea me ped get help. It hel sequences am making at the time and what the con I ns isio dec the ut abo k thin me ped hel choices and if they are right or wrong. will be. It has helped me think about my – Matt, 15
“I feel a lot more self-worth” Here at Rosenblum I have been working on my selfesteem, my stress/anxiety, my depression, and my identification/ expression of emotions and feelings. I also am working on my relat ionship with my parents and changing how my ADD controls my life. I am much less stressed and anxious about my futu re. I have been able to identify some of my irrational anxie ties and, by doing that, I have been able to actually worry abou t the things that I need to worry about and forget about the things that don’t need to be worried about. I feel a lot more selfworth. The positive peers have really helped me feel better about myself and helped me realize that I am wort h everyone’s time. My emotions are becoming easier to express. – Adam, 18
Caring and compassion Founded in 1985, the Rosenblum Center offers the expert, experienced care patients expect from Christiana Care Health System. We provide highlyindividualized care for students age 12 to 18 with conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder and/or conflict in the family. The program is offered five days a week, 8:30 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. at our center, located on the tranquil banks of the Brandywine. Enrollment lasts from three to eight weeks.
The program offers: ■ Biopsychosocial assessment. ■ Group therapy. ■ Individual therapy. ■ Family therapy. ■ Psychopharmacology evaluation and management. ■ Education assessment and coordination. ■ Individual classroom instruction. ■ Cognitive behavioral therapy. ■ Biofeedback therapy. ■ Substance abuse assessment. ■ Treatment for co-occurring mental health and substance abuse diagnosis. ■ Recreational activities.
To learn more about the Rosenblum Center, call Douglas Smith, MS, CADC, Program Director, at 302-428-4923 or visit www.christianacare.org.
Christiana Care is a private, not-for-profit regional health care system and relies in part on the generosity of individuals, foundations and corporations to fulfill its mission. If you are interested in providing financial support for the work of the Rosenblum Center, please call the Christiana Care Office for Development at 302-327-3305. Your gift will make a difference in the lives of those who rely on the Rosenblum Center for care.
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Herman Rosenblum, M.D. Adolescent Center 205 W. 14th St., Suite 100, Wilmington, DE 19801