Cassandra Sheets

Out of Darkness Walk brought to the Mohawk Valley

Utica, NY- October 3, 2021− The annual Mohawk Valley Out of the Darkness Community Walk, hosted by the Greater Central New York Chapter and the Center for Family Life and Recovery will be held at the MVCC campus in Utica on October 3 from 9:30 am -12:00 pm. This walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s education and support programs and its bold goal to reduce the annual U.S. rate of suicide 20 percent by the year 2025.

Proud supporters include the Center for Family Life and Recovery, Hero’s for Hope, Callanan Industries and Partners for Prevention sponsor Helio Health to bring the Out of Darkness walk to the Mohawk Valley.

“Suicide touches one in five American families. We hope that by walking we will draw attention to this issue and keep other families from experiencing a suicide loss. Our goal is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide,” said Karen Heisig, the event co-chair and Associate Area Director for the Chapter.

The Mohawk Valley Out of the Darkness Community Walk is one of more than 550 Out of the Darkness Overnight, Community and Campus Walks being held nationwide this year. The walks are expected to unite more than 300,000 walkers and raise millions for suicide prevention efforts. Last year, these walks raised over $21 million for suicide prevention.

“These walks are about turning hope into action,” said AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. “The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and if we keep up the fight, the science is only going to get better and our culture will get smarter about mental health. With the efforts of our courageous volunteers, and a real investment from our nation’s leaders, we hope to significantly reduce the suicide rate in the United States.”

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Utica , New York  – Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc (“CFLR) has received a $19k charitable grant through the Mele Family Fund, a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.

According to Jodi Warren, Director of Prevention Services at CFLR, the funds will be used to help these school districts become accredited in providing support in grief and loss, anger management, and group support for children and youths. The grant will also help fund the current curriculum, which is crucial for today’s school children who are dealing with mental health issues, including the loss of loved ones due to COVID or other illness, divorce/separation, and overdose or suicide.

“By bringing this kind of accreditation to our prevention department, it enhances what we do by helping support protective factors and decreases the potential of risky behaviors or further types of traumas,” says Warren. “Now more than ever with what our children and families continually have to endure, programming such as this is vital to their well-being.”

Since 1952, The Community Foundation has invested millions of dollars into Oneida and Herkimer counties. The Foundation partners with various nonprofits in order to make impactful investments in core areas of need, including economic development, education, arts and culture and health.

Along with supporting individuals and families struggling with addiction, mental health and behavioral issues, CFLR’s goal is to inspire hope, provide help, promote wellness and transform lives. The vision of CFLR is to be a leader in creating a world where people have the power to achieve and celebrate recovery.

To learn more, visit www.whenthereshelpthereshope.com or call (315) 733-1709.

Utica, New York  – Center for Family Life and Recovery is now certified as an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. The certification by the New York State Department of Health enables Center for Family Life & Recovery to routinely dispense naloxone based on best practices, including overdose prevention training of patients and community members. Certified Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs are part of New Yorkers overcoming substance misuse.

“Increasing naloxone availability saves lives,” said Jodi Warren, Director of Prevention Services at Center for Family Life & Recovery. “Making naloxone easily accessible to our community, who may have friends or family struggling with opioid use, is an important part of New York’s  response to the opioid epidemic.”

More than 93,000 people died of a drug overdose in the U.S. last year — a record number that reflects a rise of nearly 30% from 2019, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials said the increase was driven by the lethal prevalence of fentanyl as well as pandemic-related stressors and problems in accessing care.

256 People die each day from a drug overdose in the United States. Naloxone (Narcan) is the only lifesaving tool to help someone who is overdosing. Substance Use Disorder or abuse has no discrimination and can affect anyone. Overdose can also happen to anyone; fentanyl can be laced in any drug and is undetectable to the naked eye. Overdose can also happen in other ways than fentanyl and heroin, it can happen from taking to much medication, or by mixing it with another medication or alcohol, it can also happen by ingestion, by touch, it can occur by stepping on a needle laying in the grass or by picking up a bottle that has been used to get high.

Overdose can happen to ANYONE and even pets.

In Oneida county alone, we have over 220 reported overdoses, 39 of those have been reported fatal, 44% of those fatalities were not administered Narcan. These overdoses are what has been reported, which is concerning and devastating alone, but to know their “real” numbers would be further astonishing. Center for Family Life and Recovery, CFLR, is committed to prevention, recovery, and providing hope, healing, education, and awareness, one life lost to overdose is one life to many.

New York State has been a national leader in the response to the opioid crisis, and overdose prevention and awareness efforts date back to 1992 when the first syringe exchange program was authorized by the Department of Health. Since then, New York State has taken a people-centered approach in addressing the comprehensive needs of those who use drugs. The State’s naloxone initiative, launched in 2006, has supported over 25,500 naloxone administrations, with more than 14,000 carried out by community responders to date.

The Department provides overdose supplies, including naloxone, to registered programs. Community responders trained by these programs administered naloxone nearly 2,000 times in 2020. Over the last several years, New York State has worked to increase access to naloxone by having pharmacy standing orders in place for this medication.

Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc. is proud to be the area’s leading expert for advocacy, prevention, counseling, and training. As a community partner, it is important to us that we continue spreading the message of help and hope to our area and with those whom we work.

