Healthcare Professionals
Treatment Program
For Nurses & Nursing Students

Because they are trained and educated in both the science and the art of caring for others, nurses and other healthcare professionals are often expected by the public (and themselves) to be immune to the same issues and susceptibilities as others. Yet, they are just as human, just as vulnerable and complex as any group in the community.

Expectations from others, inside and outside of this particular group, can often place added barriers to recognizing the disease of addiction and accessing adequate treatment. This compounds the consequences and impact of chemical misuse, abuse and dependency.

The renovated Carriage House is a "safe haven" for nurses who are patients in rehab. While these patients mix with the entire community through most of their treatment, in this eight-bed residence nurses can open up with others who share similar professional and personal challenges.

The Health Professionals Program targets our attention to needs that are specific to nurses and nursing students. The program includes a separate treatment regimen at the Bensalem campus, including sleeping quarters in a historic carriage house.

As with many other areas of employment in our communities, health professionals have received treatment services at Livengrin for some time. But what started as a trickle of people in this profession seeking our help has turned into a steady flow. Consumers and referral sources alike are benefiting from both the Foundation's newly-formalized treatment program and more than forty-five years of experience and quality care.

The program is designed for both those affected by an addiction exacerbated by their proximity to medications of all kinds, and patients dealing with a personal problem off the job. Foundation staff receive focused training regarding the unique needs (and workplace circumstances) of healthcare professionals. Experienced nurses already employed in Livengrin administrative and clinical staffs are involved.

It's a setting in which a patient can find encouragement from others in the "same life" to share experiences and learn new ways to approach that life and its many stresses. Patients will find assistance with return-to-work preparation and in developing relationships with external support and monitoring groups.

A new dedicated website will be online soon. For informational materials and assessments, contact:

Shane Moes, Program Manager 215-646-5626 hcp@livengrin.org