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7th Annual Client Graduation & Recognition Ceremony
Our 7th Annual Client Graduation & Recognition Ceremony was held April 10th, 2012 at Razberry's on Rt. 12. between Flemington and Frenchtown.
This program was made to honor the graduates of HDAP's Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Treatment Programs. This is not
an easy accomplishment as clients must remain sober after successfully completing treatment. These clients also made positive life changes
in many other areas of their lives such as education, work, social relations, family relations, and a dramatic reduction of recidivism in
the legal system. PLEASE NOTE: Current and former HDAP clients are either not pictured, or pictured due to respecting their confidentiality.
Each graduate was awarded a graduation certificate, along with a small token of HDAP's appreciation. Each graduate was asked to speak, and all spoke eloquently of their struggles with
addiction, and their own personal road back in their recovery process. These speeches were moving and funny; bringing both tears and laughter to the crowd of over 80 people in attendance!
Their inspired speeches brought home what our job at HDAP is all about, helping productive members of the greater Hunterdon County community
get back on their feet and take back their lives.
We would also like to extend our thanks to our previous year's graduates who continue to support HDAP! It is really a privilege having those individuals who
graduated a year ago, or in some cases years ago, continue to support HDAP and continue to support the individuals who are currently graduating and the
individuals currently in treatment!
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About the Frank P. Masterson, Jr. Award
In addition the 7th Annual Client Graduation & Recognition Ceremony honored Robert W. Smith ("Smitty") with the Frank P. Masterson Jr. Award.
This award is aimed at highlighting people helping the addiction community, who show great leadership, and more importantly a strong sense of caring and commitment to the clients HDAP serves. This award is entitled the
Frank P. Masterson, Jr. Recognition of Achievement Award. From 1970 - 1977 twelve young people’s lives were lost in Lambertville due to drug related deaths. Frank helped to found
Hunterdon Drug Awareness Program in 1977 after a small group of concerned community leaders felt there was a need for a substance abuse program in the Lambertville area. Frank served on
the HDAP's Board of Directors from 1977 until January 2009 as Vice President of the Board. In January, 2009 he was named Founder Emeritus. A large program based out of Atlantic City called Narco (name now changed
to Institute for Human Development) sponsored Frank and the other community leader's idea and gave the program a small grant to help in treating Hunterdon County Residents. The first office opened in Lambertville
in 1977 and as services expanded, so did area support and interest.
In 1981 we were incorporated as an independent treatment and prevention agency serving Hunterdon County and surrounding
areas under a local Board of Directors. In 1984, having outgrown our original office space, we moved to our current location. Frank passed away on February 8th, 2009. His passing occured shortly after
being honored as HDAP's first and only Founder Emeritus on our board of directors. Frank's vision and commitment to helping those in need of substance abuse services has taken the form of a program providing 35
years of substance abuse treatment and prevention services. Frank's legacy of community involvement and his commitment to help others lives on in the daily work HDAP provides to the Hunterdon County community.
We are saddened that he is gone, but grateful for what he accomplished. Click here to see a comprehensive article on the history of HDAP!
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Robert W. Smith ("Smitty")
Another function of this 7th Annual Client Graduation & Recognition Ceremony is to highlight personal achievement by a community member who helps
our clients out in their struggle to overcome their addiction and resume their lives. This award is aimed at recognizing individuals who have worked
with HDAP in helping better the lives of our clients, and more importantly, show a strong sense of caring and commitment to the clients we serve.
Robert W. “Smitty” Smith is the 2012 recipient of the Frank P. Masterson, Jr. Award that states, "In recognition of your hard work and dedication
in working with, and advocating for, HDAP clients. Hunterdon Drug Awareness Program sincerely thanks you for your outstanding efforts."
This award was given to Smitty for his continued support of people who have substance abuse/dependence issues. Smitty was born in Stanton Station,
NJ and he is a life time resident of Hunterdon County. Smitty graduated class of 1961 at the North Hunterdon Regional High School. He started
his career in law enforcement in 1967 where he attended and graduated from the Trenton Police Academy in 1967. His first law enforcement job was with
the Flemington Borough Police Department in 1967. He moved to the Readington Township Police Department in 1971. During his career as a police officer
at the Readington Township Police Department he was promoted up through the ranks to the position of Lieutenant which he held for 13 years until
retirement in December 2002. In January, 2003 he joined the Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Office security unit at the Hunterdon County Justice Center.
Smitty was appointed Undersheriff by Hunterdon County Sheriff Frederick W. Brown in January of 2011.
