World Renowned Addictions Experts Agree..."The St. Jude Program Remains the Most Effective Program in the Country."

Prof. David J. Hanson, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Sociology of the State University of New York at Potsdam.

Dr. Hanson is the author of "Preventing Alcohol Abuse," and "Alcohol Education," and has also researched the subject of alcohol and drinking for over 40 years, beginning with his Ph.D. dissertation investigation. Shortly thereafter, he began a continuing series of nationwide studies of collegiate drinking over time. He has received alcohol research grants from federal and state agencies His publications and scholarly papers number over 300 and textbooks in over a dozen fields of study report his research. Dr. Hanson has served as alcohol consultant to the Canadian government and testified on Capitol Hill; his research has repeatedly been reported in the New York Times and other major newspapers, where he is frequently quoted; and he has appeared as an alcohol expert on the "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw," the BBC's "The World Tonight," the "Dr. Laura" television program, MSNBC's "Live," CBC's "Daybreak," the Fox News Channel, "CNN Saturday," etc...

"It's understandable why people struggling with alcohol and drug problems often feel helpless and hopeless. The message usually given to them is not only incorrect but often counterproductive- it's frequently worse than doing nothing. The vast majority of alcohol and drug treatment programs are unsuccessful with most people because they are based on false assumptions and use questionable techniques. However, the Saint Jude Program, which is based on scientific evidence, smashes that rigid mold. Instead of teaching people that they are powerless, it helps them to harness their internal drive and power, to apply that power in an effective way, and to build the life they want."

Prof. David R. Rudy Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology and Dean of the Institute for Regional Analysis and Public Policy at Morehead State University

Dr. David Rudy, Professor of Sociology and Dean of the Institute for Regional Analysis and Public Policy at Morehead State University and author of "Becoming Alcoholic, Alcoholics Anonymous and the Reality of Alcoholism."

"During much of the past century, there has been a consistent trend to increasingly medicalize behavioral issues. Viewing behaviors, for example heavy drinking and alcoholism, as diseases is a flawed model. Drinking, heavy drinking, and alcoholism are behaviors and their causes are many and diverse. It stands to reason that alcoholism and substance abuse treatment approaches that are based on facts are more likely to provide an environment for success than those that are based on beliefs. The St. Jude Program series does just that. Through a fact-based approach, the programs educate, motivate, and empower substance users to make choices and decisions that will lead to self and life control."

Prof. Laurel Sharmer, PhD, MPH, CHES (ret)

Profesor Sharmer has spent her career working in the field of public health. She has conducted and published research on drug and alcohol use among college students, beginning with her doctoral dissertation. In addition, she has been invited to numerous national conferences to present her research about substance abuse among young people.

Her research has focused primarily on evaluating current methods of reducing harm from alcohol consumption among young people and determining if any methods are successful in changing knowledge, attitudes or behavior.

"For more than a century, American society has treated excess alcohol and drug use as an illness in need of treatment, and this attitude has brought about a multi-billion dollar treatment and "rehab" industry. But after decades of providing treatment, the public health figures remain unchanged: cirrhosis of the liver continues to be one of the top ten causes of death among Americans, with alcoholism being the primary contributing factor; nearly one-third of traffic fatalities are caused by drunken driving; fetal alcohol syndrome remains the number one cause of preventable birth defects in the US; and families continue to be torn apart by alcohol and drug addiction. Clearly, the treatment model doesn't work.

The St. Jude Retreats offer not treatment but a path to long-term personal strength and confidence. Independent professional evaluations of the program have shown it is remarkably effective in helping individuals break out of the revolving door of helpless dependence on the treatment system and an external "power." The large majority of those who complete the program find they can indeed overcome physical addictions and achieve their long-term goals of life happiness and self efficacy."

