About BriteLife Recovery Pennsylvania

Our Philosophy: Healing Through Connection

At BriteLife Recovery, we believe that both substance use and mental health challenges stem from disconnection—from self, from others, and from a sense of meaning or purpose. Although the origins of disconnection are complex and often rooted in trauma or adverse experiences, we view these challenges not as evidence of pathology, but as responses of a nervous system and psyche doing their best to cope without adequate safety and support.

Healing begins by rebuilding connections: reclaiming personal identity, fostering healthy relationships, and cultivating a meaningful relationship to something greater, whether through values, community, nature, or spiritual belief. Recovery is more than symptom reduction; it is the restoration of wholeness, agency, and authentic well-being.

Integrated, Whole-Person Care

Because substance use and mental health conditions frequently coexist and influence one another, effective care must address the full complexity of each person's experience. We recognize that recovery is rarely linear, and we are committed to offering responsive, coordinated care that evolves alongside each individual's unique path toward healing.

Our integrated model brings together medical, psychiatric, clinical, and wellness services to support the whole person. This unified approach allows us to support each client and their loved ones with compassion, continuity, and deep respect for the interconnected nature of healing.

Trauma-Informed Care

We know that trauma and adverse life experiences often underlie the emotional, psychological, and behavioral patterns that bring individuals into treatment. Rather than treating trauma as separate or secondary, we integrate trauma-responsive principles throughout our care, providing a foundation of safety, empowerment, and compassion.

Our Hanover Campus

Located at 544 Iron Ridge Road in Hanover, Pennsylvania, our facility sits on expansive grounds that provide both tranquility and opportunities for outdoor programming. The campus features modern treatment spaces, comfortable accommodations, and amenities designed to support healing and wellness.

Facility Features

Our Hanover location includes multiple buildings housing detoxification and residential treatment services. The facility offers spacious group therapy rooms, an auditorium for larger gatherings, comfortable common areas, and outdoor spaces for recreation and nature-based programming.

Rooms are shared, with private rooms available at an additional cost. The campus is designed to feel more like a wellness retreat than a clinical facility, helping clients focus on recovery in a supportive, comfortable environment.

Treatment Programs

Detoxification

Our medically supervised detox program provides round-the-clock care during the withdrawal process. With nursing staff available 24/7 and oversight from our medical director and team, clients safely and comfortably withdraw from substances in a supportive environment. We offer medication-assisted treatment when clinically appropriate.

Our detox programming includes seven groups, each targeting a specific coping skill that clients can practice immediately. These skills include guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, self-compassion, breathwork, meditation, adult coloring, and affirmations. Each group includes a brief educational component, hands-on practice, and reflection time.

Residential Treatment

Our residential program offers intensive, 24-hour care in a structured yet flexible environment. The average length of stay is 28 days, with 30 days recommended for comprehensive treatment. Clinical staff are available seven days a week, ensuring continuous support.

Clients participate in individual therapy sessions and attend three group therapy sessions each day. Our group programming is carefully designed to blend structure with the flexibility needed to address real-time issues, build authentic connections, and heal interpersonal wounds.

Inpatient Mental Health Treatment

In addition to addiction treatment, our Hanover location offers specialized inpatient mental health programming for individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions. This program provides the same level of intensive care and support as our substance use treatment, recognizing that mental health challenges require comprehensive, compassionate treatment.

• Rooted Awareness: Understanding the Self with Nature's Help
• Returning to Joy: The Healing Power of Play in Nature
• Making Peace with the Past
• From Grief to Gratitude: Nature as Companion on the Healing Journey
• Food as Medicine: Nature Nourishes
• The Power of Release: Letting Anger Flow

Adventure Recovery

The experiential component of these groups is facilitated by Adventure Recovery staff with a clinician in attendance. The Adventure Recovery model incorporates mental health awareness and recovery-based practices to facilitate transformative, healing experiences. Experiential activities create space to explore, experience awe, embrace beginner's mind, and overcome limitations—real or imagined. Following the experiential component, the clinician leads a process-driven group for members to deepen into their experience and how it reflects or relates to other parts of their lives, behaviors, and relationships.

Focus Groups

These traditional psychoeducational groups cover focused topics with the goal of increasing knowledge and awareness. Topics may be addiction-specific (Science of Addiction, How Substances Affect the Brain, Strategies to Maintain Sobriety, Triggers and High-Risk Situations) or recovery-adjacent (Attachment Styles, Forgiveness, Anger Management, Mindfulness-Based Skills).

