Donated Musical Equipment Enhances Treatment Services at the New Mexico Men’s Recovery Academy

West Caldwell, NJ March 11 -

Program residents at the New Mexico Men’s Recovery Academy (NMMRA) in Los Lunas, New Mexico recently started a new music program with the help of The Freedom in Music Project. This New Mexico-based non-profit organization coordinated the donation of guitars, curriculum books/sheet music, music stands, gig bags, tuners, extra batteries, extra strings, cleaning cloths and a humidifier for the facility. The equipment is on loan to NMMRA for as long as the facility participates in the project. Six acoustic guitars were donated by The Fender Music Foundation, an independent public nonprofit that provides musical instruments and equipment for music education programs across the United States.

“We have experienced success with incorporating arts education into our evidence-based treatment programming,” said Angela Dannenbring, Director. “Music can be an aid to positive and cognitive thinking that supports the recovery treatment services we provide here at the Recovery Academy. It has been very well received with the residents.”

Inside the Everglades Re-Entry Center, CEC provides the therapeutic The New Mexico Men’s Recovery Academy provides reentry treatment services for offenders referred from the New Mexico Corrections Department. Services include substance abuse treatment, individual & group counseling, family services/parenting skills, anger management classes, educational/GED training and 12-step programs.

“It is our goal to bring hope through music to at-risk youth and adult offenders. We see over and over again the amazing effect that music can have on these individuals and its transformation power cannot be underestimated,” said Linda Oliveria, Vice President and Treasurer at The Freedom in Music Project.

Director Dannenbring noted that the musical equipment made an impact on a recent family services day. As residents and their families gathered at the facility to take part in the family services reentry treatment program, a spontaneous “sing-a-long” occurred using the donated guitars that included families, residents and staff.

“Family members joined in singing and playing the guitar, and the clinical staff joined in as well,” said Director Dannenbring. “The family day was a huge success and the music provided an atmosphere of healing and peace. “

NMMRA has identified several volunteers from the community who will now come into the facility to teach the residents how to play music. Programs in the arts which include the creation of artwork, poetry and writing groups have been successfully incorporated into CEC’s treatment programming. Art therapy combined with the company’s traditional forms of reentry treatment provides an opportunity for residents to learn problem solving and decision making by using creative expression.

Community Education Centers, Inc. (CEC) is the leading provider of offender reentry and in-prison treatment services in America, operating in 17 states and the Commonwealth of Bermuda. CEC provides a full range of therapeutic residential and non-residential reentry services with a documented record of reducing recidivism.