At Valley Spring, we believe healing doesn't happen in isolation. Our outreach team builds bridges between those who need help and the community that can provide it — one relationship at a time.
Michael O'Sullivan, Brian Cellary & James Sands lead our outreach
Before we tell you about our outreach programs, hear from the people who have experienced them firsthand.
Our outreach isn't run by a department — it's led by people with personal stakes in this community's recovery.
Michael co-founded Valley Spring with a vision to create a treatment center that didn't just serve patients inside its walls — but actively reached into the community to meet people where they were. His leadership has shaped every outreach initiative from the ground up, turning Valley Spring into a Bergen County institution that local families, hospitals, and social workers trust by name.
Brian's commitment to community recovery earned him the NCADD Businessman of the Year award — a recognition of his tireless work bridging the gap between the business community and treatment providers. Through the Bergen County Chamber of Commerce and Bergen Resource Net, Brian has built partnerships that ensure families in crisis never have to navigate the system alone.
James is the face of Valley Spring in the community. As Director of Community Outreach, he spends his days meeting with families, speaking at community events, visiting hospitals and courts, and building the referral relationships that connect people in crisis to the care they need. James brings personal understanding and professional expertise to every conversation — because he believes nobody should feel alone when asking for help.
Every outreach initiative at Valley Spring started with a real need we saw in our community. Here are the stories behind them.
A free, 6-session, 6-month family education workshop open to the entire public — not just Valley Spring patients. Families learn Narcan training, CRAFT communication methods, boundary setting, and trust rebuilding. Because addiction impacts the whole family, and every family deserves support regardless of where their loved one gets treatment.
As active members of the Bergen County Chamber of Commerce, Valley Spring bridges the gap between the local business community and behavioral health treatment. Brian Cellary's leadership in this space has created partnerships with local employers who now understand how to support employees facing addiction — and know where to refer them for help.
Bergen Resource Net connects families with behavioral health, housing, legal aid, and social services across the county. Valley Spring participates as an active provider in this network, ensuring that when a family calls for help, the path to treatment is never more than one referral away. James Sands represents Valley Spring at network meetings, building the face-to-face relationships that make referrals work.
Our outreach team regularly speaks at schools, faith organizations, community centers, and local government meetings throughout Bergen County and Rockland County. These aren't sales presentations — they're honest conversations about addiction, mental health, and what recovery actually looks like. We share real stories, answer hard questions, and make sure every attendee leaves knowing how to find help if they need it.
Snapshots from community events, family workshops, alumni gatherings, and outreach presentations across Bergen County.
Behind every statistic is a person who found hope, a family that reconnected, and a community that grew stronger.
"The real measure of our outreach isn't how many presentations we give. It's how many people called us afterwards and said, 'I didn't know there was a place like this.' That's the number that matters."— James Sands, Director of Community Outreach
Whether you're a healthcare provider looking to partner, a family seeking support, a business owner who wants to help, or a community member who cares — there's a place for you here. Let us know how you'd like to connect.
Prefer to talk? Call (201) 781-8812 and ask for James Sands, Director of Community Outreach.