Evidence-Based Therapies

Our clinical approach incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and specialized curricula addressing relational trauma repair, shame and vulnerability, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles.

Holistic Wellness Services

Our commitment to whole-person healing includes integrative wellness services that support clients in reconnecting with their bodies, regulating their nervous systems, and cultivating balance across mind, body, and spirit. Our Hanover campus offers an extensive wellness program including yoga, meditation, art therapy, and other complementary therapies.

Family Support

When clients choose to involve loved ones, we provide education and resources to foster healing for the whole system. Our BALM® (Be A Loving Mirror) Family Recovery Program offers free weekly, two-hour virtual sessions for all families. These groups teach the 12 principles of family recovery and provide ongoing support for as long as families need it.

Life at BriteLife Hanover

Daily Structure

Clients follow a structured daily schedule that includes individual therapy sessions, group programming, wellness activities, and free time. The schedule is designed to provide stability while allowing flexibility to address individual needs as they arise.

Communication

During detox and residential treatment, phones and laptops are not allowed except through technology contracts that are carefully monitored and personalized to each client's needs. This technology-limited environment supports focus on recovery and building authentic connections. We try to limit technology use as much as possible while recognizing that some clients may need limited access for work or family responsibilities.

Dining

Under the direction of our executive chef Joe and his culinary team, we offer gourmet dining with varied menu options each week. All dietary restrictions can be accommodated, and our culinary team creates meals that are both nutritious and delicious. The food at BriteLife Hanover is consistently praised by clients as exceptional.

Recreation and Activities

Our Hanover campus offers extensive recreational opportunities both on and off campus. The spacious grounds provide opportunities for outdoor activities, nature walks, and recreation. We also organize supervised outings to local attractions and community events.

Clinical Team

Our leadership team includes Dana Kaufman (Executive Director), Dr. Boatwright (Medical Director), Tanya Felix (Director of Nursing), and Keith Stromberg (Director of Operations). Our full clinical team includes board-certified physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, licensed therapists, certified Nature-Informed Therapy facilitators, registered nurses with addiction specialization, case managers led by Lindsey Fultz (Client Services Supervisor), and behavioral health technicians supervised by Dan Morgan.

Our Pennsylvania location benefits from more robust psychiatric services than many treatment centers, with regular access to psychiatric evaluations and medication management when needed.

Discharge Planning and Aftercare

One of our greatest strengths is our comprehensive discharge planning process, which begins on day one of treatment. Case managers work closely with clinical staff to create individualized continuing care plans that address real-life barriers and set clients up for sustainable recovery.

We help every client build supports that continue beyond discharge, including referrals for ongoing therapy, sober living arrangements, FMLA paperwork, and connections to community resources. Our alumni program includes virtual support groups and in-person events, fostering lasting connections among those who have completed treatment at BriteLife Recovery.

What Makes Us Different

Our group work stands out for its careful balance of structure and dynamism. While we have robust curricula and frameworks, we don't rigidly follow manuals at the expense of addressing what's actually happening in the room. This approach allows clients to make authentic connections, work through real-time conflicts, and heal the interpersonal wounds that often underlie addiction.

With over 32 hours of group therapy per week compared to just a few hours of individual therapy, our group programming is where the transformative work truly happens. We've designed our curriculum to engage clients, make meaningful connections, and heal interpersonal wounds through a blend of structure and dynamism.

Commitment to Inclusive, Dignified Care

BriteLife Recovery is committed to providing treatment that is trauma-informed, culturally humble, and respectful of every individual's dignity. We affirm people of all ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and spiritual traditions. We practice authentic leadership, cultivating a workplace rooted in transparency, shared purpose, and personal growth—because the way we care for one another shapes the way we care for those we serve.

Serving South-Central Pennsylvania

Our Hanover location is ideally situated to serve individuals and families throughout south-central Pennsylvania, including York County, Dauphin County, Lancaster County, and surrounding areas. We're easily accessible from major cities including York, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Baltimore, and beyond.

Accreditation and Insurance

BriteLife Recovery Hanover is accredited by The Joint Commission and licensed by the state of Pennsylvania. We accept most major insurance plans, including BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, United Healthcare, Cigna, Optum, UPMC, and others. Our admissions team can verify your insurance benefits and guide you through the admissions process.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, our compassionate admissions team is available 24/7 to answer questions and begin the journey toward recovery.