Along with supporting individuals and families struggling with addiction, mental health and behavioral issues, CFLR’s goal is to inspire hope, provide help, promote wellness and transform lives. The vision of CFLR is to be a leader in creating a world where people have the power to achieve and celebrate recovery. To learn more, visit www.whenthereshelpthereshope.com or call (315) 733-1709 and ask for Fran Esposito or Katie Burns.

Utica , New York  – “Center for Family Life and Recovery (CFLR), a Mohawk Valley area nonprofit business supporting individuals struggling with addition, mental health, and behavioral concerns, is proud to announce the expansion of counseling services to Onondaga County and beyond.” Director Sara Haag explained.  “With such immediate and widespread mental health needs in many sectors and communities right now during the on-going COVID19 pandemic, we felt now was the perfect time [for us] to do more to support recovery.  On average 1 in 4 adults experience mental health illnesses annually, and this number is expected to be higher during the current pandemic.  Our services are in demand to support many frontliners. We’re pleased to share that CFLR’s brand new Syracuse location soft-opened successfully this month at 5900 North Burdick Street, and we are already offering hope through counseling to individuals, couples and families.”

CFLR is well-known throughout Central New York for providing Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services for over three decades. Headquartered in the Utica area of the Mohawk Valley, the nonprofit has additional offices in Utica, Herkimer, and Rome. Earlier this year, CFLR acquired “Liberty EAP,” formerly operated by Liberty Resources, and began to serve Syracuse area clients. CFLR’s EAP serves over 65 businesses and organizations in New York State and beyond by offering EAP – short-term assessment and referral counseling services to covered individuals such as employees and their family members. A leader in workplace wellness and recovery, CFLR’s EAP includes professional development opportunities through training, consulting, on-site critical incident stress de-briefing, and one point of access to all that the nonprofit offers for prevention and recovery assistance.

Counseling services are provided at the Syracuse office through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).  Counseling is provided in one of three ways, depending on what the patient would like:  in-person, or virtual (telephonic or video counseling). Virtual support groups are also forming including Pandemic Fatigue – Care for Caregivers, information on groups is available online at www.whenthereshelpthereshope.com/groups

To check benefits and receive help with eligibility for counseling services, including making a counseling appointment for any of CFLR’s locations, please call 1-800-729-6822.  During the COVID19 pandemic, the Syracuse office is open by appointment only.

Employers looking to make EAP available as a benefit to their employees can reach out to EAP@CFLRINC.org  and the sales team will assist with low-cost options for employers to get started with local EAP services.

Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc. is proud to be the area’s leading expert for advocacy, prevention, counseling, and training. As a community partner, it is important to us that we continue spreading the message of help and hope to our area and with those whom we work.

“The opening of a new location in Syracuse this month marks the culmination of several months of planning,” CEO Cassandra Sheets said, “we are delighted to help provide another avenue to hope and recovery to the city of Syracuse.”

For more information about CFLR’s prevention, recovery, and behavioral health services and programs, including the EAP, please visit www.whenthereshelpthereshope.com

Utica, New York – Center for Family Life and Recovery is now a Mental Health First Aid Implementation site. Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. Center for Family Life & Recovery will be offering an 8-hour Mental Health First Aid course to any interested audiences in their community.  Those trained include educators and school administrators, human resources professionals, members of faith communities, homeless shelter workers, health and human services workers, nurses/physician assistants/primary care workers, police, first responders and security personnel, mental health authorities, policymakers, substance use treatment professionals, social workers, persons with mental illness/addictions and their families and caring citizens.

Mental health is not an on and off button rather a one step at a time to mental well-being.  We all have days of feeling not ourselves, depressed, not being ok, feeling somewhat alone or not quite putting a finger on what the brain is feeling or understanding.  We may also have days of feeling resilient, joyful, loved,  strong and optimistic.  All feelings such as these can come in waves, even tsunamis at times that can overwhelm us, change our thoughts, moods and even our behaviors. Mental Health is our influencer on how we think feel and act, how we love, cope, and have positive social-emotional well-being.  What is important is to let someone know who is struggling is that they are not alone, there is help, hope, and healing is possible.

“Don’t let mental health define YOU, rather YOU define your mental health” Says Jodi Warren, Director of Prevention Services. “We are excited to offer this program to our community.”

Trainings for member of the mental health community are now being offered through The CFLR Professional Training Program.

• 11/5 for youth
• 11/12 for adults

Details:

• Topic will be Mental Health First Aid.
• Time: 8:30am – 4pm, with 30 minute lunch break. Lunch will not be provided.
• Cost: $50 per student, seats are limited to 10 participants per training.
• Location: Center for Family Life & Recovery, 502 Court Street, Suite 401, Utica, New York 13502

Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc. is proud to be the area’s leading expert for advocacy, prevention, counseling, and training.  As a community partner, it is important to us that we continue spreading the message of help and hope to our area and with those whom we work.

Along with supporting individuals and families struggling with addiction, mental health and behavioral issues, CFLR’s goal is to inspire hope, provide help, promote wellness and transform lives.  The vision of CFLR is to be a leader in creating a world where people have the power to achieve and celebrate recovery.

To learn more, visit www.whenthereshelpthereshope.com or call (315) 733-1709.