׉?4ׁB!בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://lrO9gs0g17zx3jerg-kh4UvMvjsOxZ5-xGscMeKCKKo!`׉ 7cassandra://vaHpwhU5kKxNNYY_9sedtF9-04UkPIpZocK2Zym3AWIRH`s׉ 7cassandra://xPbiwXpSoJ8mdBJNlxxwARX32xlQ2c3o_xWOG1fjZGM`׉ 7cassandra://m-rzW1boRRcI2M3t68wYD-Gl9E4eUgZL3cOlI03uCuMxq8͠]\[N{KIט(u׈׈E\[N{KH׉E*G Á ND ARA CEN TER 20 1 8 ANNU AL REPORT ׉ 7cassandra://xPbiwXpSoJ8mdBJNlxxwARX32xlQ2c3o_xWOG1fjZGM`\[N{KH\[N{KH(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://KIoNfKSJZnm6qBGxnBPWlbUSPQEIqdF2YE1EbzHS9w49F`iq׉ 7cassandra://1KNCTC9MWC6_85IZNZkpp4wLU1PDe7-YEKWLEO9GqAM`׉ 7cassandra://p4LClkfoFaXavhwDiZYDY3bZr6sjSTfzgwX_qpTpQ6EB/`׉ 7cassandra://oyJ1aPCZYfR9lkiPZiEOaYcCuYdolk9ADJvpK_1midE_u͠ \[N{KI׉E SA MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR This has been a year of many exciting developments at Gándara Center. We launched new programs that have enabled us to even better serve our communities and expand our innovative care to more of the state’s most vulnerable populations. I am proud of our agency’s ability to recognize and meet the unique needs of the people we serve. We are always looking for new ways to make a difference, and that is why we constantly conduct needs assessments in our communities and respond with new initiatives. Indeed, Gándara Center has long played an active advocacy role as allies to our clients: our recent endeavors are perfect examples of the way we aggressively seek new ways to more comprehensively serve hard-to-reach populations. In the pages ahead you will read about such efforts as our community Spanish Narcan trainings: last fall, Gándara Center teamed up with Tapestry to offer community trainings in the use of Narcan, a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The opioid epidemic has hit Hispanic and African American communities particularly hard. Because overdose prevention education is critical for community health and well-being, we were determined to provide Narcan trainings in Spanish to make these events more accessible to Latinos. In another much-needed project, our MISSION Re-entry Program for prisoners at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility expands access to pre- and post-release services for offenders to prevent recidivism. The cycle of re-incarceration is an increasing problem for incarcerated men who have substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health issues. A grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will fund this far-reaching program that fills gaps in treatment and services. The Plymouth Recovery Center, which opened in July of 2017, is designed after the peer recovery support centers we operate in Brockton, Holyoke, and Hyannis. Peer support has always been an important part of Gándara’s culture of recovery. For decades we have hired staff with lived experience to support those in early recovery, and you will read about two of these members of the Gándara family, John Martinez and Phaedra Carco, in this Annual Report. Our latest peer recovery initiative, the Training to Work program for prospective recovery coaches at our Stairway to Recovery support center in Brockton, graduated its first class last June. Recovery coaching is a relatively new and exciting frontier in addiction services and has proven to be an effective tool in helping people continue their recovery process. ׉ 7cassandra://p4LClkfoFaXavhwDiZYDY3bZr6sjSTfzgwX_qpTpQ6EB/`\[N{KI׉E You will also read in this publication about the opening of our new youth access center, the Impact Center, in Springfield. The Impact Center is a safe, welcoming peer-led center for youth 16-21 with mental health concerns and/ or substance use disorders. It offers services to connect to resources and supports, free Wi-Fi, a book lounge, a media lab, support groups, and more. The annual ArtSong Youth Art Exhibit reception and silent auction marked its fifth year in 2018. ArtSong, a fine arts therapy program, uses art instruction concepts to empower youth in our residential programs through their creativity. The wonderful event featured paintings and live music performances. It was truly inspirational to see and hear these young artists confidently express themselves with their talent and imagination. Also, this past summer, our Aventura! Summer Camp Scholarship gave Springfield children and teens a memorable opportunity they otherwise would