User:Salarmyvet

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Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Poughkeepsie, NY
''' (570 Main St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, phone: 845-471-1730)

The Salvation Army is a religious, charitable organization which, amongst other activities, runs rehabilitation centers for men and women with drug, alcohol, homelessness and other problems.

Salvation Army ARC in Poughkeepsie, NY is a work therapy program. This means you work a 40 hour week in one of several positions. You may, as a "beneficiary" of the program, find yourself working in the sorting room(sorting clothes and other items), on the baler (presses clothing into a bale for shipment), on the trucks (picking up or delivering donations), on the desk (answering phones and routing calls), as a truck dispatcher, or in the kitchen.

In addition to the required 40 hour work week, a beneficiary is required to attend in house A.A. and other groups, and such outside A.A./N.A. (or similar groups) as directed from time to time.

When first admitted into the program (6 month minimum), a beneficiary is under restriction. You may not use the in house pay phone for 14 days, and you may not leave the "house" for 30 days. Telephone use for doctors or to contact family/friends may be done through the housemen who must contact your counselor to do so. You must have approval for any doctor's visits within the 30 day restriction period from your counselor.

After the restriction periods, you may not use the in house pay phone during work therapy hours (7am to 4pm). You may sign out on your days off, and you must sign back in and be breathalyzed. Failure to sign out or sign in will result in PRT (private reflection time) which is actually a restriction. Failure to bring your Bible to mid week chapel, Bible study or Sunday chapel can result in PRT (Bibles are provided).

The Poughkeepsie Salvation Army ARC does not discriminate on the basis on religion, or lack thereof, and has not been known to turn away persons on the basis of sexuality.

Beneficiaries start out at $5 a week (the first week's "gratuity" goes toward your lock for your clothes locker)and increases a dollar a week until a maximum of $15 dollars in reached.

The program is in four phases, with each phase change being acknowledged during mid week chapel with a certificate. Phase four requires you to start looking for employment.

Beneficiaries live approximately six persons to a room (6 persons in individual beds to one bathroom shower). Higher phases (such as Phase 4) get a private room (generally a separate room with a door off a "group" room).

In Phase Four a beneficiary is expected to look for employment. If employed, the beneficiary can stay at the ARC for a period of time, the end goal though being a transition to having a residence elsewhere.

Most Salvation Army ARC's are not known for their cuisine, but the Poughkeepsie ARC is a jewel among the ARCs in that it boasts probably the best chef of any S.A. ARC (and probably most ARCs), Bryan Murphey, and a food fare (created by Bryan)that cannot be rivaled within the ranks of the Salvation Army.

The Poughkeepsie Salvation Army ARC is located in a former firehouse, built approximately 1898. The present Captain (Ron Bernardi) admits the place is a "dump", but it is definitely not a "welfare hotel". "Gary the Handyman" keeps the place in as best shape as possible considering the age of the building, the budget for repairs, and the overall feasibility of his prioritizing of repairs.

Beneficiaries are handed a rule book when they arrive, but it is slim. The staff readily admits that if all the rules were printed it would be a very thick book indeed. In which case you may find yourself breaking rules you did not know about.

Two rules not in the rule book are: 1) no use of cell phones even if you are on your own time outside the building and 2) no driving a car, even if you are a licensed driver and have a car. Getting caught can result in PRT.

The overseers at the present time are husband and wife team Captains Ron and Judi Bernardi. They are both ordained ministers in the Salvation Army.