by Ginger Gaines, Chief Operating Officer of The Next Door
My co-workers, family and a few friends know how much I love a good spreadsheet. I am by nature very analytical, and I want to have all the facts before making any decision. Of course, when deciding where to eat dinner this can be infuriating to my husband who would say, “Just pick one!” and then have no angst about the choice. If there is an unfamiliar option, I would first want to review the menu, other diner’s feedback and their prices, to start. Are you like that? I just love putting everything in a spreadsheet, at least mentally, to reveal the obvious best choice!
Well, did you know that January 22-27, 2019 is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week? I was recently reviewing much of the research data found on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website about substance use disorder, alcohol use, suicide rates and so forth. Even loving data, I quickly became overwhelmed by the magnitude of the growing drug and alcohol addiction impact to communities and families today.
While all the national and state-level data is quite daunting, I am excited about the difference that The Next Door (TND) is making – one life at a time. I am so grateful to serve at an organization that restores hope! TND exists to empower women for lifetime recovery in an environment of faith and healing. I can really get excited about the data and feedback gathered through client surveys regarding treatment service experiences at TND. For example, 1461 clients received treatment services at TND Nashville in 2018 and of those 1461, the overall satisfaction ranged from 91-95% positive!
Let me share just a few of the actual client comments from surveys in 2018:
- Treatment with genuine care and respect
- Liked opportunity to engage in service work in the dining room
- So grateful for all of the staff, they are awesome!
- The Next Door is an amazing, safe compassionate program
- This place means the world to the rest of my life.
- It means so much that the staff try so hard to love us during this crucial time.
- Admission process was very smooth. Made us feel welcome & loved. Staff were calm and patient. Quick response when call for treatment.
- Detox saved my life, it was exactly what I needed.
- Our group facilitator is wonderful.
- The Therapist included us in the development of our treatment plan.
- The Case Manager included us in the development of our discharge plan.
- The accountability requirements really helped me stay in line and learn more responsibility.
Of course, TND also learns from the constructive feedback from every client. My favorite this year being that Food Services serves too much broccoli! Seriously, we gather and utilize the feedback of our clients for continuous improvement. We know that not only does every life matter, but also every life represents a network of more lives finding wholeness and hope for the future. Though this is difficult data to quantify, in a spreadsheet or not, it brings me great joy!