not have had access to. The genesis for the Aventura! program was Gándara Center reaching out to parents in the community: many of them said they lacked child care during the summer months and it was difficult to find fun, educational, and safe activities for their children. Another way we supported the most vulnerable young people we serve was raising funds for a universally accessible playground at our Mooreland residential group home for children. Our 4th Annual Frozen Yogurt 5K in August raised more than $20,000 for this effort to give our “littles” a safe and fun outlet in their backyard. We expect to break ground in the spring. This year also brought a transitional development at Gándara: my decision to retire in May of 2019. It has not been an easy decision to make, but the time has come to conclude my career and spend more time with my family and friends and watch my two beautiful granddaughters grow up. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to lead such a professional and dedicated organization. Little did I know how rapidly Gándara Center would grow when I first joined the agency in 1982 as a clinical supervisor for our psychiatric day treatment program. At the time, Gándara had one location in Springfield’s North End, our outpatient mental health clinic, and employed approximately 30 staff. When I became Executive Director in 1989, we had 84 employees and served 2,000 clients. Now we are in more than 45 locations throughout the state, employ close to 900 staff, and serve more than 12,000 adults, children, and families. Although we have branched out, our mission remains the same. It has been a true pleasure to lead such a talented team of professionals. I am proud of what we have achieved and I know that Gándara Center, with such a passionate staff— as well as committed donors, supporters, and partners— will accomplish so much in the future. The agency will continue to champion the underserved as it has since its founding in 1977. Kind Regards, Henry Julio East-Trou, Ph.D., LMFT, LADC1 \[N{KI\[N{KI(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://WEthLXLpXuCjHsiWszY7Jp4siEGFuZ4ODsEKZT-I6P4`iq׉ 7cassandra://gYUQRnny16EJjBxjF1TrbGqb4KUiyabUbPfAfaYTlyc`׉ 7cassandra://VnXz2hlipsvyhCyFTkI9O2dN8JDwRZx2SQBPEjMevW0Y0`׉ 7cassandra://-3-zd4jyaWrW_T4_euVBYJZr4e-MOAibMRXxMHZpg-Uc͠ \[O{KI׉E YOUTH For recipients of the Gándara Center’s Aventura! Summer Camp Scholarship, memories were made last July and August that will last a lifetime. These children and teens were given the opportunity to participate in either the city of Springfield’s Summer Enrichment Programs or Camp STAR Angelina in Forest Park. “I made a lot of new friends,” said 14-year-old Hanna on a hot Aventura! Summer Camp Scholarship: Making Memories for Springfield Youth August day at Camp STAR Angelina. “My favorite part of camp was playing sports and games like capture the flag. It was a lot of fun.” The Aventura! Summer Camp Scholarship Program, a partnership between Gándara and the city of Springfield’s Department of Parks, Buildings, & and Recreation Management (DPBRM), was created last year to offer Springfield youth age 5-18 the opportunity to attend one summer camp session for free. The genesis for the scholarship, which has been offered for two straight summers, was the Gándara Center reaching out to parents in the community: many of them said they lacked not only child care during the summer months, but also fun, educational, and safe activities for their children. June, the mother of two Camp STAR Angelina campers, said the experience boosted both her daughters’ self-confidence. “I really appreciated this scholarship. My girls loved camp. It was great for their self-esteem—they tried new things and they learned how to deal different situations and how to get along with kids they didn’t know,” she said. “Every day, when they got home, they talked about camp constantly, and I enjoyed hearing how their days went.” June said that her daughters particularly liked the camp’s “theme days,” especially “fun hat” day, “fun hair” day, and “tie dye t-shirt making” day. “We’re already looking forward to next year’s summer camp,” she said. Summer camp is a unique situation during which kids engage in a community of peers and learn how to interact in a lessstructured environment than school. It’s an experience they never forget. According to