April 2014 – Every year, one or more members of the Community are recognized for having made significant contributions in the fields of mental health and chemical dependency, as well as their treatment and prevention – through the message of hope and recovery – with the receipt of the Amethyst Award; given by Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc. (CFLR, Inc.) at their annual April Awareness Breakfast.
CFLR, Inc. would like to congratulate Cheryl L. Spina, CASAC, on being this year’s recipient of the 2014 Amethyst Award presented on Tuesday, April 1st, 2014 at the 16th annual April Awareness Breakfast. Spina, Intensive Day Treatment Director at Insight House, received this award for “improving the delivery of services to people with substance use disorders;” outstanding advocacy.
When asked what drives her passion for helping those who are dealing with a chemical dependency and/or substance use disorder, Spina responds, “it’s seeing someone, who is suffering [and/or has suffered], get over that bump in the road and [get to a] safe place.” As she points out, it’s not always a direct route, and there are many bumps and derailments along the way. “[When an individual comes back for treatment], it can sometimes be seen as a negative [quality]. However, when they do come back, I see this as a good thing. It means that they’re resilient, and that they want to better their lives [and maintain their recovery].”
Upon graduating from SUNYIT with a bachelorette degree in Sociology, Cheryl took a position at Insight House, as an Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services Residential Facilitator in 1994. From then until now, Spina has held various positions at Insight House, where she has counseled individuals suffering from various addictions, and assisted them in obtaining the necessary skills that they needed to regain control of their lives.
The best piece of advice that I can give to someone in the field is that “[as a clinician], you don’t always have to have all of the answers…being present, patient and [developing good] listening skills [are what is needed],” said Spina.
