Hope and Hospitality: What It Means to Be Part of St. Christopher’s Inn
As we celebrate Women’s History Month and Social Work Month, we’d like to recognize two women of Graymoor who embody the hope and hospitality of our foundress, Mother Lurana. Our social workers at St. Christopher’s Inn, Andrea Sicina and Mary Anne Fielding, are truly practicing At-One-Ment at St. Christopher’s Inn. Meeting the needs of others, no matter their background is at the heart of what these women do. Both women reflected on how social workers and mental health professionals make a difference at SCI.
Since the founding of St. Christopher’s Inn, social workers, healthcare professionals, and administrators have dedicated their careers to supporting men in the program as they work to overcome the challenges of addiction and substance abuse. Serving about 110 men at any given time, St. Christopher’s Inn successfully blends professional and compassionate treatment with Franciscan hospitality to lend physical,emotional, and spiritual healing from addiction. No one is turned away, and every background is respected. Working with an evidence-based approach, social workers and mental health professionals dedicate hours toward counseling, encouraging and, most importantly, reinforcing positivity, so that these men can recognize God’s love on their path toward recovery.
Andrea joined SCI a year ago and works as a counselor. “I’ve always wanted to help people build healthier lives and it always starts with mental health,” she said. “Saint Christopher’s shows our gentlemen how structure and accountability can be positive, healthy and even needed in staying sober.”
Like Andrea, Mary Anne credits her mom for who she is today. She noted, “As corny as it is, my mom taught me so much about having a strong work ethic and how important it is to always work towards your goals.“
Mary Anne has worked in compliance at SCI for 25 years. She is currently the Chief Compliance and Resolution Officer. Her early career background and training as a social worker in mental health services, coupled with her desire to show everyone compassion to anyone struggling with addiction, has made an impact on both staff and our Brothers Christopher. In her role at SCI, Mary Anne shared the importance of having “the responsibility of ensuring that everyone receives the clinical training to serve our Brothers Christopher at the highest level.”
The SCI mission of dignity and respect for all resonates with Mary Anne. “We are always striving to be there for our Brothers Christopher the best way possible.” That includes becoming accredited by CARF, an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services, and providing the “gold standard” of patient-centered care. “We have the ability through our diversified and committed staff to pay attention to the ever-changing needs of our Brothers Christopher and evolve and provide clinical services that align with their personal needs,” Mary Anne noted.
Mary Anne recognized her gifts early in life and was inspired to follow her mother’s career as a therapist. “I’ve always enjoyed learning about people, hearing their stories, and working with them to sort through and heal,” she said. “During my college years, I focused on social work, case management and the addictions population. After I finished my Master’s degree in social work, I continued to expand my clinical skills with further training so that I could help others in the best ways possible.
