addiction and recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only adversely affected business operations and the economy, it also has fueled a surge in the opioid crisis, placing added strain on those in substance use recovery who have been isolated by state-mandated stay-at-home orders.

John Bennett, executive director of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, drove home that point on Wednesday during the agency’s annual meeting via Zoom videoconferencing.

“Obviously, COVID-19 has changed how we do business and it has changed the landscape of where we were at a year ago,” Bennett said. “From 2017 to 2018, we saw a reduction in opioid overdoses across the country, and just last year alone there was a 5-percent reduction, according to the Centers for Disease Control.”

But this year, things are very different, he said, reporting that the overdose rate went up 18 percent from a year ago in March, 29 percent in April, and a 42 percent in May.

“So, overdoses are up 42 percent across the country, and I don’t think regionally that it’s any different. We’ve seen an increase in overdoses and overdose deaths,” he said.

Latest statistics were compiled by the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, a national surveillance system that provides near real-time suspected overdose data.

Despite the disheartening news, Bennett said that GCASA is steadfast in its mission to offer a wide spectrum of services to those in need.

“GCASA has been a regional leader in building new addiction services that normally aren’t in rural communities, and we continue to be committed to maintain our efforts to expand services so that folks in our regions and in our communities don’t have to travel outside the area,” he said.

Bennett, who took over as executive director in 2012, commended the board – “very committed and dedicated individuals who are kind and caring” – and praised his staff.

“To my staff who are on the call today, I’m super proud of all of you,” he said. “You’re always willing to pitch in and assist our community partners and advocate for people suffering from addiction.”

Outgoing Board President Brian Paris conducted the election of new board members and presented the new slate of officers.

Elected to their first three-year terms were as follows:

• Jennifer Groff -- The director of fiscal operations and child support for Genesee County Department of Social Services, she has served on the GCASA Foundation board since 2018.
• Stefano Napolitano -- The City of Batavia fire chief, he also serves on the Foundation board and his department participates in the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative in conjunction with GCASA.
• Jackie Gardner -- She is vice president of client services for Claims Recovery Financial Services.
• Pattie Kepner -- She is the associate executive of quality assurance for the Arc of Genesee and Orleans, having worked in human services for more than 30 years.
• Tim Batzel -- He is the business administrator at Alexander Central School, which contracts with GCASA for Prevention services.

Bennett thanked the outgoing board members for the six years of service. They are Paris, president; Shelley Falitico, Shawn Heubusch, Holli Nenni and Daniel Thurber.

The new slate of officers:

-- President, Virginia Taylor.

She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education, which she received at the age of 50.  She is a recipient of the WNY Network for Women Leaders in Higher Education Bernice Poss Award, a Buffalo Business First 40 Under 40 Recognition Award, and Niagara County Community College Distinguished Alumni Award.

-- Vice President, Victoria Elsenheimer.

She is the executive assistant to the Vice President of Advancement, a position she has held for the past 12 years at Brockport State College. She joined the U.S. Army in 1989 and was enlisted in the Army Reserves for 17 years; honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 2006.

-- Secretary-treasurer, Frederick Rarick.

He is an attorney in Batavia; practicing law for 35 years in the representation of individuals charged with crimes. He is licensed to practice law in New York, California, and Washington, D.C. He was a past board member of the Genesee County Veterans’ Support Network.

Menzie, LeBaron Earn Scholarships

As previously announced, Jillian Menzie, of Bergen, and Ashlyn LeBaron, of Albion, received GCASA Foundation scholarships for 2020.

Each award was for $1,000.

Menzie is a 2020 graduate of Byron-Bergen Central School who plans to attend Brockport State College to pursue a nursing degree with a minor in Spanish.

In addition, she plans to study abroad as well as join the Army ROTC program. Throughout her high school career, she participated in many sports teams, music programs, and clubs. 

LeBaron is a 2020 graduate of Charles C. D’Amico High School in Albion and valedictorian of her class. She plans to attend either Cedarville University in Ohio or Roberts Wesleyan College to pursue a career in nursing.

She, too, participated in numerous extracurricular activities, including sports, band and orchestra.

Disclosure: Story written by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse employees are keeping their collective fingers crossed as they look to resume activities at Recovery Station, the agency’s social gathering and recreation place in the former Bohn’s Restaurant building on Clinton Street Road.

