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Andrew's Compassionate Legacy Mission
Substance use disorder is not a choice or a moral failing; it is a chronic disease condition similar to hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Like other chronic disease conditions, substance use disorder requires monitoring and adjustments in therapy, which may include medication, counseling, lifestyle changes, and environmental management. Setback rates across chronic conditions are comparable: substance use disorders 40-60%, hypertension 50-70%, and asthma 50-70%.
Substance use disorder can produce severe changes in the brain, including changes in reward, stress, and decision-making circuits. Neuroplasticity allows the brain to reset and rewire those circuits when treatment is adequate and sustained. Medication assisted therapies, psychotherapies, and environmental control strategies can support healthier brain function and increase the likelihood of recovery.
Andrew’s Compassionate Legacy believes that no person is better than another and that no one should be singled out or treated as the “other.” Research and clinical experience show that substance use disorder is often connected to trauma, loss, grief, depression, anxiety, and other serious health risks. Substance use can activate the brain’s reward system through chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. When those substances wear off, withdrawal may bring anxiety, depression, cravings, insomnia,
agitation, restlessness, mood changes, gastrointestinal distress, and musculoskeletal pain. Andrew’s Compassionate Legacy manages withdrawal with safety, comfort, and compassion as the highest priorities. Medication-assisted therapy is tailored to each client’s goals and may continue throughout the recovery process. Long-term medication assisted therapy is not a failure; just as people with diabetes or hypertension may need ongoing medication, many clients with substance use disorder benefit from continued evidence-based treatment.
Andrew’s Compassionate Legacy was created to honor Andrew by reducing barriers to effective care and helping clients receive timely, respectful treatment before a crisis becomes irreversible. In the United States, more than forty million people have substance use disorders, according to epidemiological studies, and that number does not include people who do not disclose substance use because of social stigma or fear of job loss. Relapse can be part of the physiological process of substance use disorder. As with other chronic diseases, treatment plans, goals, and counseling strategies may need to be adjusted over time. Andrew’s Compassionate Legacy believes that a strong providerclient alliance is essential for successful treatment. The client is the expert in their own health and recovery, and the provider’s role is to offer direction, support, safety planning, and evidence-based care. Therapy should be matched to each client’s individual needs. This approach reflects Dr. Carl Rogers’s principle of unconditional positive regard and Page 2 of 5 humane respect for each person.
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Dr. Gina Hardage-Athetis, MSc, FNP-CB, PsyD, PhD
Dr. Gina Hardage-Athetis holds advanced clinical and behavioral health training, including MSc, FNP-CB, advanced certification in addiction with specialization in opioid use disorder, PsyD, and PhD credentials.
Areas of Specialization
• Treatment for opioid use disorder
• General health exams and diagnoses, with appropriate care and specialty referral when needed
• Grief, loss, and trauma treatment therapies
• PTSD-focused treatment therapies
• General health exams and diagnoses, with appropriate care and specialty referral when needed
• Grief, loss, and trauma treatment therapies
• PTSD-focused treatment therapies
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Multicultural integrative therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Change talk therapy
• Patient-centered therapy
• Individual therapy
• Patient-centered matched group therapy
• Spirituality-based care, when appropriate to the individual client’s needs
• Anxiety-related patient-centered therapies
• Mindfulness breathing exercises to reduce anxiety
• Interactive workbook therapy
• Gestalt empty-chair technique, designed to explore unresolved emotions and conflict
• Depression-related patient-centered therapies
• Blood work and urinalysis appropriate to care
• Imaging studies ordered when necessary
• A positive drug screen indicates that the care plan may need adjustment.
• Full prescriptive authority
• Medications prescribed to relieve withdrawal symptoms
• Simultaneous medication and psychotherapy support for co-occurring mental illness, chronic health conditions, episodic care needs, and substance use disorders, when appropriate
• Collaboration with appropriate health care providers from different disciplines, including primary care providers, based on each client’s needs and goals
• Safety plan implementation for each client and their support people
• Community stakeholder education and implementation strategies
*Clients whose substance use disorder requires partial or full inpatient care will receive appropriate referrals.
*Clients with uncontrolled severe mental illness will receive appropriate referrals.
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Dr. Gina Hardage-Athetis & Drew with Andrew’s & Elizabeth’s Childhood Photo
Drew, husband of Dr. Gina Hardage-Athetis, and father of Elizabeth and Andrew. He is the “glue” that held our family together following Andrew’s passing. Drew has been completely supportive of mine and Elizabeth’s efforts for a purposeful life following Andrew’s passing. Our family’s much loved husband and father.
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Elizabeth, sister and best friend of Andrew
“Whether we’re overcoming adversity, trauma, or anxiety, surviving, and dealing with stress, having a sense of purpose, and perspective in our lives, allows us to develop understanding, and move forward. Without purpose, meaning, and perspective, it is easy to lose hope, become numb, become overwhelmed by our emotions or circumstances. We feel reduced, less capable, and lost in the face of struggle.”
“The heart of spirituality is connection. When we believe in that inextricable connection, we don’t feel alone. Practicing spirituality is what creates healing and resilience.”
By Elizabeth Athetis