Inside this issue: Choices Program 2 Choices/Children of Alcoholics Awareness Month 3 Getting Stopped for DWI 4 Creative Connections Clubhouse 5 Problem Gambling Awareness Month 6 Movie Fridays 7 Recovery Community Center 8 Volume 29, Issue 1 Spring 2017 Ginger Cato, Coordinator The Rob Constantine Recovery Community & Outreach Center The Prevention Council staff are very excited to be opening a Recovery Community and Outreach Center at 86 Briggs Street, Suite #6. We are happy to welcome Ginger Cato as the new Coordinator of the Recovery Center. The goal of the Recovery Community and Outreach Center is to create a safe and welcoming place for all people in recovery to find assistance and support of any kind to prevent relapse and help them achieve and maintain long-term recovery. Ginger will refer indi- viduals needing employment, housing, clothing and food, education, and other support services to local community services providers. Space will be provided for self-help meetings, substance-free recreation, and social activities. The foundation of the Recovery Center will be peer support and peer-driven activities. The development of the Recovery Community and Outreach Center was made possible by a grant from the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). An early May grand opening is anticipated for the Center. Stay tuned for updates! See back page for more info!! Workers getting the Recovery Center ready for its opening
Transcript
Inside this issue:
Choices Program 2
Choices/Children of Alcoholics Awareness
Month 3
Getting Stopped for DWI 4
Creative Connections Clubhouse 5
Problem Gambling Awareness Month 6
Movie Fridays 7
Recovery Community Center 8
Volume 29, Issue 1 Spring 2017
Ginger Cato, Coordinator
The Rob Constantine
Recovery Community & Outreach Center The Prevention Council staff are very excited to be opening a Recovery Community and Outreach Center at 86 Briggs Street, Suite #6. We are happy to welcome Ginger Cato as the new Coordinator of the Recovery Center. The goal of the Recovery Community and Outreach Center is to create a safe and welcoming place for all people in recovery to find assistance and support of any kind to prevent relapse and help them achieve and maintain long-term recovery. Ginger will refer indi-viduals needing employment, housing, clothing and food, education, and other support services to local community services providers. Space will be provided for self-help meetings, substance-free recreation, and social activities. The foundation of the Recovery Center will be peer support and peer-driven activities.
The development of the Recovery Community and Outreach Center was made possible by a grant from the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). An early May grand opening is anticipated for the Center. Stay tuned for updates! See back page for more info!!
Workers getting the Recovery Center ready for its opening
P A G E 2 H F M P REV EN T ION CO U NC IL
Choices Program
By: Morgan Frisch - Amsterdam Recorder
Fifth-graders at the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District are learning communication
skills, how to be a leader and to respect people with differences through the Choices program.
Shawn Flynn, Choices coordinator through the HFM Prevention Council, presented the pro-
gram Monday during a F-FCS Board of Education workshop. Students attend the 12-week program
once a week for an hour and a half. The free program is built to be after school, but middle school
Principal David Zadoorian worked to get it incorporated into the school day. “To go out on a limb
like that, that’s showing that they [administrators] care about your children and they know how
important this is,” Flynn said.
Students participate in activities and play games, but Flynn said there is a lesson behind
everything that’s done in Choices. He had attendees participate in a game passing a stress ball
from right to left which challenged their focus. Flynn said the reason for the game is because peo-
ple get distracted in life and they need to learn to leave the distractions behind when going
home.“It’s not the same streets that you grew up on, your kids are at risk,” Flynn said to the
parents. “They are seeing things that we never saw. They are seeing things at a much younger
age and they have to make decisions and choices.”
Students learn how to make connections with classmates and how to be a leader. Flynn
said he teaches students to be a part of something bigger than them and accept different roles.
He said they talk about bullying, alcohol, drugs and partying and the consequences that will hap-
pen if they don’t start making the right decisions now.
Flynn said students learn the difference between being a good and bad leader and what
they can do to have people follow them when they are making the right decisions.
Fifth-grader Isabella Miller said she does several projects during Choices where she works
with other students that she normally wouldn’t. “I really enjoyed the team building; it helped
me,” she said. Fifth-grader Matheu Dettenrieder said he learned about communication, making
connections with classmates and how to respect people with differences. “This was pretty helpful
because other classmates might not know who other people are and what they are going
through,” he said. Zadoorian said the kids are raving about the program. “They love it; the teach-
ers love it as well,” he said. “They seem to have taken part in a lot of these activities and they
feel like it’s helping kids with their communication skills, leadership skills and problem-solving.”
Flynn said Choices is now in nine school districts, with 18 programs with the potential of reaching
300 or more students.
Choices Program continued on next page…….
V O LU M E 29 , I S SU E 1 P A G E 3
Children of Alcoholics Awareness Month
By: Margaret Clark
More than 28 million Americans have seen at least one parent suffer alcohol’s serious ad-verse effects, leading to serious family problems. This means one in four children lives in a family touched by alcoholism and thousands more are impacted by addiction to other substances.
