Announcing the Winners of the Ashley Career Achievement Awards

Ashley Addiction Treatment is a proud sponsor of the National Conference on Addiction Disorders (NCAD): Navigating Passages to Recovery, held from August 16 – 20, 2017 in Baltimore, MD!

Since 2008, we have chosen the backdrop of this important conference to present the Father Joseph C. Martin Award for Professional Excellence. The Father Martin Award is given annually to a professional who embodies Father Martin’s legacy of treatment with dignity, respect for the value of 12-step programs, and continuous focus on the ways to help educate and treat individuals and their families, helping them achieve lasting, long-term recovery.

Father Martin is among the most impactful figures in the history of addiction treatment and we are proud to celebrate his legacy by acknowledging the important contributions of others in the treatment field. This year’s Father Martin Award winner is Mr. Richard “Dick” Prodey.

In addition, in 2016 we created the Ashley Addiction Treatment Innovator Award to celebrate innovation and forward thinking and to recognize the achievements of newer members of the treatment field. The winner of the 2016 Ashley Addiction Treatment Innovator Award is Caroline Fenkel of the Center for Families located in Malvern, PA.

Please join us at the Plenary Presentations the morning of Saturday, August 19th at 8am as we honor these accomplished treatment professionals.

Winner of the 2017 Father Martin Award – Mr. Richard “Dick” Prodey

Ashley is proud to present the 2017 Father Joseph C. Martin Award to Mr. Richard “Dick” Prodey. Since 1979, Prodey has presented a weekly series of eight lectures on Alcoholism and Chemical Dependency to audiences of addicts, their families, and health professionals at The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital in Towson, Maryland.

In the words of Mark Santangelo, President and CEO of Kolmac Clinic, “Not only has Dick Prodey provided an invaluable resource to the community, but hundreds of patients through the years have credited his addiction lecture series as their first step on their road to recovery. Congratulations, Dick – well deserved!”

From 1980 to 1986, Mr. Prodey was Coordinator of the Alcoholism Program at Sheppard Pratt, where he was responsible for the education and treatment of alcoholics, other drug addicts and their families. For more than thirty-seven years, Dick Prodey has provided educational and consultant services to high schools, colleges, church groups, businesses, professional associations, and addictions treatment facilities in the greater Baltimore area. He has lectured on addiction and recovery to lay and professional audiences at conferences, hospitals, businesses and health-care facilities across the United States.

Mr. Prodey holds Masters Degrees in both Guidance and Counseling and Education. He taught Alcohol and Drug Counseling to students in the Graduate Division of Loyola University Maryland. He has been a member and advisor of the Boards of The National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Maryland Chapter, The Getting Them Sober Foundation, and Jobs, Housing and Recovery in Baltimore. He has been a consultant to Baltimore Peer Education, a program of peer-led health education that operates in private schools in the Baltimore area.

In June of 2005 Dick Prodey retired from his position as Director of Guidance and Counseling at Loyola Blakefield. He lives with his wife, Pam, in Eldersburg, Maryland. His wife and three of his five children have also worked counseling alcoholics, other addicts and their families.

The Center for Families’ Caroline Fenkel, Winner of the 2017 Ashley Addiction Treatment Innovator Award

Caroline Fenkel’s passion lies in helping heal adolescents through the use of experiential therapy, group therapy, and animal-assisted therapy. Her career began with her love for horses: She majored in equine studies and minored in psychology at Delaware Valley University, then completed her master’s degree in social work at Bryn Mawr College. From there, she combined these two passions through practicing equine-assisted therapy and other forms of experiential therapy, including Relational Trauma Repair under the direct supervision of Tian Dayton PhD.

Amy Hetrick, Owner of Thornbury Farm House said, “Caroline Fenkel’s constant dedication to helping young adults and adolescents who suffer from substance abuse disorder and issues with mental health is immeasurable. From her dedication to opening the center for families in Malvern Pennsylvania, her work with developing equine programs to sharing her knowledge on C-SPAN and CNN, Caroline’s passion is an inspiration to many. Caroline is an innovative and enthusiastic contributor to the field of addictions and a pioneer in family focused treatment.”

Caroline has worked with adolescents and young adults at all levels of care, at numerous national programs, including Rehab After School, Adolescent Advocates, Mainline Health, Elements Behavioral Health, and Newport Academy. Caroline’s innovation and drive has sparked the creation of Center for Families, a healing space for teens and their families in Malvern PA. She is often assisted by her therapy dog, Graham. Caroline is currently earning her doctorate in clinical social work from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Center for Families at Malvern is a safe place for teens and families to find community support, education, and sustainable healing for mental health and substance abuse struggles. Family therapy is a highly effective evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse. However, for many parents, family therapy is associated with feelings of shame, stigma, or being judged. At the Center for Families, we embrace families with open arms. We subvert the stigma and shame associated with mental health struggles by providing our community with compassion and connection.