information collected from camp applications, a majority of families served by the scholarship program fell within in the “extremely low income,” “very low income,” and “low income” brackets. The Gándara Center is looking to its business colleagues to step up to the plate to help the agency send even more children to camp this year. Simply put, Aventura! sponsors change young lives and help the community—their partnership truly makes a difference. ׉ 7cassandra://VnXz2hlipsvyhCyFTkI9O2dN8JDwRZx2SQBPEjMevW0Y0`\[N{KI׉EArtSong Reception Celebrates Young Artists and Performers The 5th Annual Gándara Youth Art Exhibit, ArtSong, hosted a gallery reception and silent auction on June 7 at the former federal building, 1550 Main Street in Springfield. The family-friendly event featured youth paintings and live music performances. Youth artists in the ArtSong Arts Enrichment Program spent months working on their pieces as a part of their art therapy. Of the 65 pieces on display, created by youth ages 3 through 17 years, more than 10 Gándara Center residential DCF programs were represented at the show. Attendees were able to bid on all artwork on display. The $1,800 in proceeds from the auction, as well as sales of t-shirts designed by one of the artists—along with gifts from donors—directly support young artists by providing supplies to help sustain this unfunded art therapy program. “It’s so inspiring to see what the youth created—not only for me, but also for the artists,” said Amy Porchelli, founder/director of ArtSong. “They really enjoyed the process of making art and they got a true sense of accomplishment because they saw what they could do for the community as artists.” \[N{KI\[N{KI(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://3HkIzFQjC3ByoQHHtvBwj1qNJzDZDWbOPHvmfxVzIRo`iq׉ 7cassandra://PXEZO662GNMJ6p-cs8sGmX2Pybm7jBWb6ugIDI67HFk `׉ 7cassandra://es-Meur1QzNcyte8GF0BFXe0HeO3hFB10qo5Eztx8eoO9`׉ 7cassandra://Mfqx7b858ATA5SwU-Iv4BCl0U5ZPof3i5GbqkoiUe04S͠ \[P{KI׉E dCOMMUNITY Well-Attended Community Narcan Trainings a Success Gándara Center and Tapestry Health received a lot of positive feedback about our Narcan overdose prevention trainings in Westfield, Ludlow, Palmer, Chicopee, Holyoke, and Springfield in October and November. The latter two events were conducted in Spanish to make this crucial information even more accessible to the local Latino community. Attendees were not only given instructions on how to administer Narcan, a life-saving opioid antagonist, but were also told about how it works, how long it works, what happens to the body during an overdose, who is at risk for an opioid overdose, signs of an overdose, how to support the overdose victim’s breathing, and the emergence the fentanyl-adulterated heroin and its role in the increase of overdoses. Nellie Maldonado, assistant director for program administration at Tapestry explained how both new and experienced users are at risk of overdosing on heroin because it’s impossible for them to know the purity of the drug they are using. She said that people who relapse after a period of abstinence are especially vulnerable because their tolerance is down. Experienced users are especially at risk because some are more confident and believe they can handle higher doses: “They say ‘I got this,’” said Maldonado. At the Holyoke event, several Holyoke police officers talked about the state’s 911 Good Samaritan law, which provides protection from drug possession charges when an overdose victim or an overdose witness seeks medical attention. Overdose prevention education is critical for community health and well-being, especially during the nation’s growing opioid crisis. The Latino and African-American populations experience some of the fastest growth rates of confirmed opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, from 2014 through 2016 opioid-related deaths among Latinos more than doubled in the state, a rate higher than any other demographic. AfricanAmericans were the only demographic to see a rise in opioidrelated deaths from 2016 to 2017. As such, Gándara Center is dedicated to using the available data to identify engaging and appropriate solutions. Because Gándara Center believes Narcan training should be accessible to everyone in the community, there will be more of these events in the future. ׉ 7cassandra://es-Meur1QzNcyte8GF0BFXe0HeO3hFB10qo5Eztx8eoO9`\[N{KI׉EvImpact