Woodhaven Way
Third Edition
Summer 2025
A Summer of Purpose, Progress, and Possibility
A Season of Impact
This summer at Woodhaven Recovery has been a season of steady growth and shared purpose. We have watched boys build confidence in their recovery, families grow closer through honest connection, and our community strengthen in ways that will carry us forward.
The weeks have brought new learning, personal victories, and celebrations that once seemed impossible. Challenges have been met with courage, successes have been shared, and the spirit of encouragement has been constant. We have watched tentative steps become confident ones.
This edition of Woodhaven Way is a celebration of that journey. It honors the perseverance, compassion, and hope that continue to guide us, and reminds us of what is possible when we walk this path together.
Hope has found its place in the steady steps we walk together.
Recovery Principles
Step by Step, Day by Day
This summer, boys stepped more fully into the work of recovery using our approach that recognizes young people need something different than what works for adults in recovery. We strengthened our step curriculum, pairing staff and boys to encourage accountability, consistency, and trust. These partnerships helped make recovery something not only taught, but lived.
Morning groups explored topics such as powerlessness, identity, humility, and long-term sobriety. Evening reflections and in-house AA meetings deepened the work, while community meetings, including Monday nights at Covenant, connected our boys to the larger recovery network.
In August, we hosted a Sober Celebration that brought together families, friends, and our extended recovery community. Six individuals were honored for meaningful milestones, including staff and community members whose dedication continues to inspire. The celebration echoed with applause and joy as stories unfolded: stories of persistence, of families finding their way back to one another, and of people achieving goals once thought out of reach. The night was filled with gratitude, pride, and connection, a reminder that recovery ripples outward through love, service, and steady growth.
Recovery is not just taught here, it is lived every day.
Woodhaven Academy
Education as Empowerment
The end of the academic year brought new students to the classroom, welcomed with encouragement and support. Final projects included student-selected capstone assignments and a group analysis of the manga Uzumaki by Junji Ito, exploring themes of cycles and breaking patterns that sparked surprising connections to recovery.
Students demonstrated not only academic growth but also greater maturity, engagement, and pride in their learning. Targeted interventions kept students on track and challenged them, blending personal development with academic preparation.
We celebrated our first graduate from our New Hope Lane campus. It was a proud moment for our entire community. He has since moved to Woodhaven on Mulberry and will begin college this fall, carrying with him not just a diploma but the confidence that he can build whatever future he chooses. During the graduation celebration, all students were recognized for specific academic achievements, and the day was filled with superlatives, laughter, and heartfelt moments. Our community presented our teacher with a special gift in honor of his lasting impact on our students, a testament to how transformation happens through relationships.
Woodhaven–Keystone Partnership
A Gateway to Possibility
One of our most exciting developments this summer is our new partnership with Keystone College, just two miles from our New Hope Lane. Selected boys will take online and in-person courses, earning both high school and college credit, providing a strong academic advantage for life after Woodhaven.
For boys who once doubted whether high school graduation was possible, this program opens doors to envisioning a future with direction and purpose. I think about one boy who initially could not imagine himself in college. Now he is actively planning his academic path. With support from our academic team and Keystone’s dedicated staff, they are not only imagining that future, they are stepping into it.
Keystone’s $100 per credit tuition helps remove financial barriers and makes higher education genuinely accessible. For boys who have struggled in traditional settings, this path is more than an opportunity. It is proof that they are capable of more than they once thought possible and that their past does not define their potential.
Summer Academy
Creativity, Contribution, and Courage
Our Summer Academy blended recovery-based enrichment with creative exploration. Students engaged with literature, music, and film through recovery-themed discussions and media analysis. Highlights included our ongoing book club, pairing recovery films with Big Book comparisons, and trail project days preparing reflective spaces for each step.
One of the most engaging projects was our culinary series, led by Chef Len. Students planned, budgeted, prepped, and cooked for the community, building skill, confidence, and connection. As part of the series, they created handwritten weekly menus that included favorites like cucumber salad, meatballs, meatloaf, baked macaroni and cheese, BBQ chicken, Philly cheesesteaks, and inventive sandwiches.
Service was also a focus. Students volunteered at Factoryville’s Creekside Day, a community event for local families, and began a regular volunteer partnership with Friends of the Poor, where Spanish-speaking students provided valuable assistance.
Learning happens in the community as much as the classroom.
Recreation
Building Joy and Connection
At Woodhaven, we believe joy is essential to healing and we are committed to helping our boys rediscover old interests and find new passions that will sustain them in recovery. This summer brought countless hours exploring swimming holes in local creeks, where boys learned to trust the water and each other. The creek has become a favorite gathering place, where some of our most honest conversations happen without planning.
Wooded hiking trails became spaces for reflection and friendship. Fishing expeditions taught patience, persistence, and the quiet satisfaction of waiting for the right moment. Several boys discovered a genuine love for fishing, spending hours perfecting their technique and swapping stories by the water.
Our teacher began writing music with boys who play guitar, creating original songs. Regular trips to the Keystone gym helped others channel energy into fitness and strength. And when boys asked for more carnival visits, we made it happen, four in one summer. Each one was filled with laughter, shared victories on the midway games, and the pure joy of being young and sober. Go-kart adventures were such a hit that the question now is not if we will go back, but when.
Recreation helps our boys trust, take healthy risks, and rediscover that sober life can be fun, meaningful, and full of possibility. This year also brought the chance to attend NEPA Soberstock together, an event that celebrated recovery through music, fellowship, and connection.
We help our boys rediscover old interests and find new passions.