“Beginning next Monday (July 20), and as long as COVID-19 cases remain low and there are no other restrictions put in place by New York State, the center will start allowing up to 10 community members at a time into the building for a variety of recovery activities,” said Rosalie Mangino-Crandall, director of Project Innovation and Expansion.

The public schedule for the reopening week is 10 a.m. to noon, 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Thursday and Friday, and 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday. The center will be closed on Wednesday.

Mangino-Crandall advised residents to check the Recovery WOW program’s Facebook page at facebook.com/recoverywow for updates or call (585) 815-5248.

Recovery Station Coordinator Sue Gagne said that the following health- and safety-related guidelines will be in force for all visitors:

-- Be expected to wear masks at all times while on the property;
-- Adhere to the 6-foot social distancing rule;
-- Have their temperature taken immediately upon entry to the center building;
-- Be asked a series of COVID-19 screening questions;
-- Be asked to use hand sanitizer and/or wash hands immediately upon entry.

“We will also begin to add more structured activities in the coming weeks,” Gagne said, noting that staff will be disinfecting furniture, equipment, table games and all rooms frequently throughout the day.

Currently, GCASA officials have allowed one-to-one sessions with Recovery Station peer advocates at the location, in addition to opening the center to staff and residents of the Atwater House residential facility.

Extra precautions at all GCASA buildings and offices at the Batavia and Albion campuses are being taken, said Executive Director John Bennett.

“We are going the extra mile when it comes to safety of our patients and staff,” Bennett said. “Face coverings must be worn by employees when they are walking in the common areas, when working with patients and even when they are alone just in case they happen to meet someone. Whenever there are two or more people in a room, a mask is advised to keep each other safe.”

Elizabeth Riter, director of Corporate Compliance and Quality Assurance, said that in addition to wearing masks, all staff members are required to attest to having taken their temperatures and are asked to complete a standard Covid health screening as they enter each facility.

“Similar to the Recovery Station, the Batavia and Albion Outpatient Clinics are promoting good health practices as we welcome patients back on the grounds for face-to-face services,” she said.

Riter added that masks are provided to any staff or patients who may not have one or forget to bring theirs, and that temperatures of all patients who enter are taken immediately and they are asked to sanitize their hands.

“Unfortunately, friends and family who are not scheduled to be seen will have to wait outside in order to minimize contact in the waiting areas,” she advised. “All offices and common areas have been modified to promote socials distancing, while enhanced cleaning schedules have been instituted in all facilities.”

The same stringent standards apply to the agency’s residential programs, Riter said, adding that new admissions coming from medical facilities have essentially been quarantined and screened before being placed into GCASA’s program.

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Disclosure: Story is written by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

As our nation deals with the COVID-19 pandemic by practicing social distancing and other safety measures, counselors and peer recovery advocates at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse have expanded their use of the telephone and internet to support those in recovery.

Understanding that people recovering from substance use can be adversely affected by isolation and boredom, GCASA professionals are taking effective steps to keep in contact with those at risk despite the inability to meet on a face-to-face basis at this time.

“What is most important to know is that GCASA is still here for people – every day of the week, all day and even into the evening,” said Rosalie Mangino-Crandall, director of the recovery programs as well as project innovation and expansion. “We are still finding ways to support people and help them in recovery and doing what they need to do to get better.”

Mangino-Crandall added that just talking to a person or hearing a soothing voice of encouragement can have a profound impact.

“One of the advantages of phone support is that it concentrates that support on the person and what he or she wants to talk about,” she explained. “It really focuses the support on the recovery conversation.”

GCASA’s peer recovery advocates, or peers for short, are people who have lived through recovery (with some of them still in recovery) and have received specialized training to share their experiences with others in need.

According to Amy Kabel, a lead peer at the agency’s Recovery Station on Clinton Street Road, her team continues to connect with their clients on a regular basis.

“While things have changed a lot, what hasn’t changed is that we are checking with people about what they are doing for self-care, and making sure they are reaching out to any support system they may have – to us and their counselors – and making sure they are staying active,” Kabel said.

Kabel said those currently living at Atwater House, GCASA’s residential building on East Main Street, are able to utilize Recovery Station under specific guidelines.

“We allow them to use the facility in small groups, and we are doing social distancing – keeping everyone six feet away from each other,” she said, adding that peers and other staff there are wearing masks as a precaution. “Some come for a couple hours and some come at 10 in the morning and pretty much stay all day until we close at 8 p.m.”

