Cassandra Sheets

Jun

2021

Center for Family Life and Recovery Partners with Sheriff’s Office to Expand Awareness of “No Empty Chair” Campaign

Center for Family Life and Recovery is partnering up with the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office to expand awareness of the “No Empty Chair” campaign. Launched by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee in April, this initiative is a teen driving safety education and enforcement campaign that raises awareness of highway dangers in the hope there will be no empty chairs during graduation season.

“Now that we are approaching graduation season, we want to make sure there are no empty chairs at a graduation ceremony because someone made a destructive decision, or someone decided to drink and drive or was distracted,” said Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol.

Center for Family Life and Recovery will be supporting the campaign by running their award-winning tv commercial, “One Decision,” which emphasizes one decision can lead to tragic consequences.

Maciol will be featured on the CFLR’s “Hopeful Minute” segment found on their website, https://www.whenthereshelpthereshope.com/hopeful-minute/ this month, where he discusses the campaign with CFLR CEO, Cassandra Sheets.

Center for Family Life and Recovery supports individuals struggling with addiction, mental health and behavioral issues by inspiring hope, providing help, promoting wellness and transforming lives. To learn more, visit www.whenthereshelpthereshope.com or call (315) 733-1709

Jun

2021

Center for Family Life & Recovery in need of Volunteers

Utica NY – Center for Family Life & Recovery is in need of Volunteers for their compeer program. Compeer Utica is a mentoring program by the serving both children and adults, throughout Oneida and Herkimer counties, who are affected by mental health and substance abuse disorders. The Compeer program matches community volunteers to serve as supportive friends to those youths and adults, with the goal being to empower and support them in their journey towards recovery. Our programs include:

One-to-One Youth Program: volunteers are matched with youths that are either at risk or affected by a mental health disorder.
One-to-One Adult Friendship Program: volunteers are matched with adults suffering from a mental health disorder.
Vet-to-Vet: veteran volunteers are matched with other veterans who are either receiving mental health services and/or are in need of a supportive friend.
GrandPeer Program: volunteers are matched with adults living in nursing homes or independent living facilities
Compeer Calling/E-buddies: volunteers are connected to their friend via phone/text or via email

Being in quarantine is hard on everyone, especially on those affected with mental health disorders. Liza M. Wiemer once said that “One HELLO? can change a life. One HELLO? can save a life.” Here, at Compeer Utica, we also believe in the power of friendship! We only ask for FOUR hours monthly. Join Compeer Utica, today! It only takes one hour a week to make an impact in somebody’s life!”

Center for Family Life and Recovery supports individuals and/or families struggling with addiction, mental health and behavioral issues by inspiring hope, providing help, promoting wellness and transforming lives. To learn more, visit www.whenthereshelpthereshope.com or call (315) 733-1709.

May

2021

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Since 1949, Mental Health America and affiliates across the country have observed May as Mental Health Month. A theme is selected each year and 2021’s theme is Tool’s 2 Thrive which will provide practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase their resiliency regardless of their personal situation.

According to Mental Health America, 13.84% of youth aged 12-17 years old report at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the last year and if left untreated, issues like this can persist into adulthood. New York is the second highest state in the country in this category. 9.7% of youth in the US have severe major depression, which is on the rise over last year.

SAMHSA National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day was this week on May 7^th. National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day spotlights the importance of caring for every child’s mental health and to reinforce the message that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development. The purpose of Awareness Day is to increase public awareness about the needs of children with serious mental illness (SMI) and severe emotional disturbance (SED) and their families, provide information on evidence-based practices, and encourage those who need help to seek treatment.

May

2021

Local Organization To Focus on Prevention During Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the Center for Family Life and Recovery raised awareness of substance abuse and mental health issues thru a series of educational events the week of May 9^th to May 15^th during National Prevention Week.

During National Prevention Week (NPW), the Center for Family Life and Recovery focused on how schools, the community and families can all take an active role in helping to prevent substance abuse while also promoting positive mental health.

“Prevention specialists went into several schools daily to discuss health themes ranging from preventing opioid and prescription drug misuse, to suicide prevention,” said Cassandra Sheets, CEO of CFLR. “We also educated the community on Narcan training, as well as handing out educational flyers and sharing inspirational and motivational success stories through our social media channels.”

NPW is a national initiative, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Apr

2021

CFLR Announces Take Back Day Drop Off

April 24^th is National Take Back Day.

CFLR will be partnering with Oneida County Opioid Task Force, Oneida County Sheriff Dept. and ACR Health to host a drug take back event at the Oneida County Train Station from 10am - 2pm on April 24^th. This drive-through event is CDC compliant with all COVID regulations. Participants are asked to stay in their vehicles and follow signs to drop off their meds and to wear masks at all times. All participants will be given a Hope bag.

With opioid overdose deaths increasing during the pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration announces its 20^th Take Back Day is scheduled for April 24^th. At its last Take Back Day in October, DEA collected a record-high amount of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications, with the public turning in close to 500 tons of unwanted drugs. Over the 10-year span of Take Back Day, DEA has brought in more than 6,800 tons of prescription drugs. With studies indicating a majority of abused prescription drugs come from family and friends, including from home medicine cabinets, clearing out unused medicine is essential.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has seen an increase in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 83,544 Americans overdosing during the 12-month period ending July 1, 2020, the most ever recorded in a 12-month period. The increase in drug overdose deaths appeared to begin prior to the COVID-19 health emergency but accelerated significantly during the first months of the pandemic.

The public can drop off potentially dangerous prescription medications at collection sites which will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.

DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs will not be accepted. DEA will continue to accept vaping devices and cartridges at its drop off locations provided lithium batteries are removed.

Helping people dispose of potentially harmful prescription drugs is just one way DEA is working to reduce addiction and stem overdose deaths.

Learn more about the event at www.deatakeback.com, or by calling 800-882-9539.