Family Program
Connected in Hope
Thursday evening virtual family groups remain a cornerstone of our program. I am joined by Deidre and Sarah, two extraordinary mothers who have turned their own experiences into a lifeline for other families. Week after week, they show up with wisdom shaped by hard seasons and a deep commitment to helping parents navigate this path.
Weekly topics have included:
Letting go of the timeline
One day at a time vs. future-tripping
Saying no, setting expectations, and finding the line between helping and enabling
Trust, transition, and the dignity of risk
Supporting ourselves while supporting our children
Our family facilitators don’t just facilitate these conversations, they live them. They share readings from Courage to Change, offer gentle guidance rooted in their own journeys, and create a space where parents can be open about their fears, hopes, and struggles. Between meetings, they check in with parents who need someone who truly understands.
As one parent shared, it is not just about understanding our loved one, it is about understanding ourselves too. In Deidre and Sarah’s hands, Thursday evenings have become more than support groups. They are safe spaces where honesty is welcome and hope is renewed.
These evenings have become safe spaces where honesty is welcome and hope is renewed.
Strategic Planning
Preparing for Life Beyond Woodhaven
Our boys have spent the summer not just reflecting on where they have been, but actively preparing for the independence that awaits them. This comprehensive approach includes practical life skills training through our partnership with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, focusing on budgeting, career exploration, and independent living skills that are crucial for long-term success.
We focus on real-world skills: budgeting for an apartment, exploring career paths that match their interests, and building the confidence to navigate challenges independently. We explore college options together, strengthen school partnerships, and refine personalized transition plans that honor where each boy is in his journey.
Whether boys are returning home, moving to Mulberry, or preparing for Woodhaven Cottage, our goal remains the same. To help them step forward with confidence, practical skills, and the knowledge that support is always available when they need it.
We provide comprehensive preparation while maintaining ongoing connection and support. Professional partnerships with colleges, clinical providers, and recovery organizations continue to strengthen our continuum of care, ensuring that leaving Woodhaven means joining a broader network, not going it alone.
We prepare them for independence while ensuring they know they’re never alone.
Woodhaven on Mulberry
Growth in Action
The young men at Woodhaven on Mulberry are making impressive strides in both recovery and independence. Several are preparing to start college this fall at institutions including Penn State Scranton, Johnson College, and Lackawanna College. Other young men are continuing their academic path while working and living in our sober community. Two have co-founded a young person chapter of AA in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Mulberry residents regularly return to our New Hope Lane to mentor and encourage younger boys, lead AA meetings, share meals, and offer one-on-one sponsorship.
Renovations are underway on the first floor, with bathroom updates to follow, making the residence even more comfortable and supportive.
Woodhaven Cottage
A New Step Toward Independence
Opening September 2025, Woodhaven Cottage is located on our New Hope Lane campus, adjacent to Woodhaven Manor. The Cottage provides residents with an opportunity for sustained growth as they progress in their recovery and maturity.
Woodhaven Cottage features private bedrooms and a small kitchen, allowing residents to enjoy a comfortable living environment while continuing to participate in all amenities and support structures at the Manor. This setting facilitates the ongoing development and application of life and social skills among their peers.
The Cottage represents an important step in our continuum, offering increased independence while maintaining connection to our community and support systems.
Independence flourishes when rooted in strong community
Community Recognition
Celebrating Courage and Commitment
We are proud to share that Luke DeRosa, our Lead Certified Recovery Specialist, has been awarded Caron’s 2025 Community Youth Leadership Award. Luke will be honored at the Greater Pennsylvania Community Awards Breakfast this fall for his exceptional commitment to supporting adolescents in recovery.
Luke brings empathy, leadership, and professional expertise to his role. He holds Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) and Certified Family Recovery Specialist (CFRS) certifications and is pursuing a social work degree at Misericordia University. What stands out most about Luke is how naturally the boys connect with him. His presence creates a belief that recovery can be both real and lasting.
This recognition highlights the caliber of professionals who choose to dedicate their careers to adolescent recovery and reflects the growing reputation of Woodhaven’s work in the recovery community.
Living proof that dedication and service create meaningful change
Where effort, heart, and service meet
With Gratitude
This summer has reminded us that lasting change happens when hearts and hands join in a shared purpose.
To our residents: thank you for choosing hope over fear, growth over comfort, and connection over isolation. Your willingness to be vulnerable, to ask for help, and to keep moving forward on the hardest days shows us what strength truly looks like.
To our families: thank you for walking this path with unwavering love and fierce commitment. Your trust in our community, your own healing work, and your dedication to rebuilding relationships create the soil where recovery can take root and grow.
To our staff: you are the steady presence that makes transformation possible. Your ability to see potential in every moment, to hold space for both struggle and celebration, and to believe in futures that others might doubt is the heartbeat of our mission.
To our own families who sacrifice so much to support this work: thank you for understanding the long hours, the emotional investment, and the commitment this mission requires. Your support makes it possible for us to show up fully for the young men and families we serve.
To Deidre and Sarah: your generous hearts and lived wisdom have created sanctuary for families at their most vulnerable moments. You have turned your own stories into bridges of hope, and your impact reaches farther than you may ever know.
To our partners in the adolescent treatment and recovery community: thank you for trusting us with the young men you serve and for believing, as we do, that healing is strongest when we work together.
To our broader network of supporters: thank you for believing every young person deserves a chance to write a new chapter. Your encouragement, resources, and advocacy help us extend hope to families.
Together we are building lives of purpose, connection, and possibility.