Recovery Station is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday but, until state-mandated restrictions are lifted, it is available only for Atwater residents.

Peers are working from home, with extended hours, and reaching out by telephone to their clients, Kabel said.

“We are making calls and we’re getting calls on the peer support line – 585-815-1800. Since OASAS (NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports) has changed some of the rules, we can bill for telehealth, so we’re able to keep everybody involved.”

She said that a couple of her colleagues, Nick Volpe and Sheila Smith, have been picking up food at various food pantries for clients.

“They’re making calls and making sure everybody has enough food. And if clients don’t have vehicles, we can make deliveries, and drop it off at their doors.”

Sue Gagne, GCASA’s recovery center coordinator, said the Recovery WOW support group has launched new ventures designed to perpetuate its “together we are stronger” philosophy.

“We are starting up a Guided Journaling workshop on Tuesday afternoons at 3:30 and we have partnered with NAMI Rochester (a mental health organization) to provide a family support group on Friday mornings at 10,” Gagne said. “We’re doing this through Zoom meetings … and hopefully will be working with the peers to put some videos up.”

Thus far, all three women agreed that the modifications are working well.

“All of the (seven) peers have full workloads as we interact with dozens of people in various stages of recovery,” Kabel said, noting that peers are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mangino-Crandall said that navigating around the coronavirus has been tough, but it’s not insurmountable.

“I think it’s a challenging time for everyone. Certainly, everybody out there is trying to deal with it in their own way and it is difficult kind of being on your own, so it’s good for folks to know and get the word out that we’re available to talk,” she said.

She also pointed out a silver lining in the midst of these unprecedented times.

“With all of us in the same situation, there are a lot of remote opportunities to connect with people, not only locally but across the state and the country, that you might not have had normally,” she said. “That’s an advantage in that it opens the recovery community up much more broadly than you would typically find.”

Disclosure: Story by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist

Press release:

Are there things in my life that I do that hurt others? Is there something I wish I could live without?

Is it time to crack my denial and admit that I am not in control of my life? Do I have a painful habit or hang-up from which I need to be freed?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions then Celebrate Recovery may be a place for you.

A wide variety of hurts, hang-ups and habits are represented at Celebrate Recovery. Examples include dependency on alcohol or drugs, pornography, low self-esteem, need to control, depression, anger, co-dependency, fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, perfectionism, broken relationships, and abuse.

Anyone (inside or outside the church) who struggles can benefit from this group. 

Celebrate Recovery is a ministry outreach for anyone who is interested in a Christ-centered recovery program that will enable them to recover from life’s hurts, hang-ups and harmful habits.

This group meets every Thursday throughout the calendar year, even holidays, at Northgate Free Methodist Church (8160 Bank Street Road, Batavia). They meet from 6:30 to 9 p,m. There is no cost to attend Celebrate Recovery and you may join at any time. 

For more information, visit the church website or email office@northgatefmc.com

Amy Kabel, a Certified Peer Recovery Advocate at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and boyfriend Thomas Claffey were among about 100 people who attended the Recovery WOW New Year's Eve party last night at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall in Batavia.

Participants brought in the new year with music, plenty of food, games and, of course, hats and noisemakers in an alcohol-free environment.

Brandon Fogg, seated left, and Quinn Pritchard provide the hats as a young family checks in at the Recovery WOW event.

Sue Gagne, center, Recovery WOW coordinator, had much to celebrate -- a new year, new decade and her birthday. Here she receives a birthday cupcake from Cheryl Netter, a member of the group's advisory committee, as DJ Scott Davis looks on.

Volunteers George Netter, left, and Gary Brown kept the food choices coming as they worked in the kitchen.

Photos by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

Press release:

U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced that following his push, the bipartisan Fentanyl Sanctions Act has been included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, expected to pass the Senate early next week.

The bill, written and introduced by Schumer in April, will hold China and other countries accountable for their commitments to crack down on producers and traffickers of fentanyl and other deadly synthetic opioids, pushing China’s government to honor their commitment to enforce new laws declaring all fentanyl derivatives illegal.

Additionally, the legislation will provide the U.S. government with more tools and resources to sanction illicit traffickers from China, Mexico, and other countries—a critical effort, in light of the steep rise in devastating fentanyl overdose deaths.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we must hold China, currently the world’s largest producer of illicit fentanyl, accountable for its role in the trade of this deadly drug. Our bipartisan sanctions bill will do just that,” Senator Schumer said.

