Dr. Lynn Morrison, BCCS CEO | Brandywine Counseling: Ready To Do More

This commentary was originally published in the Cape Gazette on July 27, 2021. The Cape Gazette shared this opinion piece in light of the revelation that Connections, a large treatment service provider in Delaware, is under investigation. Many of those served by Connections have received notification that the organization has filed for bankruptcy.

There is nothing more terrifying to a person in treatment for substance use than the threat of losing access to your treatment and recovery program. We want to assure all Delawareans struggling with substance use that BCCS is here for them and their families, ready to provide treatment and actively help you recover.

Capable. Trustworthy. Reliable. Resourceful. Compassionate. These words are at the core of everything we do at Brandywine Counseling and Community Services.

According to a recent article, “The litigation could significantly affect the future of the organization, which has become one of the state’s largest providers of drug and alcohol rehabilitation as well as mental health services.” We know many are wondering what may become of the patients this organization serves. Many of those currently and previously served by Connections have received notification that the organization has filed for bankruptcy – and these patients are scared and anxious. “What will happen to my treatment?”

BCCS is here and ready to help all Delawareans recover, just as we have been for the last 40 years. Our staff is trained, capable and committed. Some on our staff have walked the substance use path themselves and fully understand the pitfalls and possibilities that can make or break a recovery journey. Perhaps that is why so many of the BCCS team go that extra mile. They know what it means to our patients.

We provide evidence-based and client-centered outpatient behavioral health services and medication-assisted treatment, including methadone and suboxone for those in recovery. Our treatment centers offer behavioral health treatment services through our Opioid Treatment Program and our Office-Based Treatment Program that promote healthy lifestyles for our clients and their families. Both programs include individual, group, and family counseling focusing on substance abuse, mental health, co-occurring disorders and relapse prevention. Our Intensive Outpatient Program helps clients set and work toward their goals for recovery.

We are both proud and humbled by the opportunity to help people recover from their addictions and move toward again being a happy, healthy part of a family, a neighborhood, a community.

Our long-term commitment to therapeutic integrity and quality of care lends itself to the empathetic and supportive environment in each of our BCCS sites (Wilmington, Newark, Milford and our mobile RV services.)

We do what must be done. We do the difficult work. We make neighborhoods stronger, safer and healthier. People come to us in their darkest hours knowing they are going to be treated with dignity and optimism. We help them regain their self-esteem and a very real chance at a new life.

In 2020 we were thrust into a pandemic, a nightmare scenario for those in treatment. Our BCCS staff rose to the occasion and ensured that the thousands of patients in our programs had access to treatment and support. Everyone at BCCS showed extraordinary commitment and courage as they went beyond expectations to help patients stay on course.

BCCS is staffed and ready to take on new clients throughout the state. Between 2018 and 2020, BCCS reached over 120,000 individuals statewide.

Some of the most rewarding parts of my job are seeing BCCS grow to become the most trusted provider of integrated services in Delaware and succeeding in our goals of providing education, advocacy, prevention, early intervention and treatment services to those in need.

For nearly four decades we have been helping members of our community recover with self-respect, while improving their physical and mental health. Today, we say with pride that BCCS has built a reputation as Delaware’s leading community-focused behavioral health organization. We have the capacity, passion, and the leadership capabilities to make sure everyone in Delaware facing addiction receives the treatment they need. That is our pledge to you.

Dr. Lynn Morrison is the CEO of the statewide Brandywine Counseling and Community Services.