Education

PIR Partnerships

SIGMA CHI
College campuses across America have suffered many alcohol and drug related tragedies. Our alliance with Sigma Chi is one of our most enduring PIR Programs. The Sigma Chi alumni who attend the program not only learn about the disease – they also learn how to remove the stigma that is often associated with alcoholism so that they can address the subject with ease. College students are more responsive and willing to engage honestly with the alumni who are able to talk candidly about alcoholism and drug addiction. The men who have attended the Sigma Chi PIR Program have continued to receive further training and been invited by many univer sities to provide presentations. The response of the student body has been positive and far-reaching. They are touching lives and making a difference.

LOMA LINDA
The Betty Ford Institute is now in the second year of partnering with Loma Linda University School of Medicine in the two–week Clerkship PIR Program. The 4th year medical students attend the family program their first week and spend their second week in the Residential Day Treatment program. Without exception the students have reported that their experiences have enlightened them about the disease in such a way that they understand it is a treatable disease and they have a responsibility to their patient. In addition to spending the majority of their time with the family members and patients, they also attend an Al-Anon meeting and an AA meeting. The students also meet with our physicians for the didactic component of their education. Students report that they will use their prescription pads in the future to prescribe AA and Al-Anon, encourage sponsorship, and monitor patients who are addicts with a sense of partnership in their recovery process.