“For years, Chinese laboratories have been cooking-up formulas of death and freely exporting lethal fentanyl across Upstate New York, and to many other places across America, where it is killing tens-of-thousands of people—and it has to stop. This bill gives our government the tools to enforce sanctions on nations, like China, that are illegally trafficking, and also provides new tools for law enforcement to go after opioid traffickers.” 

“When it comes to taking genuine action to address this crisis, China continues to kick the can down the road while American lives are kicked to the curb, enveloped by addiction or cut all too short by tragedy. The opioid crisis has claimed tens of thousands of lives and devastated families and communities across the country.

"In New York State, from November 2017 to 2018, approximately 2,000 people died from an opioid overdose. About 1,500 of those deaths were from synthetic opioids like fentanyl. My legislation is critical in this fight to save American lives, and I’m proud to announce that it was included in the NDAA for FY2020 and is expected to pass early next week,” Schumer added.

Specifically, the legislation would:

• Require imposition of sanctions on drug manufacturers in China who knowingly provide synthetic opioids to traffickers, transnational criminal organizations like those in Mexico who mix fentanyl with other drugs and traffic them into the U.S. and financial institutions that assist such entities. Waivers would be provided for countries that take sufficient action to implement and enforce regulations on synthetic opioid production.
• Authorize new funding to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including the Departments of Treasury, Department of Defense and Department of State, to combat the foreign trafficking of synthetic opioids.
• Urge the President to commence diplomatic efforts with U.S. partners to establish multilateral sanctions against foreign synthetic opioid traffickers.
• Establish a Commission on Synthetic Opioid Trafficking to monitor U.S. efforts and report on how to more effectively combat the flow of synthetic opioids from China, Mexico and elsewhere.

Schumer explained that according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), between November 2017 and 2018 roughly 2,000 people died from an opioid overdose in New York State. Additionally, Schumer said that about 1,500 of those opioid overdose deaths were from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

Following a commitment to the United States at the G-20 in December 2018, Chinese regulators announced on April 1 that a wider range of fentanyl derivatives would be declared controlled substances in China on May 1. China has struggled to enforce its current drug laws and continues to deny that its illicit fentanyl producers are a major source of the illicit opioids contributing to the U.S. opioid crisis.

To ensure accountability, the sanctions legislation would pressure the Chinese government to move forward with an aggressive plan to enforce its announced new laws and provide the U.S. executive branch with flexible new sanction tools to go after actors, from manufacturers to traffickers, in China and other countries.

Read more about the bill here.

Press release:

The executive director of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is aiming to have the agency’s new recovery recreation center on Clinton Street Road up and running by the end of the year.

“We’re hoping to be open sometime around Christmas or possibly New Year’s Eve,” John Bennett said earlier this week. “We have started minor renovations and we’re also looking for a name for the building.”

Bennett said he and his staff are excited about the potential of the Recovery WOW program’s new home – the former Bohn’s Restaurant at 5256 Clinton Street Road, just a stone’s throw from the intersection of Seven Springs Road.

GCASA closed on the purchase of the building last month and is gearing up for what Bennett called “a big kickoff” leading to consistent and effective programming to support those on their road to sobriety.

“The plan is to partner with other agencies and groups in the community to have events there and also to offer the large conference room for others to use,” said Bennett, adding that GCASA intends to hold an open house for nearby residents and business owners.

The floor plan, after conversion, will feature: offices for program staff and Peer Recovery Advocates along with a computer room; meeting room with a riser for live music; training/conference room to hold up to 40 people; exercise center; game room (pool, ping-pong, foosball, and video games); living room with large-screen TV; and a large commercial kitchen.

Bennett said the long-term plan is to move the Prevention Education Department and the Western New York Resource Center offices to the building.

“I think it would be a good fit to have Prevention there,” he said. “Plus, we have just run out of room at the main campus (430 E. Main St.).”

He said that renovations on the inside are ongoing and that volunteers will be enlisted to clean up the outside of the building. Springtime plans include putting in an outdoor basketball court in the parking area.

Currently, the Recovery WOW (With Out Walls) program, under the supervision of Sue Gagne, has a full schedule of events each month for those in recovery.

The recovery recreation center is being set up as a destination where those dealing with drug and alcohol use issues can interact through sober living activities.

For more information, like us on Facebook – Recovery WOW.

