Rene is my life preserver! He took me from a wild ride in my own mind and allowed me to realign myself with my own true sense of self! I want to write a million words to describe the helpfulness and determination he had for my recovery. He kept me grounded and assisted highly in my future discharge. Being institutionalized was pretty scary at first and I had no idea what to expect but at the same time, I did not care because I could not control myself. Coming to Resnick is different though, I was treated as a human being. The staff truly love what they do there and have so much compassion. Rene is my Chewbacca - my rebel hero and warrior with a big heart. He was always there to protect me - most of the time from myself! I was uncontrollable, walking around on the unit dressed inappropriately, squeezing oranges on my head, crying then laughing, too much weird stuff. I knew I was acting erratic, but he has a way of redirecting me without any ounce of disrespect. He is the charge nurse and somehow he has time for me no matter what. One day when I was really down, he sat with me for a good hour, listening and helping me focus on recovery. He was also honest and sincere when he helped me understand that I needed to stop smoking marijuana, asked me for what purpose do I use it, giving me perspective and helping me to identify a more positive alternative. He really set the stage for my recovery and healing. He kept me grounded and reminded me that my diagnosis is not a death sentence and not an excuse to be self-destructive.