Congratulations to our graduates

Rev. Joshua Pierce, MDiv, RADT.

On Jan. 18 we will be celebrating four clients completing our substance use disorder treatment program.

Completing Cornerstone's program is not a simple task and often takes a year or more to complete. The majority of clients go through three program levels: the intensive outpatient program (15-20 hours per week), the outpatient program (6-10 hours per week), and the step down program (1-5 hours per week). Each level has specific objectives and growth goals the clients are expected to achieve. The goal is to ensure that each client graduating has the skills to not only maintain their sobriety, but thrive in every aspect of their life.

Fewer than 15% of clients complete Cornerstone's program. Clients do not complete the program for several reasons, having to go back to work being the most common. Others move for jobs, have family responsibilities, complete court requirements or learn that we require progress and growth. About 80% of those who stay for 60 days, but leave the program early, find success through either maintaining their sobriety or utilizing a harm reduction approach. I attribute the high success rate of our clients to Cornerstone's therapeutic community approach.

I am particularly proud of this group of graduates. Along with the normal ups and downs associated with treatment, this particular graduating class faced a major obstacle to their success. In June of 2024 Medi-Cal, through KernBHRS, attempted to cut off their care without following the proper protocols. The stress caused major setbacks for all eight clients, with a few relapsing. Cornerstone's staff and I committed to continue to provide treatment to the clients and fight alongside them to ensure their care is covered. Thankfully, they are resilient individuals and most came back. After eight state hearings and six months, their insurance was ordered to retroactively cover their treatment. A win we had hoped for, but not expected.

At the graduation, time is taken to celebrate each client. A short video of each client is shown that shares their story before, during and what they hope for after Cornerstone. Each staff member will highlight what they enjoyed most about each client and name their areas of greatest progress. One of our goals for graduation is to pack the space with community members to celebrate with us as we recognize the tremendous work and effort each client has made.

One client in particular stands out to me. He joined the program in early 2023, progressed quickly and started college to become a substance abuse counselor. Originally, the client was set to graduate in April 2024 alongside his peers, but his health took a turn. It took six months, but we found out that it was cancer. Many would have thrown in the towel, but he fought back. Never once did he relapse and as a community we never left his side. His resiliency inspires me. I consider myself blessed to have sat next to him, two weeks ago, when the doctor cancelled his final chemo treatment because all the scans showed he is cancer free.

Join us for an evening of inspiration as we celebrate the incredible achievements of these individuals, with heartfelt stories, community recognition and a shared commitment to their continued success. We invite everyone to join us on Jan. 18, at 5:30 p.m. To reserve your ticket, scan the QR code in the Cornerstone advertisement near this article.

If you would like help with setting goals and expectations my staff and I are here to help. Give us a call at (661) 750-0438.