Station House Retreat Appoints Mark Lamplugh

Mark Lamplugh

Station House has been helping first-responders heal and recover through their innovative treatment, assisting public safety workers in returning to their lives and continuing to help others. The Station House rehabilitation center is excited to announce the recent addition of Mark Lamplugh, as Senior Vice President of Business Development, to help expand the program.

Mark brings with him an impressive background as a fourth generation firefighter, and former Captain of the Lower Chichester Fire Company in Pennsylvania. His first-hand experience as a first-responder has attributed to his national recognition in Crisis Stress Intervention through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.

“I’m excited that Mark is joining our team to create awareness for this serious problem,” said Admissions Director Jeffrey Bowers. “Studies have shown over 20% of first responders suffer from alcoholism and PTSD.”

Station House works with police officers, firefighters, veterans, corrections officers, dispatchers, emergency medical service professionals, and other public safety workers who face problems with addiction, trauma, and PTSD. Clients typically participate in the program for 30 days and most costs are covered by private health insurance.

“I’m excited to represent a program that only admits first responders,” said Mark. “It’s difficult to ask police officers to be in a therapy group with the same individuals who they arrested the week before.”

Station House is set up utilizing a peer-support group model, believing that by surrounding clients with patients and professional staff of similar backgrounds, the client will be more receptive to treatment, leading to better outcomes.

“Successful recovery requires a client to feel comfortable expressing themselves,” said Dr. Liza Weiss, Clinical Director of Station House. “Station House creates an environment where clients can talk freely in a community of their peers.”

The American Society of Addiction Medicine’s treatment guidelines champion addiction treatment in a specialized, peer support environment for first responders and public safety workers. Current guidelines state: “Most safety sensitive positions take their oath of duty to heart; the breach of this commitment engenders shame. Safety-sensitive workers need to disclose, accept responsibility, normalize, and learn to present any future breach without excessive self-castigations. Participation in group therapy and/or support groups by individuals who have similar work issues and who conduct themselves under the same professional codes for ethical behavior is essential for a return of a healthy self-concept, and for a decreased probability of relapse.”

A study by Swatt, Gibson, and Piquero in 2007 reported that 23% of police officers had serious issue with alcohol use, which compares with 9.8% of the general population. A study by Ellen Kirschman in 2006 concluded, “15% of officers who tried to commit suicide had prior history of excessive alcohol consumption.

Various studies have found that up to 37% of firefighters may be suffering from some level of PTSD at any given time. The spike in endorphins caused by a traumatic event can cause similar symptoms as withdrawals such as anxiety, depression, emotional stress, and increased cravings for drugs and / or alcohol. According to Alcohol Research & Health, “many of those with PTSD will turn to alcohol as a means of replacing the feelings brought on by the brain’s naturally produced endorphins”. This reaction accounts for the fact that over 50% of those suffering with PTSD exhibit alcohol dependency, and over 30% exhibit drug dependency.