Behind the Scenes with Brianne Messisco

Brianne Messisco is the Office Manager for Alternatives in Treatment.

Q: Brianne, how long have you worked at Alternatives?
A: Coming up on nine years.

Q: What positions have you held in that time?
A: I have had a couple different positions here at Alternatives. I began as a House Manager and was then moved to Utilization Review Coordinator, which I did for over 5 years. I have since been promoted to Office Manager for the last year or so.

Q: How did you become interested in this field?
A: I grew up in this field. My Grandparents started a Treatment Center before I was even born, so I have always been around the Treatment Center setting.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your work here?
A: The most rewarding is when client alumni come back and have stayed clean since they left. When they look you in the eyes and thank you from the bottom of their heart, it gives me goose bumps. That’s why I do what I do.

Q: You obviously maintain a busy schedule, between work and raising children.  How do you manage to find time for yourself?  Do you have any hobbies or things you do to treat yourself?
A: That’s a great question. There is no time. I work full time and take care of my girls full time. There is not a lot of time left in the day for me. We are, however, big baseball fans and whenever our Phillies are in town to play the Marlins, we head to the stadium.

Q: Often you are the first one a prospective client or family member speaks with.  What are some of the concerns they might have?
A: When people call, either for themselves or for a family member, they’re scared. I am honest with them and let them know about the options. But first and foremost, I let them know that our concern is the addict. We want them to get help, whether it’s here or somewhere else.

Q: I know that you’re familiar with other treatment centers and that you have friends who work at other local treatment centers.  What do you see as the differences between those programs and Alternatives?
A: I’m never exactly sure what happens in other treatment centers, but whenever I describe Alternatives, I say that, “We are honest and we do what we say we are going to do. And, that the addict is our number one concern.” I’ve heard too many stories from friends and people in the rooms about how they were lied to, or that they simply didn’t get good treatment where they went for help. We keep it very real at Alternatives and our concern is the client. We do whatever we can to help everybody who walks through our door.

Q: What do you see as the primary obstacle our clients face when completing treatment?  Is there something that you see getting in the way of their recovery?
A: Too often, they get in their own way. If they used what they learned while here and take ALL recommendations, their chances of staying clean are very good.  There are people who think they know everything and that they’re not teachable – and they usually end up back here. At least those who return after failing have a chance. Not everybody is that lucky, and it’s a very sad but real part about working in this field. Not everybody makes it.

Q: What advice do you offer to the families of our clients?
A: I suggest Al-Anon. I also ask family members to be sure that they’re not enabling an addict, because you may be keeping them from their bottom, which may be what they need to reach, to start the process of getting clean. This is life or death.

Q: What do you like most about working at Alternatives?
A: I love working at Alternatives because we really are a big family. Everyone truly enjoys coming to work and enjoys being here (most days).  We all come to work with the same purpose, to help those suffering from addiction. It’s very rare to find a job that you can say you enjoy, but I really do love everybody at Alternatives and love coming to work everyday.

Paul: Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.
Brianne: You’re welcome.