Disclosure: Story by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

The Recovery WOW program at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse held a "Monster Mash" Halloween bash this evening at the Northgate Free Methodist Church south campus on Bank Street in Batavia. Posing in front of the "master of ceremonies" for the event are Trisha Allen, Maliyah Santos and Maliyah's mom, Madeline Rodriguez. Allen and Rodriguez are employed as Peer Recovery Advocates (Peers), assisting those in recovery.

This couple added some mystery to the festivities, which included food, refreshments (non-alcoholic, of course), games, costumes and wholesome fun.

No party is complete without the tunes. DJ Tymovez (Tyler Thomas) provided the sound.

Peers Amy Kabel, left; Nicole Anderson and Charlene Grimm provided service with a smile.

"Commando" Nick Volpe, another GCASA Peer, has the cauldron brewing in his bit of skulduggery.

Disclosure: Photos by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

A workshop for individuals in recovery and their friends, family and allies -- based on the book "Get Your Loved One Sober: Alternatives to Nagging, Pleading, and Threatening" by Robert J. Meyers and Brenda L. Wolfe -- will be held Wednesday (Sept. 4) at Northgate Free Methodist Church.

Time is 6 to 8 p.m. Address is 8160 Bank Street Road, Batavia (North Campus). Presenter is Pastor Vern Saile.

About the Book

Historically there have been few options available for individuals seeking help for treatment-resistant loved ones suffering from substance abuse. Coauthor Dr. Robert eyers spent 10 years developing a treatment program that helps concerned significant others improve the quality of their lives and learn how to make treatment an attractive option for their partners who are substance abusers.

"Get Your Loved One Sober" describes this multifaceted program that uses supportive, nonconfrontational methods to engage substance abusers into treatment.

Called Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), the program uses scientifically validated behavioral principles to reduce the loved one's substance use and to encourage him or her to seek treatment. Equally important, CRAFT also helps loved ones reduce personal stress and introduce meaningful, new sources of satisfaction into their life. 

For more information or to register, please text/call Sue Gagne at 585-815-5248 or via email at sgagne@gcasa.org

Presented by RECOVERY WOW (WithOut Walls), providing safe, sober health and wellness activities geared toward individuals in recovery from a substance-use disorder and their families. ("You are not alone in this." Peer recovery advocates are here for you 24/7: (585) 815-1800.)

The Recovery WOW program at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse opened the holiday weekend on a fun note this afternoon with a dart tournament behind the East Main Street campus.

About 40 people competed (and another 40 attended) and then were treated to hot dogs and soft drinks.

In top photo, Chris Budzinack, recovery center lead peer, gives instructions to the participants before drawing names for the matches; in the middle photo, Sterling Stroman, GCASA employee, lets a dart fly in hope of a bull's-eye; in the bottom photo, Budzinack holds the trophy before relinquishing it to champion Raymond Vickers, center, as runner-up Carrie Wilson and third-place finisher Kyle Winfield look on.

Submitted by Mike Pettinella/GCASA publicist.

Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse has made a commitment to offer a recovery recreation center in Batavia, and that is encouraging news to local residents who believe the much-needed support is a key to their sobriety.

“This needs to happen, and the sooner the better,” said Batavian Thomas Claffey, an adult digital art/photography student at Genesee Community College. “It’s always good to be around people and to have a good support system … people that can relate to what you’re going through and not judge you.”

Claffey, 33, has struggled with alcohol and drug use for many years. He has been sober for the past nine months – “I have found my ground recently and am doing well,” he said – but is acutely aware of the possibility of relapse.

“I’m really glad to be in Batavia, away from where I encounter triggers that lead to substance use,” he said. “Addiction is a sickness and a disease that affects you mentally. It changes the chemical makeup of the brain, and makes you constantly scared of that withdrawal, but yet you’ve got to feed that demon.”

He said it is essential for him to keep his schedule filled and that’s why he got involved with Recovery WOW, a program of GCASA, and is looking forward to taking part in the various activities to be offered by the recovery recreation center that will be housed at the former Bohn’s Restaurant on Clinton Street Road.

GCASA, under the guidance of Executive Director John Bennett, is in the process of purchasing the building and plans to convert it to a gathering place for those in recovery – a destination where those dealing with drug and alcohol addiction can interact through sober living activities.

Planned activities include community cleanup and community garden projects; fitness activities (yoga, hikes, runs, biking, basketball, martial arts); art classes; peer support; cooking and nutrition classes; mutual aid and self-help meetings; games and live music, and special events during holidays.