Kenneth Anderson, MA

Founder and CEO of - Harm Reduction for Alcohol - (HAMS)

Kenneth Anderson is the founder and CEO of HAMS, a lay-led, free-of-charge support group for people who want to make any positive change in their drinking habits, from safer drinking to reduced drinking to quitting altogether. He is also the author of " How to Change Your Drinking: a Harm Reduction Guide to Alcohol." Mr. Anderson has been working in the field of harm reduction since 2002.

"St. Jude's is the only addiction program that I know of in the US which hires an independent research corporation to track their success rates and publishes all the data for everyone to see on the World Wide Web. This is amazing in an industry where fudged data is the standard. St. Jude's can do this because the success rate is high and the dropout rate is low.

Research demonstrates that increasing self-efficacy is the best way to help a person overcome an addiction and move on with building a life. Twelve step programs destroy self-efficacy by telling people that they will die unless they admit they are powerless. Twelve step programs trap people into an endless cycle of rehabs and AA meetings. The St. Jude Program, by way of contrast, enables people to resolve their problems permanently and move on with their lives. I am happy to recommend the St. Jude Program to anyone who is seeking a residential program to overcome their addictions "

Dr Joy Browne

Nationally Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host and Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Joy has won numerous awards for her work including the American Psychological Associations President's Award, the Talkers Magazine award for Best Female Talk Show Host, #10 on the list of the 25 Greatest Radio Talk Show Hosts of All Time, and has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Talk Show Hosts. She has been singled out for News/Talk National Personality of the Year as well as Syndicated Talk Show of the Year by Radio & Records Magazine every year since the list was formed.

Additionally, Dr. Joy has been a guest on numerous popular television shows such as Lou Dobbs Tonight, The Early Show, Oprah Winfrey and Larry King Live.

"At last, a program for addiction that acknowledges choice and responsibility and can really work. I liked it so much, I agreed to voice the Audio Book for the Saint Jude Home Program."

Joseph G. Vacca, Ph.D.

National Institute of Health Post Doctoral Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Boston University Medical School

"Finally someone has built a program to help people struggling with addictions, utilizing the latest research and technology available. As scientists have uncovered more and more about how the brain works, Baldwin Research has incorporated that information into a comprehensive program for self improvement. People literally learn how to reinvent themselves and plan for a better future, regardless of their past struggles."

In Memoriam
Dr. Joseph G. Vacca III
January 22, 1944 - October 1, 2010

Dr. Joseph G. Vacca III was a graduate of Bishop Gibbons High School where he was a member of the varsity cross-country team and the varsity basketball team. Dr. Vacca received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from St. Michael's College, and he received his Master's Degree and Ph.D. from The State University of New York at Albany. He conducted postdoctoral studies at Boston University School of Medicine on a NIH Research Fellowship and at Beth Israel Hospital - Harvard University Medical School. He was a member of the Electron Microscopy Society of America. He began his career as a manager in the Material Science and Engineering sector at General Electric Company's Research and Development Center located in Niskayuna, NY and then at GE's Medical Systems Division in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Subsequent to his GE career Dr. Vacca served as Director of Marketing, Survivor Support for The AYCO Company, L.P. of Albany, a Goldman Sachs company. Dr. Vacca was a NYS certified addiction counselor and was a Sr. Research Fellow at Baldwin Research Institute, Inc. until his death, October 1, 2010. In addition to Dr. Vacca's lifelong research career, he was a lifelong athlete. Dr. Vacca was a member of the local Schenectady Road Runners running club (Schenectady, New York,) a volunteer coach and mentor for a locally based Kenyon Marathon Running team and a 10 time New York City Marathon runner himself, achieving a personal best of 2:59:02 in November of 1981. He was active as a coach in local youth baseball for both Northside Little League of Schenectady and Niskayuna Babe Ruth and he was a Harley Davidson Motorcycle Enthusiast. He was a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.

Joe is remembered most for his enduring courage, his brilliant mind, his engaging persona and warm smile and his grand enthusiasm for life.

Excerpts from The Daily Gazette Co. October 5 to October 6, 2010