Watershed Recovery Center for Women

 A watershed is a critical point that marks a change of course… a turning point.

The Watershed Recovery Center for Women is a turning point for women who are in the early stages of recovery from alcohol and other drug problems and are vulnerable to relapse. The Recovery Center provides treatment and recovery within a structured, therapeutic environment. Located at the convergence of the Connecticut and Deerfield Rivers in Greenfield, Massachusetts, the Watershed Recovery Center is a 25-bed facility for women, including civilly committed (Section 35), pregnant and postpartum women and their infants up to one year old. The site offers a tranquil and serene environment to help residents transition from early recovery to productive community living.

For information about the Watershed Recovery Center for Women, call (413) 512-5018 or e-mail [email protected].

To be eligible for admission to Watershed, a woman must be 18 years of age or older and meet specific criteria.  Watershed receives referrals from Section 35 sources serving women as well as other community health centers and programs. Self-referrals are also accepted.

Women are eligible for admission to the program if they meet the following criteria:

Currently live in a home, community or social environment that is unsupportive of recovery or constitutes a risk to maintenance of abstinence Have a substance use disorder or a mental/behavior disorder due to substance use and is not intoxicated nor currently at risk for experiencing withdrawal Are mentally and physically stable and do not pose a risk to self or others Are open to recovery and understand relapse Accept the requirement to live in a 24-hour structured and supportive environment to maintain gains Are capable of recognizing physical danger, including when such danger requires immediate exit from a residence, and are able to follow a prescribed procedure for exiting, as demonstrated by completion of a self-preservation test.

Women who are admitted to Watershed are expected to participate in a structured program of activities designed to help them maintain abstinence and move toward recovery. These stages of recovery begin with an orientation, continue with recovery-oriented work, and culminate with graduation and aftercare.

During orientation, participants are assigned a case manager; complete initial bio-psycho-social assessments; and create relapse prevention plans. Soon thereafter, they begin building a new support network by identifying a sponsor and sober community members for socializing and support; participating in home groups; and attending 12-step meetings.

In phase two, participants continue building their support network; start to address outstanding legal issues; work on employment or education goals with our employment specialist; seek to secure safe housing; and plan for graduation and aftercare.

The average length of stay is six to twelve months, with the ability to stay with an infant up to year after the birth. Watershed encourages women to move towards self-sufficiency and empowerment as soon as they are able. Program staff will help women to celebrate their successes and ensure that they are connected to a variety of community supports upon graduation. As part of their ongoing aftercare, women are permitted to return to Watershed during specified times for groups and social activities.

The overarching philosophy guiding Watershed’s program and services is based on the following principles:

Women with substance use disorders often have a history of trauma.  based on the well-documented correlation between trauma and women’s substance abuse, Watershed uses such trauma-informed interventions as Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model (TREM) and Seeking Safety. While TREM asks the participant to revisit past traumatic experiences or at least to be aware of thoughts of such experiences in connection to current substance abuse, Seeking Safety is present-focused offering psychoeducation and safe coping skills. Other evidence-based methodologies may also be used as they become widely used in the recovery community.

Watershed’s program director and case managers have specialized training and certification in alcohol and substance abuse treatment. In addition all program staff receive basic training in therapeutic recovery models. Daily activities might include the following groups and activities: Seeking Safety (trauma treatment), Yoga, Meal preparation, Relapse prevention, Trauma recovery empowerment, Nutrition, Substance abuse Education, Parenting and Postpartum support among others.

Watershed embraces all women in recovery, many of whom represent special populations such as those who have been civilly committed, pregnant and post-partum women, veterans, lesbian/bisexual/transgender and questioning women; older women and those with disabilities.

Primary Focus of the Provider

• Substance Abuse Treatment Services

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Type of Care

• Substance abuse treatment
• Transitional housing or halfway house
• Accepts clients on opioid medication

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Facility Type

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Treatment Approaches

• Cognitive/behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavioral therapy
• Substance abuse counseling approach
• Trauma-related counseling
• Rational emotive behavioral therapy

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Facility Smoking Policy

• Smoking permitted in designated area

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Service Setting (e.g., Outpatient, Residential, etc.)

• Residential
• Long-term residential

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Facility Operation (e.g. Private, Public)

• Private organization
• State substance abuse agency
• State department of health

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Payment/Insurance Accepted

• Federal, or any government funding for substance abuse programs

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Emergency Mental Health Services

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Payment Assistance Available

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Language Services

• Spanish

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Special Programs/Groups Offered

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) clients
• Seniors or older adults
• Pregnant/postpartum women
• Adult women
• Persons who have experienced trauma
• Persons who have experienced sexual abuse
• Persons who have experienced intimate partner violence, domestic violence

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Ancillary Services

• Individual counseling offered
• Group counseling offered
• Family counseling offered
• 12-step faciltitation approach
• Brief intervention approach
• Contingency management/motivational incentive
• Motivational interviewing
• Anger management
• Community reinforcement plus vouchers
• Relapse prevention

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Age Groups Accepted

• Young adults
• Adults

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Gender Accepted

• Female

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Exclusive Services

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