Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Lowe.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. After college and marriage, I moved to Chicago where I started my first professional job as a computer programmer for Sears, working at the Sears Tower. That was in 1976 when the computers took up several floors and the programs ran on punch cards and huge tape reels. The screening for the job included several aptitude tests. I have always liked mysteries and puzzles and problem-solving so I am guessing that was the personality profile they wanted. I loved the logical, straight forward aspects of programming, but it was very isolating. There was little opportunity to work with other people which I did not like. After starting a family and moving to Florida, I took a job as an office administrator and assistant to the minister in the church I attended.
The job was perfect for being able to take care of my two young boys and, unlike my previous job, I worked with people ALL the time. After the kids were in high school, I decided to combine the love of problem-solving and the joy of working with people and went back to school to get my Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling. I was fortunate to have a variety of experiences in mental health counseling, but once I started working in the field of substance abuse, I knew that is where my heart was. I started working at the Drug Abuse Foundation in 2001 as an outpatient primary therapist, worked in several different capacities over the years and have never regretted my decision to be a part of DAF.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life is all about obstacles and challenges. I have had personal and professional challenges and obstacles, but everyone has taught me an important lesson that has made me a better person. In past years DAF has had to deal with downsizing and changes in programs due to funding and grant issues. We are always trying to find ways to do more with less. And working in this field presents daily challenges. Personally, I have survived cancer treatment and am now in remission and have experienced the normal ups and downs of parenthood. Having a wonderful family, amazing grandkids and doing work I love has allowed me to put the challenges and obstacles in prospective. I am grateful for every day, no matter what is thrown my way.
Drug Abuse Foundation of Palm Beach County – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from others?
It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to work in a mental health agency as a clinical director and given the opportunity to work for an underserved population in Palm Beach County is a dream come true. As a clinical director for a not for profit chemical dependence treatment and prevention agency, for nineteen (19) years, our agency was founded with a special focus on at-risk pregnant women who require substance abuse treatment. As part of Drug Abuse Foundation’s executive staff and leadership team, I also serve on Drug Abuse Foundation’s Internal Management Council along with the CEO, COO, and Director of Residential Services. I supervise programs and make sure all clients coming for services, at any level, are provided with what they need to change and improve their lives.
We have already treated upwards of fifty (50) pregnant and postpartum women alone in the past year and upwards of one-hundred and fifty (150) women and children total. This does not include the fifteen (15) newborns which were born to mothers during their treatment at Drug Abuse Foundation and to which my team and I have provided adjunct care and assistance with necessary outside care and services. I am incredibly proud to work for the largest publicly supported substance abuse treatment center in Palm Beach County Florida that is dedicated to client care and providing the best programs possible. I have been a major part of implementing programs specific to addressing the opioid epidemic. This opioid epidemic has led to a cascade of community problems, among which is the trauma being visited upon very young children whose parents neglect and abandon them due to their use, overdose and/or death.
Drug Abuse Foundation is operating a new program that will impact the lives of women and children suffering from substance abuse- The Center for Women and Children (CWC). A residential substance abuse treatment center where pregnant and postpartum women and their infants can live at the facility and receive treatment and support services. These programs are responsive to community and client needs and are saving and changing lives. I am developing programs that will teach parenting and coping skills as well as substance abuse treatment and we will provide wrap-around services for them. Seeing the work the moms are doing to make their lives better and being around the new babies has been especially rewarding.
Tell us about your favorite and least favorites things about our city.
I have lived in South Florida for over 30 years and I think it is the greatest! I can’t think of anything I don’t like. It is a wonderful place to raise a family as there is so much opportunity to be involved in outside activities from sports to scouts to just playing in the neighborhood. We have a lot of tropical fruit trees in our yard which I love. I never tasted a mango or a lychee before moving to Florida. I don’t know how I existed without them! By the end of summer, I get tired of the humidity, but then, by the end of winter I got tired of the cold and snow when I lived north so, comparatively, the humidity is not so bad.
Contact Info:
- Address: Drug Abuse Foundation of Palm Beach County
400 S. Swinton Ave
Delray Beach, Florida 33444
561-278-0000 x162 - Website: www.dafpbci.org
- Phone: 561-278-0000
- Email: Kim_Rolston@dafpbci.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Drug-Abuse-Foundation-of-Palm-Beach-County-Inc-299930286774393/posts/?ref=page_internal
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dafpbc
Image Credit:
Tony King
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