Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions I hear most from people about to come in, answered short. Tap a question to open it. Each answer points back to the section that covers it properly — and all of it defers to your binder and your treatment staff, who are the actual authority.
Your first days
Do I need to fill out my treatment plan as soon as I get it?
No — and please don't. When it lands in your hands, leaf through it to see how it's laid out, then wait for the peer mentor to walk you and the other newcomers through it. The process is meant to be taught to you, not decoded alone on your first night. More in Treatment Planning.
Can I run to the store by myself?
Not in your first stretch here. You'll be paired with a senior member — your sunshine — and any time you step outside the programming location, you're with them or with another peer covering for them. That includes the small trips: walking to your car, running back for something you forgot, a quick stop for gas. It is your responsibility, not anyone else's, to make sure someone is with you. More in Sunshine / Shadow Contract.
Cars and driving
Can I bring my car, and will I be able to drive it?
You can bring it, but expect it to be searched at admission and randomly after that. Early on you may be asked to hand over your keys or simply not to drive for a while, and you have to keep a valid license and full insurance the whole time. Also worth knowing: getting your keys back is not the same as coming off shadow. More in Personal Vehicles.
Can peers from other Pine Grove programs ride with me?
No. Passengers are limited to PEP peers specifically — not outside friends or family, and not peers from other Pine Grove programs, even ones you came in with and still care about. And a male peer and a female peer never ride as just the two of them; there always needs to be a third person along. More in Personal Vehicles.
Practical things
Can I keep my vitamins and my usual ibuprofen?
Only after they're approved. Everything over-the-counter — including vitamins, supplements, and protein powder — has to be approved by Dr. Richardson, then labeled by PEP staff before it comes back to you. Don't assume the bottle in your bag is fine; run it through the process. More in Quick Reference.
Where should my family send mail?
To PEP, not to the apartment — addressed to the Professional Enhancement Program, 2117 Broadway Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39402, with your first name and last initial on the attention line. Mail is opened in front of a staff member, which is the routine for everyone. Give that address out before you come in. More in Quick Reference.
Independent companion guide by a former peer. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced by Pine Grove or the Professional Enhancement Program. Always defer to your official binder and staff.