Support for Full Circle Programs

Entering San Quentin State Prison

Full Circle and the inmates we serve are grateful for the support of San Quentin Warden Robert L. Ayers, Jr. and his staff, and to CDCR leadership and staff in Sacramento.

Our programs would never have succeeded without the first class of ACT inmate trainees, who volunteered countless hours of their time and their many skills to establish and help manage the ARC treatment program.

We are deeply grateful for the support of the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CAADAC), the premiere certifying group in California. Their Executive Director Rhonda Messamore and CAADAC’s volunteer leaders, including Past President Warren Daniels and Certifying Board Chair Jerry Synold, went above and beyond to support this first-ever effort to train inmates to become certified counselors. They created a first by waiving application fees and bringing the 3-1/2-hour written test into the prison; 9 of the 11 men passed the test—much higher than the national rate. CAADAC and NAADAC (National Association for Alcohol and Drug Counselors) continue to support the ACT program becoming a model for the State and the nation.

A special thank-you to Tom Gorham, CAADAC, and Davida Coady, MD, directors of Options Recovery Services in Berkeley for a fruitful collaboration in establishing a model with Full Circle for seamless continuum of care services, to address pre- and post-release reentry needs and recidivism factors.

Get Involved

Sponsorship

Full Circle’s programs at San Quentin were created and are run by Full Circle Addiction Recovery Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (#94-3075769). Claire-Elizabeth DeSophia, MA, LMFT, an experienced addiction treatment specialist, is the Executive Director of this community-based organization and is currently Program/Clinical Director for Full Circle’s work at San Quentin.

Get Involved

Full Circle welcomes inquiries from funders and qualified volunteers who are interested in participating in its programs. Please send an e-mail to desophia.fullcircle@earthlink.net; call 510/652-3311; or write to the mailing address below.

Because government funds currently cover only a small portion of the costs of innovative prison programs like ACT and ARC, Full Circle Addiction Recovery Services relies on contributions from foundations, corporations, and private individuals. We are grateful for contributions of any size. We also greatly appreciate input and suggestions regarding other potential supporters and/or collaborators for our work. Foundations, government agencies, corporations, and other grant-makers, please contact Claire-Elizabeth DeSophia, Full Circle Executive Director, at desophia.fullcircle@earthlink.net. Checks can be mailed to the address below and should be made out to "Full Circle Addiction Recovery Services."

Other Prisons: Taking It On The Road

Inquiries from other prisons for information about ACT and ARC, and for consulting and support are most welcome.

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