Center Opens for Youth in Springfield On May 18, we officially opened our new youth access center, The Impact Center, in Springfield. The Impact Center offers services for youth 16-21 who are experiencing, or at risk of, mental health and/or substance use concerns in a friendly relaxed space where they connect to resources for jobs, housing, education, and more. At the Impact Center youth can access peer mentoring, recovery navigation help, free Wi-Fi, a book lounge, a media lab, support groups, benefits navigation assistance, housing resources, resume building, health and wellness tips, and independent life skills coaching. At the ribbon cutting we welcomed our dedicated legislators, staff, funders, and community collaborators. A huge thank-you to everyone who worked so hard to bring this important resource to the city of Springfield and its deserving young people. \[N{KI\[N{KI(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://b_5KjWu-LQ5kkRR-q1CVJHRCFqq1XZegY7_phfqntdEة`iq׉ 7cassandra://-aj8EL0eJPPa7ZTW3wm0czO-oOGZwvfc5KxR6-Ig73c`׉ 7cassandra://R-MjCRGwO7HQdPlnT5B3xEtLuVGiKUOGvOhTLh9p5IoO`׉ 7cassandra://TPSWltjE5NyowthaSI5bjfYkB9t0pjuOux7oARpSoes(*̎͠ \[Q{KI׉EFUNDRAISING Matt Bannister Bill Trudeau President and CEO of Insurance Center of New England When Bill Trudeau was considering having his company, Insurance Center of New England (ICNE), be a gold sponsor of the Gándara Center’s Frozen Yogurt 5K in Northampton for the third year in a row, it didn’t take him long to declare an emphatic “yes!” “After all, it’s for a great cause,” he said. “One of our core values at ICNE is ‘Always do the right thing,’ and that means being actively involved in the community.” Trudeau has always felt compelled to give back to the community, taking board member or board chair positions with such organizations as the American Red Cross of the Pioneer Valley, Hilltop Child & Adult Services, the Springfield Museums, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, and Hispanic Resources Inc., which provides housing for the mentally challenged primarily in the Hispanic community. For Trudeau, this sense of social responsibility is deeply rooted in his family and in his childhood experience with the Boy Scouts, charity work in high school, and chairing the philanthropy committee of his fraternity at UMass Amherst, where he graduated with a BA in General Business/ Finance. “I’ve been very fortunate in my life, and like the old saying, much is expected from those whom much is given,” he said. Through his church, Wilbraham United, he is involved in several mission outreach activities. Through Link to Libraries, a non-profit that distributes books, he has been a volunteer reader for elementary school students for the past three years. He especially likes getting involved in the Frozen Yogurt 5K because not only because of what it supports, but also because of the fun mood it creates in downtown Northampton. Trudeau joined Insurance Center of New England in 1990. He became a partner and owner in 2001, and has served as the president and CEO since 2012. First Vice President for Marketing and Innovation, PeoplesBank PeoplesBank has a long history of giving back to the community through volunteer efforts and millions of dollars in donations to charitable and civic causes. So when Matt Bannister, who manages the bank’s philanthropic grants to area non-profits and community service organizations, considered the Frozen Yogurt 5k as a possible recipient back in 2015, he said his decision was an easy one. “It gave us an opportunity to reach out and feel like we were directly impacting the lives of people who really need a helping hand,” he said. As a local, mutual bank, PeoplesBank has a commitment to better its communities, and has done so through a variety of green initiatives and programs that support academic achievement, home ownership, and affordable housing. When Bannister joined PeoplesBank nearly three years ago, he was a natural fit for his job because much of his career has involved promoting human causes on a large scale. Prior to his most recent post, he was executive vice president, corporate communications and brand content for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association in Dallas—the country’s largest health non-profit—for 14 years. Before that he was vice president-group account director