Responding to the DUI PROBLEM

One of the most hazardous aspects of substance abuse in our society is apparent every day.

People are killed and maimed on our streets by those "driving under the influence." Many thousands of people are affected each year.

Our DUI services are among the most comprehensive in the region. Local and regional authorities turn to us to educate offenders as they go through the legal system, with the goal of helping those drivers avoid continued poor judgment or addiction. The administrator of our DUI program is a highly-respected professional known statewide for progressive ideas and a determination to make a difference.

In a vast majority of cases, impaired drivers do not take responsibility for their poor judgment and destructive actions. A DUI offense is due to somebody else, and a traffic stop and arrest is a "set-up" by an overly zealous police officer. Overcoming resistance to acceptance and change, always a difficult part of addiction treatment, is especially challenging when it comes to those involved in DUI.

Our driving-under-influence education model and credentialed facilitators bring about a driver's understanding of legal and moral responsibility. Most of those attending do so as part of a court ruling, but these classes and group sessions are open to anyone.

The DUI program elicits drivers' comprehension and acceptance of their responsibility to stay sober, and provides useful tools for relapse prevention. Attendance at "victim impact panels" offers dramatic exposure to the suffering of those whose lives have been forever changed by impaired drivers.

DUI services are centered in an historic converted barn at our Bensalem campus. The Northeast Philadelphia office also conducts DUI sessions. Evaluations are available by appointment, in which a trained professional works with the judicial system in determining what program will be most helpful to both first-time and chronic offenders.

Our DUI program reaches out to parts of the community that are often culturally isolated due to language and other barriers, and conducts DUI programs in Spanish and Russian as well as English. Our DUI staff also works with area schools and programs to get across to young drivers the critical message about avoiding the mix of alcohol, drugs and cars.

To contact the DUI program, call 215-638-5266 or send an email.