There are many concerns about children of alcoholics (COA). Alcoholism tends to run in families. COA's are four times more likely than non COA's to develop alcohol or drug problems. These children are also at a higher risk than others for depression, anxiety disorders, problems with cognitive and verbal skills and parental abuse or neglect. The families with alcoholism have higher levels of conflict than other families. Lack of adequate parenting and poor home management and family communications skills often leave children without effective training and role modeling.
Although COA's are at an increased risk, they can build up their resilience skills by developing positive bonds with a non-alcoholic parent, grandparent, teacher or other caring adult. Prevention programs often help COA's reduce stress, deal with emotional issues and develop self esteem, cop-ing skills and social support.
The most important message for COA's to remember: The Seven C's
I didn't CAUSE it
I can't CURE it
I can't CONTROL it
I can take better CARE of myself by
COMMUNICATING my feelings,
Making healthy CHOICES,
CELEBRATING myself.
Another important message to remember is that people recover for alcohol addiction every day. There is always help and there is always hope! COA Awareness is a gift that keeps on giving when we break the silence and help boys and girls move from being children at risk to children of promise.
For more information please contact HFM Prevention Council, 736-8188.
Choices Program
By: Morgan Frisch - Amsterdam Recorder “If i can get one kid in this school district and change their life that’s fantastic, we win,” Flynn
said. “What we always say at work is that for a kid in trouble, a connection with one adult can
change their life.”
From left, fifth-grader Matheu Dettenrieder
and Shawn Flynn, Choices coordinator,
discuss the Choices program with
Fonda-Fultonville Central School District
Board of Education workshop attendees.
(Article shared from The Recorder...published
on March 21, 2017)
P A G E 4 P A G E 4 H F M P REV EN T ION CO U NC IL
Getting Stopped for DWI
By: Anita Hanaburgh...Shared by: Yvonne Major
Last week I listened to a man complain that his friend had gotten arrested for DWI. This man was mad at the “cops”. His friend was surely innocent. I guess he didn’t know he was speaking with someone who had taught a Responsible Alcohol Course and who knows it’s tough to get arrested for DWI if you are “innocent”.
Driving While Intoxicated. The laws work. In the past 30 years, deaths caused by drunk drivers have been cut by more than half. There is a 100% change in the awareness of the moral, legal and personal consequences of driving drunk. And with one person killed every 51 minutes, there is still more work to be done.
According to NY Department of Motor vehicles, one third of the fatalities in New York State involve impaired or intoxicated drivers. BAC or Blood Alcohol Content refers to the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood. A driver with a BAC of 0.08 is four times more likely to cause a crash as a driver who has not been drinking. A driver with a BAC of 0.16 is 25 times more likely to do so.
To be caught drinking and driving the police must stop your car. They might stop you randomly or because you are driving peculiarly. They might have a police block during “partying” hours. Or you might just stop yourself around a telephone pole!
No matter why you are stopped the police officer will assess whether you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs by simply looking at your actions and your voice. If DWI is suspected then, the “field sobriety test” will be administered. This includes the following.
The HRN test. Horizontal gaze nystagmus is an involuntary jerking of the eyeball which occurs naturally as the eyes gaze to the side. However, when a person is impaired, nystagmus is exaggerated. An alcohol impaired person has difficulty tracking a moving object. A trained officer will be able to determine the BAC from such a test.
In the walk-and-turn test, the subject takes nine steps along a straight line. After taking the steps, he/she must turn on one foot and return in the opposite direction. The examiner looks to see if the subject walks straight, can keep balance, etc...
In the one-leg stand test, the subject is instructed to stand with one foot six inches off the ground and count aloud by ones beginning with one thousand for 30 seconds.
These tests developed in the 1970s, are scientifically validated and are admissible as evidence in court.
New York commonly uses the breath-screening test for the presence of alcohol. If your BAC is .08 or higher you will be arrested. After the arrest you will be asked to take a “chemical test” for BAC. You may also be fingerprinted. Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) is a crime. If you are convicted, you will face a substantial fine, a mandatory surcharge, license revocation, higher insurance premiums, and a jail sentence. Phew, there is a lot to a DWI arrest.
I grew up in an age where drinking and driving were socially acceptable. Today it is not. “One more for the road”; “Make me a traveler”; “I can’t remember how I got home last night”. Today when I hear anyone make similar comments, it puts them immediately into my “Stupid” category.
On February 22nd, Creative Connections Clubhouse had the opportunity to meet with New York State Senator George Amedore. During his visit to the Clubhouse the senator was provided a tour and the opportunity to speak to active youth members.
Jeremy Torres, Keiler MacNeil, and Elizabeth Lopez conducted a tour for Senator Amedore for a firsthand look at the day to day operations.
