Benefits of Physical Activity in Recovery

Project Turnabout's Fitness Facility (On Main Campus)

When entering into an addiction recovery program for chemical dependency or compulsive gambling, your body most likely is not performing to the best of its health abilities.

Recognizing the importance of physical activity, as part of a holistic approach to recovery, Project Turnabout incorporates daily physical fitness into each patients individualized treatment plan.

When you increase your physical activity, it can have a wonderful effect by decreasing your stress levels, relieving anxiety and promoting positive self image. These are all important aspects of successful recovery, both during and after a treatment stay.

Project Turnabout’s full-time Fitness Trainer, Dan Rorvik often hears first hand from patients how grateful they are for having physical fitness integrated into their daily schedules.

“Most of the time the patients disclose that they would have never tried to lift weights, engage in a walking routine or try different sports before they came to treatment and found out they actually love doing it,” Dan said. “It’s exciting to me to see the new or renewed love for physical fitness they leave with.”

Dan is an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer. He has been part of the multidisciplinary team at Project Turnabout for four years. As the Fitness Trainer, Dan works with patients in proper lifting techniques, identifying and overcoming problem areas, staying active at whatever level the patient may be, and promoting a variety of different activities to keep patients engaged in staying active.

“Fitness is so important for the patients we serve because it teaches them how to channel and relieve stress and anxiety in positive and healthy ways,” Dan said. “Participation in different games or sports promotes teamwork and communication they may have never engaged in.”

When patients prepare to leave Project Turnabout they are encouraged to continue incorporating physical fitness into their daily routines. Dan is available to help customize a fitness plan for each patient to take with them. Each patient is provided general fitness activities and stretch routines to bring with them upon discharge.

Continued physical fitness is encouraged for success in recovery and a healthy balanced lifestyle. We encourage everyone to take advantage of the changing seasons and get active outdoors playing sports or going for walks.

Project Turnabout Awarded Three-Year CARF Accreditation

The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF, International announced that Project Turnabout has been accredited for a period of three years for its Men’s and Women’s Intensive Short-Term Residential, Intensive Long- Term Residential, Men’s Medium Intensity Transitional Living, Outpatient Services, and our Vanguard Center for Compulsive Gambling. This is the first Three- Year Accreditation that the international accrediting body, CARF, has awarded to Project Turnabout.

This accreditation represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organizations substantial conformance to the more than 1,400 CARF Standards. An organization receiving the Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process.  It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality.

Project Turnabout is a not-for-profit organization with its main campus in Granite Falls, MN, and locations in Willmar, Marshall, and Redwood Falls.  It has been providing services since 1970.

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served.  Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.  For more information about the accreditation process, please visit the CARF website at www.carf.org.

For additional information, contact Mark Sannerud, Director of Development and Marketing/Outreach at Project Turnabout at 800-862-1453 or visit us at www.projectturnabout.org

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day – Recovery Style

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17th in honor of the feast day of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.  St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland and is also a worldwide celebration of Irish culture and history.  Although St. Patrick’s Day is notorious for green beverages, there are many ways to celebrate responsibly and have fun, while also safeguarding your recovery.  

1) Wear Green, Be Green
Everyone likes to wear green clothing on St. Patrick’s Day.  Why not go the extra step while wearing your green clothes?  Organize a local can and bottle collection recycling drive and donate the profits to a local non-profit/charity of your choice..  By collecting cans and bottles to recycle, you can ensure that less reusable goods are going to waste in a landfill, making Earth a cleaner, greener place for future generations. 

 2) Host a “Green Eggs and Ham” Brunch
Invite a group of friends over to enjoy a hearty brunch of Dr. Seuss’ famous “Green Eggs and Ham.”  You can even bring the kiddos along and have story time during breakfast; a fun, family activity for all.  

3) Get Crafty with Origami Shamrocks
Decorate your home or office in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  You can even be “green” by creating origami shamrocks out of old newspapers, magazines, junk mail, or other paper you were going to recycle.  The paper gets another use and you get unique décor to enjoy.     

4) Enjoy the Outdoors
This year, St. Patrick’s Day is just three days before the first day of spring.  If the weather forecast is correct, it’s going to be in the 70’s this coming Saturday.  A little unusual for Minnesota in March – but we’re not complaining!  Find a St. Patrick’s Day parade in your area or have lunch at an Irish restaurant.  Leave the car at home and walk there.  Enjoying the “green” nature around you is the perfect way to celebrate any holiday – and on this particular one, you can also wear green while you do it. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!    

Resources for this blog can be found at http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/7-tips-for-a-great-st-patricks-day

March’s Women in Recovery Luncheon

Project Turnabout’s
Women in Recovery Luncheon


Saturday, March 24

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Project Turnabout Gymnasium

Speaker: Jolene E.
Topic: Living Life Sober
“With the stresses of life how do you deal with them and still stay sober? Living sober for 21 years teaches you sobriety has many benefits.”

This is a free luncheon/speaker event open to all women in recovery, interested in recovery, and others who could benefit from attending. For planning purposes, please confirm your intentions to attend by calling (320) 564-4911 or 1-800-862-1453 prior to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, 2012. All guests are asked to park in the back (staff) parking lot and to enter the building through the back entrance into the gymnasium.

Know Where to Look: Money is Available for Gambling Treatment

Often the misconception that plagues patients and families suffering from compulsive gambling is their inability to pay for treatment.  It is common for the effects of compulsive gambling to reach levels of financial stress and ruin that could never have been fathomed – leaving individuals and their families desperate for a glimpse of hope during their difficult times.

What people do not often realize is that there are a variety of funding options available to make the hope of recovery attainable for everyone:

- Funding may be available for Minnesota residents to cover as much as 80% of the cost for residential treatment
- Some insurance companies will now cover part or all of treatment costs
- Scholarships are available for those who qualify
- Payment options can be arranged prior to entering treatment
- Residential treatment does not cost as much as you might think

Since 2003, a total of $435,901.00 has been dispersed from the “Another Chance for Life” scholarship fund to help 480 compulsive gamblers and their families.  These funds not only directly impact the person needing scholarship assistance to receive treatment, but also indirectly impact that patients’ parents, siblings, children, friends, neighbors,  and employers by helping the patient get well.  

Project Turnabout raises money for the “Another Chance for Life” scholarship fund through a variety of ways:

- Through hosting the “Appetite for Life” gala event each year to help fund treatment for compulsive gamblers 
- Through Project Turnabout’s “Joy of Giving” Annual Appeal
- Through individual and organizational donations directed towards the “Another Chance for Life” scholarship fund
- Through planned giving options, including bequests, life insurance policies, retirement plan assets, gifts of real estate property, gifts of securities, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and a charitable lead trusts. 

If you would like to learn more about the funding available for treatment please contact our Patient Funding Coordinator at 1-800-862-1453.  To find out more about donating and how to become a part of the hope these patients and families need, please click here or contact Mark Sannerud msannerud@projectturnabout.org or Stefanie Ryan sryan@projectturnabout.org or call 1-800-862-1453.

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