‘Peers’ Lend a Helping Hand

Bennett said that GCASA has trained 18 peers -- Certified Recovery Peer Advocates – through the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to assist those in recovery.

And statistics show the need for such a program as Genesee County has one of the highest opioid overdose rates in New York.

While there are no exact statistics regarding the number of people in recovery, it is estimated that 7 percent of the population suffers from some kind of substance use disorder and that only one in seven get treatment for it, Bennett said.

Amy Kabel, of Batavia, is one of the peers who will be working at the recovery center.

“I’ve visited other recovery centers and realize that this is something that Batavia really needs,” said Kabel, who has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and formerly was employed at Hope Haven, an in-patient program in Batavia.

“Our job isn’t to tell those in recovery that you can’t do this or that, or that you have to stop using (right away),” she said, “but to be there for them, no matter what their choices are.”

GCASA has set up an advisory committee, steered by Sue Gagne, the agency’s recovery center coordinator for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

Kathy Miller, of Byron, a committee member, said that her goal is to help erase the stigma placed upon those who have been involved in substance use.

“A lot of people have been diagnosed with substance or alcohol disorder and there is no place for them to hang out and not feel the stigma of addiction,” she said. “I would like to see this program expand to offer a wide variety of places for people to go and events to attend. We need to stress that it is OK to not drink or do drugs – to make that more the norm.”

Ricco Oquendo, 58, another advisory committee member, is in recovery and has been sober for 10 months. He said he is prepared to educate the public about the disease of alcohol and substance use.

“This is the best I have felt in a long time,” he said. “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired, and, with the help of my savior, Jesus Christ, am determined to make something out of my life.”

Gagne has put together a full activities calendar – events such as campfires, hiking, tie-dye, yoga, karaoke and cooking classes – and sees the recovery recreation center as the next logical piece of the puzzle. (For more information, like us on Facebook – Recovery WOW).

“The recovery center will only increase the awareness and opportunities,” said Gagne, who previously worked for Wyoming County Mental Health. “It’s a confusing world out there, and hopefully this will be a place where people and their families can come and get support without being judged.”

ROCovery Fitness: A Model for Success

The Batavia facility is being patterned after the ROCovery Outreach Center on Dewey Avenue in Rochester, a converted fire station that promotes physical fitness as a vital step on a road to recovery.

ROCovery Fitness was founded five years ago by Yana Khashper and Sean Smith, both of whom are in recovery.

They opened the outreach center two years ago after it was gifted to them by an anonymous donor. Since then, the program has been used by an estimated 3,000 people in the Rochester area.

“Greater Rochester has been very supportive,” Khashper said. “They believe in our mission, which is to meet the needs of the community.”

When asked to speak of the program’s success, she said the success is “this place.”

The outreach center features a large community room and a gymnasium (with exercise machines and free weights) on the first floor and another community room, yoga room, men’s and women’s locker rooms and offices on the second floor.

Structured activities include hula-hooping, kettlebells, weightlifting, boxing and group meetings. It is open every day except for Sunday.

Currently, the staff there is gearing up for its major fundraiser – a ROCovery 5K and X-Challenge on Sept. 15 at Mendon Ponds Park.

Jay Dockum and Adam Welch, both in recovery, said they have found a renewed sense of purpose while participating in ROCovery Outreach Center programs and are focused on living a healthy and sober existence.

“Isolation was the worst place for me,” Dockum said. “I go to meetings here, use the gym and am meeting like-minded people. I just got sick and tired of the way I was living and had to make a change.”

Welch said he has volunteered at ROCovery for about seven months after being in and out of rehab for several years.

A former software engineer, he said drugs took a toll on his career and marriage.

“Sobriety is my main job now,” he said. “I go to AA meetings and hopefully will be able to see my two boys (ages 5 and 8) soon.”

Disclosure: Story by Mike Pettinella, GCASA publicist.

Top two photos -- Guitar-playing trio and group shot from a Recovery WOW campfire outing at Northgate Free Methodist Church earlier this month. Photos courtesy of Thomas Claffey.

Bottom two photos -- The outside of ROCovery Fitness in Rochester, a former fire station, and the facility's cofounder Yana Khaspher, left, and Lindsay Chambers, director of development. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Press release:

While "mindfulness" as an avenue to better health, is a concept that's been spreading, so have the misunderstandings about how you can benefit from it.

