Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Student Personally Impacted by Loss of Loved Ones to Addiction and Suicide Aims to Help Others with Recovery Centers of America Scholarship

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May 16, 2019, 12:10 ET

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Recovery Centers of America ("RCA") announced the winner of a new $1000 scholarship program for students pursuing a degree with a mindset towards helping individuals and families struggling with addiction.

Rachel Tanner-Smith from Nashville, Texas was awarded the RCA 2018 Scholarship. Rachel is currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Nursing program, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track. When she graduates, Rachel plans to work in an outpatient psychiatric practice as an in-network provider and also hopes to do contract work with local treatment centers. She currently works as the director of a nonprofit meditation center and as a licensed professional counselor in private practice (LPC).

"I made a commitment to share the great hope of recovery with as many people as possible," says Rachel. "I can improve our local community by becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and providing affordable care to community members in need... There are few providers offering psychiatric medication services and many do not accept insurance. Even fewer psychiatric providers specialize in, or are willing to treat, clients with addictions…," she explained.

Rachel grew up in a small town in Western Kentucky. She related that addiction has taken a great toll on her life…

"The losses in my life have been great: 3 friends to suicide and six former clients from unintentional opiate overdoses or by completed suicides. I believe their trajectories would have been different if they'd been able to access the care they needed. A bright fire burns inside my heart, stoked by every funeral I've attended and the hand of every grieving parent I've held. We can do better and people don't have to keep dying," she stated.

Rachel said that several close friends have survived substance use disorder relapse and overcome depression with the aid of treatment and medication. She said that she won her own battle with addiction in 2002, thanks to successful high-quality treatment.

Recovery Centers of America sponsors an annual $1000 scholarship program for students in the United States that are currently or prospectively enrolled in an accredited college, university, or trade school. RCA has treated close to 25,000 patients since 2016. Recovery Centers of America's success in helping battle drug and alcohol addiction is based on providing affordable treatment in an atmosphere of dignity. RCA's treatment centers are normally located within an hour and a half's drive from a patient's neighborhood; the treatment is offered in-network with most insurance companies so there is less financial and emotional stress on families.

Recovery Centers of America (1-800 Recovery) provides evidence-based comprehensive addiction treatment at six inpatient residential facilities in Devon, Pennsylvania; Mays Landing, NJ; Westminster and Danvers, Massachusetts; and Earleville and Waldorf, Maryland. A full spectrum of Outpatient treatment is also provided at many of these facilities and in Vorhees, NJ. RCA also provides Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) at many of its treatment centers and at its facility in Trenton, NJ.

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Contact: Terri C. Malenfant
Recovery Centers of America
[email protected]

SOURCE Recovery Centers of America