After the tour, staff and volunteers also had the opportunity to speak with the Senator. Senator Amedore and the member/tour guides gave personal testimony about their lives and how significant a positive, safe environment is for optimal success.
P A G E 6 N EW SL ET T ER T I TL E P A G E 6 H F M P REV EN T ION CO U NC IL
Problem Gambling Awareness Month
By: Rachel Lauria
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. But what does that really mean? It means that when some people gamble, it can cause problematic behavior, and you should be aware that it is a
possibility. Like with substance use, too much gambling, can turn into abuse.
When a person becomes a problem gambler, there can be many similar behavior and personality changes, similar to how a person addicted to heroin changes. The most common way peo-ple become addicted to gambling is through slot machines. Slot machines give very quick rewards, bets can be placed and determined in as little as three seconds. This triggers brain’s reward center, causing it to crave more. The slot machines are designed to keep going, keep placing bets, which keeps trigger-ing the brain’s reward center. It is continuous, unlike a card game where you have to wait for the other people at the table to place their bet. Slot machines can trick you into thinking you’re winning because of the lights and sounds. Often, people can get into a trance-like state while using slot machines. So, be aware. Gambling can become problematic behavior.
There are ways to decrease your risk of becoming a problem gambler like setting time and
dollar limits. Please, also remember that gambling is not intended for youth. Visit the NY Council on Problem Gambling’s website for more information and tips.
If you, or someone you know needs help with problem gambling, or substance abuse, please call 1-877-HOPE-NY. There is hope and there is help.
Above images taken from npgam.org
Image taken from https://oasas.ny.gov/gambling/index.cfm
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HFM Prevention Council Will Be Hosting Movie Fridays
Shared by: Rachel Lauria
The HFM Prevention Council will begin showing films that talk about relevant topics. Join us in the Training Center (86 Briggs Street, Suite #5, Johnstown, NY) at 2 pm on the first Friday of the month.
4/7 Touched With Fire
Two poets with bipolar disorder find their art is fueled by their emotional extremes. When they meet in a treatment facility, their chemistry is instant and intense, driving each other’s mania to new heights. They pursue their passion, which breaks outside the bounds of sanity, swinging them from fantastical highs to tormented lows until they ultimately must choose between sanity and love.
5/5 Paper Tigers
“Stressed brains can’t learn.”
Following six students over the course of a school year, we see Lincoln’s staff try a new approach to discipline: one based on understanding and treatment rather than judgment and suspension. Paper Tigers is a testament to what the latest developmental science is showing: that just one caring adult can help break the cycle of adversity in a young person’s life.
6/2 Audrie & Daisy
AUDRIE & DAISY is an urgent real-life drama that examines the ripple effects on families, friends, schools and communities when two underage young women find that sexual assault crimes against them have been caught on camera. Audrie & Daisy takes a hard look at American’s teenag-ers who are coming of age in this new world of social media bullying, spun wildly out of control.
7/7 Resilience
Researchers have recently discovered a dangerous biological syndrome caused by abuse and neglect during childhood. As the new documentary Resilience reveals, toxic stress can trigger hor-mones that wreak havoc on the brains and bodies of children, putting them at a greater risk for dis-ease, homelessness, prison time, and early death. While the broader impacts of poverty worsen the risk, no segment of society is immune. Resilience, however, also chronicles the dawn of a movement that is determined to fight back. Trailblazers in pediatrics, education, and social welfare are using cutting-edge science and field-tested therapies to protect children from the insidious effects of toxic stress—and the dark legacy of a childhood that no child would choose.
8/4 Of Two Minds
Take your best day…and your darkest moment…and multiply by a million. Of Two Minds is an award-winning feature documentary from the creative team behind Wordplay, IOUSA, Superhe-roes and These Amazing Shadows. The film explores the extraordinary lives, struggles and successes of a few of the more than five million Americans living with bipolar disorder. Personal stories of har-rowing events, medical mazes, discrimination and the effects of social stigma blend together to cre-ate a compelling look at a generation coming out of the “bipolar closet.” Of Two Minds puts an au-thentic human face on bipolar disorder, providing an intimate, sometimes painful, and sometimes painfully funny look at those who live in its shadows…our parents and children, our friends and lov-ers…and ourselves .
COMMUNITY BASED PEER RECOVERY AND SUPPORT HFM Prevention Council will operate a Recovery Community Center
to help prevent relapse and sustain long-term recovery. The Center
seeks to facilitate recovery of individuals and their families by
providing a substance-free environment. Included is a meeting
location, substance free social functions, prevention, and resource/
referral center for services in the area. The center focuses on
building the recovery community, and providing a positive outlook
for individuals seeking help with addiction and throughout the
recovery process.
Activities to be scheduled include: Resume and job assistance Education assistance Housing assistance Movie night Karaoke Book Club Music/Open Mic night
