The History of PDAP
The Palmer Drug Abuse Program (PDAP) was founded in 1971 by Father Charlie Wyatt-Brown, the Rector of Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. Father Charlie reached out to a recovering addict, Bob Meehan and offered him love, support, and hope. Bob, in turn, began working with adolescents and parents in the church and began a support group in the basement. Through their collective experiences, these men recognized that there was a youth population affected by drugs and alcohol. They took it upon themselves to develop a support program focused on recovery through acceptance, love, and understanding. A vision was developed to reach young people who were lost on drugs and bring them into a new and sober lifestyle. Over the past 45 years, PDAP has gone from its inaugural meeting of six teenagers to positively affecting thousands.
Stewart and Sara credit PDAP for their own personal sobriety and are grateful for the support it gave their families when they needed it. With a desire and a calling to share recovery with those still suffering with addiction they began their lifelong career with PDAP in 1978 in Houston and Dallas. They were transferred to Hobbs in 1982 to open the Palmer Drug Abuse Program of Lea County.
Meet Our Staff
Stewart Sroufe
LADAC, NCAC II, SAP
Executive Director
Stewart oversees fundraising and all services provided by PDAP to substance abusers and their families. He spends much of his time working with parents of substance abusers, both in an individual and group setting. Stewart prides himself on the daily operation of a fiscally responsible non-profit providing free services for families affected by substance abuse. He served as the Chairman on the Counseling and Therapy Practice Board for seventeen years. Stewart has received many professional accolades over the years including “Outstanding Citizen,” presented by the Hobbs Board of Realtors, the “Paul Harris Fellow Award” presented by the Hobbs Rotary Club and the “Lifetime Achievement Award,” in recognition of a lifetime commitment to adolescent recovery awarded by the Association of Alternative Peer Groups.
Sara C. Sroufe
LADAC
Senior Counselor & Prevention Coordinator
Sara counsels women in recovery, families and children. Her passion is working with children affected by substance abuse. She leads weekly support groups for women in recovery and the “Special People” group for children of addicts. Each year during Red Ribbon Week, along with many volunteers, she writes, records and performs puppet shows in elementary schools promoting staying drug-free. She has been presented with many awards over her career, Including “Outstanding Young Woman” presented by the Hobbs Jaycees, “The Abigail Tomlinson Award” for her work with children, the “Janet Seagraves Lifetime Achievement Award” presented by Hobbs Women’s Network, and “Outstanding New Mexico Woman” presented by New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women.
Shannon Pickering
LSAA
Substance Abuse Associate
Shannon Pickering, CPSW at PDAP works with many women in recovery and children affected by substance abuse. She joined the PDAP staff in January 2018, after being involved in PDAP as a group member since 2012. In December of 2020, she graduated with her Associate of Arts in Psychology and will begin to pursue her LADAC. Shannon has been married to her husband Jeromie for 15 years and together they have 4 boys. She is also an active member at Cowboy Junction Church. When Shannon is not giving back to our community, she loves to travel with her family.
Donna Choate
Office Administrator
Donna Choate joined the Palmer Drug Abuse Program staff in 2014. She works in the office assisting with the Fund Drive and office duties related to the organization. Prior to joining PDAP, Donna worked at the City of Hobbs as the Senior Center Director for 30 years. She was born and raised in Hobbs and graduated from Hobbs High School. Donna also attended the University of New Mexico and graduated with a degree in Business Education. When Donna isn't working, she loves to play golf with her husband, Ronny and enjoys traveling to watch the Atlanta Braves with her two sons.
Betty
Service Dog
Betty has been a part of PDAP since 2011. She came to us from Assistance Dogs of the West. She is a beautiful Golden Retriever. Betty serves many functions during her work hours at PDAP. She is used during individual sessions by her handler, Sara. Also, Betty works with the groups that Sara leads. Betty handles each situation with an amazing amount of intuition. When play is required she does just that. From being dressed up by children to playing fetch. When she needs to comfort an individual she does just that, too. Sometimes her presence alone brings a great amount of comfort and peace to those in the counseling setting. In those situations, Betty knows her presence and attention is all that is needed, and she provides just that. She has proven to be a great addition to the team at PDAP. None of us want to admit this, but she may be the smartest staff member we have.
Betty was awarded the “John Henry Award” in 2012, for her outstanding work as a service dog in New Mexico. We encourage you to take a look at the link, and read some of the specific stories of Betty’s work.