at Arnold Worldwide, based in Boston, where he managed integrated marketing campaigns with a focus on anti-tobacco marketing efforts for the state and the FDA. In 2015, Bannister’s career brought him and his wife, Sharon, two daughters, and son back to western Massachusetts in part because he missed the Pioneer Valley, where he went to college at UMass Amherst. “Part of my previous job involved seeking donations, which certainly was fulfilling, and now I’m on the other side of the desk, in a role where we provide grants to the community,” said Bannister. “All told, it’s gratifying to give back through the work that I do.” 4th Annual Frozen Yogurt 5K Raises Over $20,000 to Build Playground More than 200 runners and walkers gathered in downtown Northampton on August 26 for the Gándara Center’s 4th Annual Frozen Yogurt 5K Run/Walk. The event raised more than $20,000 to build a universally accessible playground at Gándara’s Mooreland residential group home for children aged newborn to 12. “This playground will provide the youngest individuals we serve with some joy during an incredibly stressful time in their lives,” said Lisa Brecher, director of communications and development at the Gándara Center. “Giving these children a safe and fun outlet in their backyard will help provide a positive light to their stay.” Special thanks to our 20-plus volunteers! ׉ 7cassandra://R-MjCRGwO7HQdPlnT5B3xEtLuVGiKUOGvOhTLh9p5IoO`\[N{KI׉EThe Gándara Center would like to thank this year’s race sponsors: PRESENTING SPONSOR GoBerry PLATINUM W.B. Mason GOLD Insurance Center of New England PeoplesBank CIGNA Country Bank SILVER Marcotte Ford BRONZE Skoler Abbott Whittlesey PC Allied Flooring & Paint Westfield Bank This End Up Merchants Fleet Management ROAD RACE SIGNAGE Copycat Print Shop CheckWriters River Valley Co-op SIDELINE CHEERLEADERS Eastern Electronics & Security, Inc. Northampton Area Pediatrics \[N{KI\[N{KI(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://KeMolB-pPKlfMkZnN_792e8Bc4JZmNUwAXx-tIOIe7M `iq׉ 7cassandra://henqPmetUpmOmurOuyOxqBOezmhdyKRexr5De5cdRQ0-`׉ 7cassandra://GnwRI3wflDH_oOASaeewwjwRwUAlyrOMRJlVy1qLzGEV$`׉ 7cassandra://bAibByvummlAyAUQZhs59TagSToFYcl5FOBBxicEGcg$3̢͠ \[Q{KI"׉E XRECOVERY Hope After Addiction: Recovery Coach Training Grads Honored in Brockton Like many people in recovery, Jennifer Marston (pictured lower right) had begun her addiction by taking prescription pills for an injury. “I broke my neck in a car accident when I was 14 years old,” she said. After undergoing numerous surgeries and developing rheumatoid arthritis, her opiate addiction spiraled out of control. “I was okay using for the rest of my life to deal with the pain,” she recalled. At one point she and her son were homeless and living in a subsidized hotel. But then she turned her life around and wants to help others do the same. Marston, a native of Whitman, is one of six graduates of the Gándara Center’s Training to Work program, a workforce development grant for recovery coaching as an occupation at the agency’s Stairway to Recovery Peer Recovery Support Center in Brockton. The graduates’ achievements were acknowledged in a graduation celebration on June 19. “I’m grateful to Gándara and I’m proud of myself and how far I’ve come,” said Marston. “There was a time when I just didn’t have any hope to be anyone more than what I was. Now I love what I’m doing.” This was the program’s first graduating class and would not have been possible without such community partners as Massasoit Community College, where students take courses in its Human Services program, as well as the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center (BNHC) and the city’s High Point Treatment Centers, where graduates are now employed as recovery coaches. A new group of 15 students, part of the program’s second cohort, attended the graduation, as well as family, friends, and representatives from BNHC, High Point, and Massasoit Community College. The 8-to-12-month program provides skills-based training to earn a Recovery Coach certificate and credentials and a 5-to-7month internship. There are also job placement services and followup support for the graduates. The Training to Work program is funded by a state grant and administered by the Commonwealth Corporation. Plymouth Recovery Center Opens The Plymouth Recovery Center opened its doors on July 5, 2017 with 