Batavia’s premier consumer-run human service and advocacy agency for people with disabilities, Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), will provide much needed perspective with a seminar that's FREE to the public, "Healing through Mindfulness: Incorporating Mindful Strategies into Practice."

With the support of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services Inc. (NYAPRS) and Recovery WOW -- a program of GCASA, the event will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at the ILGR office, 319 W. Main St., Batavia.

The presenter is Robert Statham, CESP, training and technical asistance facilitator for the Western & Central New York Region of NYAPRS.

While mindfulness has gained widespread attention and popularity for its extensive health benefits, there continues to be much confusion around what it really means and how to “do it!”

This workshop will address what mindfulness really is, what the current research has to say about its ability to help people recover from a diverse range of physical, emotional, and psychological challenges, and its potential for achieving overall wellness.

It's of particular interest to social workers and licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs), as they can earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for this training.

For more information or to register, please contact: Donna Becker at (585) 815-8501, ext. 411, or dbecker@wnyil.org

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR) is a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies that offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services Inc. (NYAPRS) is a statewide coalition of people who use and/or provide recovery-oriented, community-based mental health services, dedicated to improving services and social conditions for people with psychiatric disabilities or diagnoses, and those with trauma-related conditions by promoting their recovery, rehabilitation and rights so that all people can participate freely in the opportunities of society.

Recovery WOW (WithOut Walls) is a program of GCASA that offers a variety of safe, sober opportunities and activities for individuals in recovery and their families to enjoy.

The GOW Opioid Task Force announces the availability of a Post Narcan Administration Video.

It was created by the Naloxone Work Group of the Task Force and launched at the quarterly meeting last week.

This video emphasizes an important message: individuals should go to the Emergency Department AFTER Narcan has been administered for an opioid overdose.

The Task Force members are very proud of the video and greatly appreciate all of their local partners who participated in this project and Tall Girls Design, the marketing partners who created an end product that surpasses expectations.

The video can be viewed right on their Facebook page here.

It is hoped that you find this video genuine and helpful as the Task Force continue sto work to end the opioid crisis in the GOW region.

Please feel free to share this video and spread this message.

If there are any questions or specific needs for the video please do not hesitate to reach out.

Allison Parry-Gurak 

Project Coordinator

Phone: 815-1889

A Message to Families from the GOW Opioid Task Force:

By Sue Gagne

Whenever a family member struggles with any serious ongoing condition, everyone in the family is significantly affected. To find out a loved one has a substance use problem can be heart-wrenching.

If you know someone with a substance use disorder, you may find yourself struggling with a number of painful and conflicting emotions, including guilt, shame, self-blame, frustration, anger, sadness, depression, anxiety and fear. Those emotions can often overtake our lives and cause stress, burnout, fatigue, inability to sleep and more issues that can affect our own health.

When you fly on an airplane, the flight attendant instructs you to put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others. Why is this an important rule for ensuring survival? Because if you run out of oxygen, you can’t help anyone else with their oxygen mask. This is an important metaphor for those of us who have loved ones with substance use disorder. A reminder that we need to take care of ourselves.

You may feel overwhelmed, but there are things you can do to help yourself. We all know we need to get enough rest, exercise, and eat right. Here are a few other things that will be helpful:

Learn all you can about substance use and addiction. Addiction is a disease, not a character defect! According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a disease that affects both the brain and behavior. We have identified many of the biological and environmental factors and are beginning to search for the genetic variations that contribute to the development and progression of the disease. Scientists use this knowledge to develop effective prevention and treatment approaches that reduce the toll drug abuse takes on individuals, families, and communities.”

Don’t go it alone! Shame is one of the biggest reasons people don’t seek help. It may help you to know that no one, and no family, is immune from addiction. Like any other chronic disorder, addiction to alcohol and other drugs afflicts people regardless of age, income level, educational background, race, ethnicity, religion/spirituality, and community. Many families deal with addiction. You are not alone ~ there is support!

Know that Recovery is Possible! Although it takes time, people do find recovery from addiction. Many individuals find recovery and continue on to live fulfilled lives. There are many pathways to recovery including 12-step meetings, peer-support, Medication Assisted Treatment, and more.

