Credo Family Support Group

Did you know that the Credo Community Center offers a Family Support group free of charge?

The Family Support Group at the Credo Community Center offers family members of loved ones struggling with addiction the opportunity to have an outlet to share your experiences, ask questions about addiction, and network with other family members in support & hope. Groups are hosted at our Outpatient Clinic located at 595 West Main Street in Watertown.

Recovery is not just a journey for the addict but also to the family impacted as well. It is important for family members to stay informed and knowledgeable so that they may be empowered with information when dealing with difficult situations that may arise with their loved one who has an addiction. In addition, Family Support Group is an excellent opportunity to grow your support network and learn from other individuals who may have experienced some of the same events that you are facing. 

Addiction is a family disease. We can help.

Please view the brochure for our Family Support Group and find out ways that you can connect for support and guidance as a family member. 

Wishing you a very Credo Holiday

Greetings readers!

On any given week the Monday Motivational usually comes from a fun story I find that teaches a funny little lesson out of something either difficult or funny.

This week's motivation is inspired by the Christmas Eve Mass at the Emmanuel Church here in Watertown which is something a tad bit more local.

When I walked into church on Christmas Eve I had the wonderful experience of being able to see poinsettias all around the alter. They were gorgeous with bright red leaves and some sprinkled with glitter. These poinsettias accented the happy spirit and candles so well for the evening before Christmas. As I was taking a look at them I really began to think of all of the many things I was appreciative for this past year.

After taking my seat I began to thumb through my program. During a few occasions I saw Clients from the women's house smile and say hello to me and also had the opportunity to be at the receiving end of a hug from a parent who attends our Family Group here at Outpatient. I know we often joke that sometimes it never feels like we leave work but truly it was a Credo family affair at the Candle Light service.

Before the service started I resumed looking through my program to find the list of memorials and honorary for the poinsettias that had just made me reflect about what I was grateful for. I scanned the list to see the names of my great grandparents and other people who I recognized. Last but certainly not the least at the very bottom of the program it read:

"In Honor of...Our Friends From Credo, Given By. Anonymous"

I thought for this week's motivation I would attach a copy of the program and also the beautiful poinsettias for everyone to enjoy. As I was admiring the beautiful leaves and thinking about what I was grateful for it was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture for someone to be thankful for everything that we do for the people we help.

This week, I encourage everyone to look for signs that remind you Credo is so special. They may not be as clear (especially on rough days) as the writing in the program but the next time you see a poinsettia in person I hope you remember that this holiday season "Anonymous" was touched enough by the services Credo provides to name a poinsettia in our honor and to call us their friends.

Synthetic Marijuana

As if parents did not already have enough to worry about, with 43% of high school seniors reporting having used drugs at least once, now there is synthetic marijuana -- a product legally marketed as herbal incense that will reportedly get you high if you smoke it.
If your child is using the "legal bud" or the "fake weed" products, you should be concerned.

Synthetic Marijuana Gaining Popularity
Fake weed products are legal, and their use has grown since they were first introduced in 2002. They don't trigger a positive result on a urine drug test and are marketed as being "100% organic herbs," insinuating that they are natural and completely safe.

Legal, But Not Natural
The truth is, none of the products on the market are completely natural. They all have been found to contain various synthetic cannabinoids, chemicals produced in laboratories originally to help scientists study the cannabinoid system in the human brain.
These chemicals are indeed completely legal, so far, but what effect they may have on the human body is a mystery. No studies have been published testing the effects of the chemicals on users, so we know nothing about their possible side effects.
Even the online stores that promote and sell the legal weed products do so with disclaimers such as "we make no claims in regards to the effects of these products on the human body, mind or soul."

Street Names of Synthetic Marijuana
There are dozens of products today that are being sold as herbal smoking blends, legal bud, herbal smoke, marijuana alternatives, fake weed or herbal buds. Some of the brand names of the synthetic marijuana products include: Blaze, Blueberry Haze, Dank, Demon Passion Smoke, Genie, Hawaiian Hybrid, K2, Magma, Ninja, Nitro, Ono Budz, Panama Red Ball, Puff, Sativah Herbal Smoke, Skunk, Spice, Ultra Chronic and Voodoo Spice.

