December 14, 2002

To Whom It May Concern,

My purpose for this correspondence is to provide a letter of recommendation for Doctor James Brass of Affordable Services.

My 11 year old son, Joshua, has had problems with depression and poor behavior for approximately the past 5 years. He was treated by a Child Psychiatrist for some time, who immediately prescribed an anti-depressant. Joshua did not respond to this medication, or the five subsequent ones prescribed. Josh was ultimately hospitalized, which we came to find out was really just a “band-aid” and only a crisis stabilization for his problem. Josh followed up with his psychiatrist and after months of expensive therapy, we did not see any improvement. Months passed and Josh seemed to be sinking deeper into depression and was feeling like he wanted “to die”. It was then that we were referred to Dr. Brass or Jim as we call him. After Jim met with our family and spoke with Josh, it was his recommendation that Josh enter his residential treatment program for 28 days. During Josh’s stay at Jim’s home, he was provided a thorough evaluation and treatment, consisting of one-on one therapy in a non-traditional setting. Our family visited with Josh every Sunday, and my husband and I went weekly for treatment updates which included going over progress notes and discussing ideas for problem resolutions for when Josh was to return home. After just one week, we noticed a marked improvement in Josh’s mood and behavior and subsequently each week thereafter he continued to progress. Josh completed his 28 day course at Jim’s and then returned home, where we all felt much more equipped to deal with problems that may arise.

It has been approximately seven months since Joshua returned home from Jim’s and we still are pleased with the progress he made at Jim’s. Occasionally, Josh has set-backs, but they seem to be temporary and we are using tools learned in dealing with such problems. Also, Jim is always available to us by phone should we need to call him for help. I firmly believe all of this progress could not have happened without the experience and sincere dedication of Dr. Jim Brass. I would highly recommend him to anyone whose child is in need of similar treatment and I would not hesitate to have Josh return there if ever warranted.

I am happy to provide this letter of recommendation for Dr. Brass, and I am always available to speak with other parents via phone or correspondence who are faced with similar circumstances.

Cordially,

G. S.

(Please call Dr. Brass for name and number)