To learn about more about addiction, to connect with support, and to find resources related to addiction and recovery, visit the GOW Opioid Task Force website at www.gowopioidtaskforce.org

A $270 million lawsuit settlement between OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP and the state of Oklahoma got the attention of members of the Genesee County Legislature and made them wonder about the status of a class-action lawsuit the county has joined with other counties in New York.

The purpose of the suits is to seek compensation from Purdue Pharma for costs associated with the opioid epidemic.

Purdue is being accused of deceptive marketing practices and providing doctors with incorrect or misleading information about the addictive nature of OxyContin.

County Attorney Kevin Earl contacted the lead attorney New York counties' suit and reported back to the Human Services Committee on Monday that there isn't much new to report.

The suit is progressing but the lead attorney asked him not to say much about it publicly.

The suit is currently in the discovery phase (finding and sharing evidence that might be used at trial) with an expected trial date this fall.

As the trial date approaches, a settlement is always possible.

There is a lot of attention paid to opioid addiction treatment, Dr. Richard Blondell told an audience at the City Church Generation Center in Batavia today, but not enough effort is given to preventing addiction in the first place.

"The bottom line of this opioid epidemic is we cannot treat our way out of this epidemic," Blondell said. "We cannot incarcerate out of this epidemic. We can't legislate our way out of this epidemic. What we really have to do is prevention."

Blondell is vice chair of addiction medicine and a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at SUNY Buffalo. He spoke today at a workshop for faith leaders sponsored by the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force.

Drawing on science, history and statistics, Blondell made the case that it's very difficult to successfully treat somebody for opioid addiction; therefore, to end the current epidemic, society needs to produce fewer addicts.

That begins with doctors, he said but includes families and individuals who need to be more aware and better educated about addiction and prevention.

The causes of addiction are both genetic and environmental, Blondell said.

About 10 percent of the population is genetically susceptible to opioid addiction. Those people, when exposed to opioids, usually through prescription medication, are much likely to become addicts.

The addiction for them is a disease.

An addict has about a 5 percent chance of dying in any given year. 

"The average life expectancy of a heroin addict is about 10 years, most are gone in 20," Blondell said.

Much of the blame for the opioid epidemic can be placed on Arthur M. Sackler, a medical marketing executive in the 1950s who, among other things, introduced the world to Valium, the first multimillion drug.

"It didn't treat anything actually," Bondell said. "Even though Valium was the number one prescribed drug in the country it was not clear what disease it treated."

The Sackler family went on to own Perdue Pharma, the company that introduced OxyContin. 

That pain pill was sold to doctors as non-addictive if used for pain.

Then the insurance companies got involved, Blondell said. They stopped funding pain-management regimes, which could cost thousands of dollars but were effective, in favor of prescription pain medications. And if doctors didn't prescribe enough pain pills, they would get low patient satisfaction scores from patients who said, "he didn't do anything for my pain."  

Doctors started prescribing opioid-based pain medications "like skittles," Blondell said.

Patients who become addicted to pain pills often, usually, turn to heroin, which is cheaper and easier to get. About 75 percent of heroin addicts started with a prescription to either the addict himself or to a friend or family member.

There are two types of treatment for addicts, neither high success rates -- counseling or medication.

In counseling, an addict receives psychological therapy, or they might live in a home and where they can learn adult life skills but if they are physically addicted, brain condition related to addiction is not treated. That is where medication, such as methadone, come in.

Blondell said all treatment methods should continue but that isn't the final answer on the epidemic. We've never treated our way out of an epidemic, he said.

People who say addiction is a choice really don't understand opioid addiction, Blondell said.  

Everybody is addicted to something. Addiction is essential to survival. We're all addicted, for example, to water.

But what substances, such as illicit drugs and alcohol do, is trick the brain into thinking that substance is a higher priority than other addictions, such as food.

"So people say to me, this is a behavior," Blondell said. "It's not really a mental illness or it's not a disease. It's not a disorder. It's really just a behavioral problem. To which my question is, what organ in the body produces behavior? Is it the kidneys? Is it the liver? No, it's the brain. So it's the brain that produces the behavior that we see and pass judgment on."

If we're going to end the epidemic, Blondell said, doctors need to be more cautious and judicious in when and how they prescribe pain medications. Patients who receive them need to be better educated about taking the prescribed amount for only a short period of time. Parents need to ensure they control the distribution of pain medication to their teen children, and ensure they actually take them when dispensed so they're not hoarded so five or six can be taken at a time. Everybody needs to be better educated about the nature of addiction and how to avoid it.