For More Information or to Read this entire Article go to: http://alcoholism.about.com/od/tipsforparents/a/legal_bud.htm

New - Family Support Group

Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions is very pleased to announce we have added The Family Support Group to our already vast variety of group settings. The Family Support Group is designed for adults who have been impacted by alcohol or substance abuse by family members. The Family Support Group will be held at the Credo Community Center Outpatient Clinic located at 595 West Main Street in Watertown NY, 13601. The first group will be held on September 12th, 2011 from 5:45pm - 6:45pm and will continue on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at the same time. Please feel free to contact us for any additional information at (315) 788-1530. This Group is open to the community and there is no fee to participate.

From the New York Nonprofit Press

Is the OMIG Out?

Thursday, 16 June 2011 10:43
diggJames Sheehan who heads up the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) reportedly has been asked to leave his position within 30 days. Rumors of the move began spreading among healthcare and human service advocates yesterday.
“Jim Sheehan has been given a 30-day notice to get a new job,” wrote Jeffrey J. Sherrin of the law firm O’Connell and Aronowitz in an email which was distributed via the OMIG Advocacy Work Group list serve yesterday.
“It’s true,” one advocacy group leader said this morning. “I’ve just gotten confirmation from a very reliable source.”
The OMIG’s office itself declined to comment, referring all questions to the Governor’s press office. NYNP has been unable to obtain a comment from the Governor’s press office.
The OMIG’s extremely aggressive approach to audits of Medicaid providers and policies regarding recoupments which been a source of near terror for nonprofit providers.
“It is difficult to convery the level of anxiety and outright fear with which nonprofit service providers view OMIG,” NYNP wrote in our December 2009 cover story entitled The OMIG Who Stole Xmas. “Providers now believe that everything – every clerical error, administrative oversight, missing signature, incorrect date, paperwork omission or late billing – is being considered by OMIG to be abuse at best and possibly even fraud at worst. And, OMIG is coming to find them, multiply them by a factor of 100 or 200, and demand repayment.” Providers argued at the time that the OMIG’s policies were driven at least to some degree by the Office’s extremely high budget target for audit recoupments – beginning with $215 million in 2008 and rising to $644 million in 2011 -- under a deal with the Federal government. Subsequent State budget actions increased the OMIG’s target for audit recoupment even further. “This is a response from the administration to an unyielding and absolutely universal sentiment among providers that the OMIG hasn’t been playing fair, that there are difference between human error and fraud that was not recognized in the audit process. The audits and the recoupments were tearing provider agencies apart,” said one nonprofit executive.

For more articles, or to view the New York Nonprofit Press Site please click on:
http://www.nynp.biz/breaking-news/6622-is-the-omig-out-

From the OASAS Homepage

New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez today announced that four OASAS providers have each been named as one of 50 employers to achieve “Best Companies to Work for in New York” for 2011. This fourth annual statewide survey and awards program identifies and recognizes the best places of employment in New York State.

To read the announcement in its entirety, please see Four OASAS Providers Named Best Companies to work for in NY.

2011 Best Company to Work For

Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions has been selected as one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York 2011!

This is a HUGE honor for our agency and the outstanding staff members that work every day to advocate for and promote Prevention, Treatment and Recovery!

Credo's great success can be attributed to the rich history and tradition and the excellent team of Employees, Board Members, Volunteers and Contributors who believe in and work toward our Mission:
Transforming Lives through Quality Treatment.

Credo Community Center Guiding Principles:

Everyone will be treated with respect and dignity
All employees are accountable
Honest communication is critical to success
Integrity is non negotiable
Dedicated staff is the backbone of the agency
Honor confidentiality
Maintain professional skills though on-going training
Service with pride

To View the Press Release in its entirety and see all the Best Companies to work for New York 2011, including Credo, please visit: http://www.bestcompaniesny.com/