Smitty belonged to many community organizations during his 33 years in law enforcement. He was a past President of the Hunterdon County Juvenile
Officer’s Association for over 15 years. He served in the following capacities: Trustee of the NJ State Juvenile Officers Association, board
member of the Hunterdon Behavioral Health Advisory Committee, Hunterdon County Elderly Law Coalition, Central Hunterdon Municipal Alliance, Hunterdon
County Safe Communities Coalition and the NJ State Police Motor Vehicle Race Track Safety Unit. Still today Smitty belongs to several of
these Community Organizations.
Through his work with these community organizations, Smitty ensures that there is a substance abuse prevention component involved in the events they
hold. Smitty has close ties with all Hunterdon County licensed providers of substance use prevention and treatment, including (in alphabetical order)
DayTop, Hunterdon Behavioral Healthcare, Hunterdon Drug Awareness Program and Hunterdon Prevention Resources. Smitty also puts out weekly emails
keeping local community leaders aware of the latest drug trends and other issues centered on substance abuse. Smitty lives in Readington Township
with his wife Marianne of 42 years. They have two children, Kimberly and Todd, along with two grandchildren, Kailee and Nick. It is through his
career spanning efforts, focused not only on law enforcement, but with special dedication to helping those in the substance use communities
(both providers and clients), that HDAP dedicates our 2012 Frank P. Masterson Jr. Award to Robert W. Smith (Smitty).
We were also proud to have last year's Frank P. Masterson, Jr. Award recipient Linda Stampoulos there to make a speech and present the award to Smitty as well as his current
boss, Sheriff Frederick W. Brown who made a speech before the presentation of the award to Smitty.
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Graduate Speeches
Over 80 graduates, family
members, friends, graduate alumni, probation officials, sponsors, Hunterdon County administrators, Hunterdon County Surrogate, Hunterdon County Freeholders, State Assemblyman Erik Peterson, and HDAP staff and board members were in attendance this year
(Please visit coverage of our previous client graduations: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006).
This year we continued at our new location, Razberry's. The flow of events followed previous year's events, in that
all graduates were asked to speak, and did so with moving speeches about the impact addiction had on their lives and the significant changes
they have made. Their powerful speeches showcased the impact addiction can have, captured the struggles they went through, and sometimes continue to overcome,
and also showcased the power of their recovery from addiction! These powerful positive changes included family reunification, stable employment (one
graduate has started his own company!), and other great accomplishments. Some members had difficulty speaking without becoming emotional, as is expected with such dramatic changes, and such great accomplishments.
HDAP staff and board would like to extend our
sincere thanks to the graduates and their support network. Recovery from substance abuse/dependence is not an easy task for anybody. However, it is
the support of significant people in one's life that helps the recovery process become more successful. Personal growth, the restoration of significant
relationships, and reintegration back into the workforce are just three keys to addiction recovery being successful and to its longevity ... and they were again key themes in this years graduation ceremony.
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Dignitary, Staff and Past Client Speeches
State Assemblyman Erik Peterson spoke eloquently to the graduates about their accomplishments, and to Smitty regarding his award.
We had a 2011 graduate give a very moving speech regarding his struggles with addiction and continued work
in the recovery process, and the accomplishments he has had in the past year, including employment in the healthcare field!
Clinical Director Jass Pelland and Executive Director Glenn Duncan both spoke at the ceremony, Jass, Glenn and clinicians Clifford York, Monical Mangual, and past clinician Mark Hodkinson
introduced each graduate by telling about some of their struggles and success, then each graduate was handed their certificate.
We received many compliments about the quality of the food and atmosphere that Razberry's provided for this occasion. We are grateful for all our staff and grateful to all those
who put in the work needed to make this year's ceremony a great event. Below are the HDAP staff members who made significant contributions that helped make this ceremony
such a successful event. I would like to thank all of the HDAP staff for their help and their role in making this event such a resounding success. It is due to the dedication and professionalism of the HDAP staff that make us
one of the best (if not the best in my humble opinion) treatment providers not only in Hunterdon County but throughout the State of New Jersey. - Glenn Duncan, Executive Director.
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Alumni and Staff Event Recognition
We would like to recognize the people that made this event possible, from conceptual ideas to the actual participation in HDAP's
7th Annual Client Graduation & Recognition Ceremony. They are (in alphabetical order):
- Mary Hanley
- Donna Meck
- Raffaella McAllister
- Cindi McCormack
- Helen McIntosh
- Jass Pelland - Committee Co-Chair
- Jill Piperata - Committee Co-Chair
- Vivian Prado
- Clifford York
We would like to extend a special thank you to a former staff member, Mark Hodkinson for attending and speaking
on the work he did with some of the graduates this year.
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Hunterdon Drug Awareness Program, Inc.
8 Main Street, Suite 7
Flemington, NJ 08822
Phone: 1-908-788-1900
Fax: 1-908-788-3836
info@hdap.org
Glenn Duncan, Executive Director
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