Staff Spotlight: Jan Weng & Jonathan Alston

At Samaritan Inns, the mission to provide compassionate and effective addiction recovery services continues to evolve to better serve those longing for the hope of recovery. Jonathan and Jan, directors of the Intensive Treatment Program and Men’s Treatment Program, embody this mission. They have worked together for several years to ensure the transition between the first 2 phases of our continuum of care is as smooth as possible. Now, they’re working together even closer to further this mission.

In the past, when you’d graduate from the first phase of treatment, you’d have to move to a new building. Now, both phases are housed in Lazarus House, residing on the same floor but on separate wings, sharing meals and fellowship, while conducting classes and counseling by phases.

“The convenience is significant. When they transition from one treatment process to the next, it’s right here in the same building,” explained Jan. He further emphasized the reduced operational costs and the streamlined transportation needs. “It saves a lot of money. They had to be transported back and forth, and that’s no longer needed.”

Jonathan emphasized that this shift allows staff to be more responsive to the needs of each resident. With the programs combined, clinical staff can tailor counseling and support to each person’s stage of recovery in a more flexible and creative way.

While excitement for this new integrated approach is palpable, Jonathan and Jan do recognize the challenges that may come with this integrated approach. Residents in the early stage of treatment require a more structured, closed environment as they go through withdrawal and work to build a baseline for their recovery. Meanwhile, phase 2 clients are beginning to re-engage with the wider community and re-establish independence.

“We’re navigating how to allow for some interaction between these two groups while ensuring safety and maintaining the integrity of the early-stage treatment process,” said Jan. “There’s potential for residents who are further along to provide mentorship to newer clients, but it has to be monitored.”

Individualized Care in Private Spaces

Another key improvement is the increased access to private rooms. Before, when the first phase program was housed in rowhomes, clients lived in shared rooms, having to navigate withdrawal in public. Now, they will have private rooms with shared spaces such as bathrooms and dining areas. This gives residents, particularly those in the first few weeks of acute withdrawal, a quiet, personal space to rest and recover.

“Having the room to be able to allow for whatever they’re going through to ease them into a more intense process is really vital,” Jan shared.

Furthermore, Jan explained how this individualized approach extends to counseling, allowing staff to adjust strategies based on each client’s physical and emotional state. “We can be more flexible with how and when we engage clients.”

Both Jan and Jonathan stressed the importance of treating not just addiction, but the underlying trauma and mental health challenges that often accompany it. Many clients arrive with untreated trauma and co-occurring disorders, which complicate the recovery process.

Jonathan emphasized that “A lot of them have experienced trauma and untreated trauma is just something waiting in the closet to smack you at some point.”

With our new approach, with a stronger emphasis on individual treatment and therapy, we feel confident in our abilities to go further and deeper in addressing those unique challenges our clients face on the road to recovery.

A Message of Hope Renewed

Changes may come to their programs but Jonathan and Jan continue to remain committed to the hope of recovery.

“My hope has always been to just get folks to the door of the recovery process so they can open it up and step through,” Jonathan confessed. “Even folks with those negative attitudes and who are having difficulty separating themselves from [their past], if we can just get them to that door and get them to open it and take a peep in, they’ll take the opportunity to move forward.”

“I mean, helping people understand that their story is a good one,” Jan added. “It’s a good starting point in understanding why you want to stay sober. So the hope is that they begin to understand about themselves that there’s a part of [them] that struggled in life and now [they] understand that struggle…and can use it to move forward.”

With dedicated staff such as Jonathan and Jan, streamlined recovery programs, and a deep commitment to holistic care, Samaritan Inns continues to be a beacon of hope for individuals and families affected by addiction in the District of Columbia.