Palm Desert, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/04/2016 --Sovereign Health, a leading national provider of behavioral health treatment services, is proud to welcome comedian Richard Weiss to Sovereign Health of Palm Desert's Intensive Family Program (IFP) weekend on Oct. 15. Weiss will be on hand to entertain patients and their families at the IFP, a monthly event that allows Sovereign patients to spend quality time with their families during their treatment. During the event, Weiss will give a much-anticipated performance that will focus on the recovery experience, insight and motivation. A standup comedy show can lift a person's mood, give the individual a more balanced perspective and help defuse rage.

"Richard Weiss is a world-class, sought-after comedian who has graciously agreed to donate his time and talents to perform for us," said Carmella Bailey, Manager of the Intensive Family Program at Sovereign Health. "They say laughter is the best medicine and Mr. Weiss is a master at drawing from his own experience in recovery to help, through laughter, those struggling with their own addictions or mental health challenges."

Richard Weiss, best standup winner at The Coachella Valley Comedy Festival, is a popular comedian, comic strip publisher and Coachella Valley resident, and is also a writer of the top-rated humor book, Weiss Cracks. He shares his pilgrimage from shame and pain, to joy, love and laughter through his comedic performances nationally.

"I'm in recovery myself, and I've been clean and sober for 11 years," says Weiss. "I found an audience I can relate to and we share a mutual bond. It helps when we laugh. I feel that it's good to laugh at ourselves in recovery; it's a way of letting out some of the hurt we've built up. Also, it's a way to have fun in a difficult time in our lives."

The mission of the IFP, which first launched in 2014 at Sovereign's San Clemente facility, is to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. The program educates families about the conditions affecting their loved ones who are in treatment. Sovereign Health's staff provides each family with the knowledge, skills and support to learn about the patient's specific diagnosis.

About Sovereign Health
Sovereign Health's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of high-quality behavioral health treatment services for adults and adolescents, including support services for family members. Sovereign's treatment facilities are licensed to provide both addiction/dual diagnosis treatment and mental health treatment for conditions such as trauma, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Sovereign also offers treatment for patients who have chronic pain, eating disorders and cognitive deficits. One factor that differentiates Sovereign from other treatment providers has been the company's ability to offer separate mental health and addiction or dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities.

For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com.

Media Contact:
Wendy Allen, Public Relations Manager: 866-948-9688