Page One Page Two Page Three From Dependency to Victory It's difficult to distinguish them from any other successful women. There are no obvious signs that they've battled chemical dependency and won. They seamlessly fit back into society, attending college and graduate school, obtaining responsible positions in workplaces of all varieties, even entering the ministry. The stories they could tell. The lessons they could teach. The lives they could save! On May 16, more than a dozen women, who are now victorious over a variety of chemical dependencies, will share the old and new chapters of their life stories to help raise funds, so that other women might have a chance to recover at The Women's Treatment Center. Discover how many returned to school, how many are pursuing law enforcement -- and which recent summa cum laude grad is studying for her law school entrance exam. Find out which one has delivered sermons in several large churches throughout the Chicago area. See whether you can guess how many of them are early childhood teachers, and which ones today are substance abuse treatment professionals. They are the stars of TWTC, inspiring women who are making a positive difference in the lives of those they encounter at work and at school. Perhaps most important, they have become positive role models for their children. Bet you can't guess which one of them has six! Join us on May 16 to support TWTC -- and each of the lives that have turned around here. Joint Commission Renews TWTC Accreditation The Women's Treatment Center has successfully completed its third review by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. A Joint Commission team, experienced in the delivery of behavioral health care services, evaluated TWTC against a set of national standards. Following that rigorous review, the Joint Commission once again awarded TWTC accreditation. "Accreditation shows that we make a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis, from the top down," explained TWTC Executive Director, Dr. Jewell Oates. "We seek accreditation," Dr. Oates added, "because we want to be the best facility in the country. Obtaining Joint Commission accreditation is a critical component in our pursuit of excellence." According to Mary Cesare- Murphy, Ph.D., executive director of the Joint Commission's Behavioral Health Care Program, "Achieving accreditation demonstrates The Women's Treatment Center's commitment to provide high quality care." Dr. Oates noted that accreditation is attainable only through the cooperation and communication among staff members. "Everyone at TWTC plays a vital role in working to meet the standards. I think it gives them a feeling of pride and prestige to work in an accredited facility," she said. "They also appreciate the educational aspect of the Joint Commission's on-site survey and the opportunity to interact with the team that is reviewing us, so that we can develop into an even finer organization that can serve as a national model."