Dr. Katherine Lenore Carlson, MD

I have now had Contact with Project Reality for a little over a year and defiantly need a Review update as I now consider myself a “seasoned” Client who has experienced many aspects of Projects services. A lot of people write a review and then move on, forgetting about even giving a review. I am one of those people but the experiences I have had here have such an impact on my life that I am Compelled to come back to my original review and completely rewrite it from the beginning so the people who follow in my footsteps can benefit from my years experience and know the value Project Reality offers and to believe in themselves as I know project reality has and will not let us down if we follow through with the services we agree upon… That being said…. Just over a year ago I finally decided to do something about my addiction and my life when feeling the bottom of the rope with my toes on which I had slid all the way down after neglecting my health, family, employment and anything… else that I had going for me in this life. I felt nearly hopeless but I knew I wasn’t helpless… I heard about Project Reality through word of mouth in the circles I was involved in and honestly nothing I had heard was very flattering but there was one constant to the stories…. They had helped people, maybe not in the way of fashion those people preferred but help was being provided and it was cheap if not free, well cheaper then doing what I was doing daily. So I called and scheduled an “intake” appointment where I was notified it would be all morning starting early, like really early 6 am kind of early so be prepared. I wasn’t required to bring anything except myself and to be at least starting to experience withdrawal as they asked me not to use or take any type of illegal substances 12 hours before the meeting. After answering a ton of questions and providing a urine sample which was tested immediacy next door then speaking with A doctor who was the actual prescribing physician I was approved to begin the process of participating in my recovery from the low I was currently experiencing. That easily and that quickly I was already on the right path, well that’s how I felt after taking my first Dose of Methadone which was given to me the same day I was approved during my first intake appointment. That same day, that very morning… That meant a lot to me as I was experiencing the difficult withdrawal from opiates which is a major obstacle for a lot of people when choosing to do something different with their life. I unfortunately had experienced the process of opiate or alcohol withdrawal more times then I could recount so when I realized that project reality made the effort to address these feelings I was experiencing With Compassion, they expedited the intake process to get me the Methadone, free from judgment for my benefit, made the first positive impression. All while the Clinic was alive and busy, buzzing with activity that early in the morning. This was a taste of the good things yet to come and they took time to impart those feelings for my benefit. Welcome. That’s exactly what was communicated the first day with project reality and I came to realize over the year that it was a big effort on the part of the ENTIRE staff from the front counter folks to the Social worker doing the intake and the doctors assessing my viability for the prescription to the awesome people administering the methadone with a smile and good morning from every employee I came in contact with even though I was a complete stranger, they treated me with respect, dignity, kindness…. Like a friend. Well I didn’t realize I was going to be their friend through the daily interactions yet to come. But they knew I would be a friend. Its an amazing thing to be treated this way when at that point in my life I didn’t think I was deserving of anyone’s respect let alone an actual friendship. This is something project reality has provided to me over the year and nothing can compare to the help that alone has been to me. To be treated as a person and not an addict was the beginning of the experience. I was provided case management assistance to the degree I choose to have, it did not feel as if anything was forced upon me at all, from the beginning I was an active participant in my treatment plan and this was something I was defiantly not used to or expecting and I appreciated it immensely, it empowered me to want to change, this didn’t feel like punishment or probation at all, I mean I choose to participate so why not have the power to have a say in how my experience was going to proceed? I was expecting what I was used to…. To be treated as a “problem” or another “number” sometimes even “more work” a “hopeless case” “waste of resources and time” Not here at project reality. Even when I make mistakes or have setbacks in my treatment plan I am never shown any disrespect, always shown understanding because they have the confidence in the fact they know what they are doing when it comes to peoples recovery and the potential every person has, no one is left behind or given up on because when a Social worker gives up on a client or feels they are just a hopeless case it subconsciously communicated through their future interactions and the client feels the bad vibes. This is what I have experienced my entire life until I fell into project realities yard. Because of the amazing job everyone at project reality is doing it changed the trajectory of where my life was heading, I can honestly say that I believe I would not be here today if it was not for the stellar performance of my Social worker and the work she is doing on all of her clients behalves. When interacting with her I can see in her expressions and eyes she really does care about what happens to her clients and the excitement shown when positive goals are achieved