2,000 feet of space that includes a meeting room, a community room, a reading or counseling room, and staff offices. The driving force behind the center was Robert Hollis and the Hollis family, Plymouth residents who rallied the community to raise money for the program in memory of their beloved son and brother, Rob, who died of an overdose in 2016 after a period of recovery. Gándara’s Recovery Support Centers welcome all people in recovery from substance use and those affected by substance use. Services are free and provide peer-to-peer supports including peer facilitated support; relapse prevention support groups, social events, and advocacy and recovery coaching. All paths to recovery are accepted. The Plymouth Recovery Center hosts such meetings as Al-Anon, Morning Motivational group, To the Moon and Back (for caregivers on children born with substance exposure), a support group for siblings of those lost to—or suffering from—substance use disorder, Yoga 12-Step Recovery, relapse prevention group, and Refuge Recovery, a Buddhist-oriented path to freedom from addiction. This recovery center is a program of Gándara Mental Health Center Inc. in collaboration with Plymouth Recovery Center, Inc. ׉ 7cassandra://GnwRI3wflDH_oOASaeewwjwRwUAlyrOMRJlVy1qLzGEV$`\[N{KI׉EGándara Center Celebrates National Recovery Month Hope for Holyoke (HFH) was one of several Gándara recovery support centers participating in events in conjunction with National Recovery Month in September. On September 16, HFH celebrated National Recovery Month with its float in Springfield’s Puerto Rican Parade, and the following day, members of HFH and our Stairway to Recovery center in Brockton joined a rally and a march in Boston that included a meeting in Faneuil Hall (pictured above). On September 21, HFH participated in the Western Massachusetts Recovery Day, which was organized by the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery at the Holy Name Social Center in Springfield. HFH also hosted its annual Holyoke Recovery Day on September 28, which included a celebration at Veterans Park and a march through the streets of downtown Holyoke to the HFH offices on Suffolk Street. Their chant, “What does recovery look like? This is what recovery looks like!” elicited cheers from passersby and encouraging honks from motorists’ horns. In addition, our PIER Recovery Center of Cape Cod held its Third Anniversary Celebration in Hyannis on September 5, and our Plymouth Recovery Center held its first ever Recovery Rally on September 16. \[N{KI \[N{KI(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://PrMEkBUOlBlEwRv_Y1x-gmJm53TnL5Uju8mfdoT8I9U2`iq׉ 7cassandra://ArOBBx0dTrmYI2ENefO1BOIHrtNnouWduvP_g1n77rQ`׉ 7cassandra://RhRf03AilG5wmiA-K37NQSXW15IIC7koVKZEi2CsHgAK`׉ 7cassandra://Tmn1vLLLd_c9T8WzAVKklMe7Z7SQdODQPWhI1rCYygc7z͠ \[R{KI$׉ERECOVERY In Sickness and in Health How John Martinez and Phaedra Carco found Gándara Center—and One Another John Martinez, the volunteer coordinator for the Hope for Holyoke Recovery Center, does not mince words when he describes what he was like at his worst when he was addicted to drugs. “I was on a rampage,” he said. Born and raised in Manhattan, he began using substances in sixth grade. His addiction eventually landed him in jail. When John was released, “I went right back to where I left off.” When asked when he knew he had hit rock bottom, he replied, “I hit many bottoms. You don’t have to be homeless to hit bottom. You can have a place to live but have a spiritual emptiness.” By 2009, he had had enough of this lifestyle. “I was tired,” he said. “I tried a bunch of detox programs, but I couldn’t stay in recovery.” Still, there was hope: John had a cousin who used to work at Gándara Center. “I begged him for help,” he said. John got the help he needed. His cousin put him in a detox program at Providence Hospital in Holyoke, and after that there was a bed waiting for him at the residential Gándara Addiction Recovery Program (GARP) in Springfield. “I had never been to Massachusetts in my life,” he said. However, it was in this state that he found recovery, a purpose in life, a new home—and his future wife. Phaedra Carco, from the eastern Massachusetts city of Malden, had been addicted to drugs and alcohol since she was 17, and like John, couldn’t maintain her recovery no matter how hard she tried. “I was trapped in a cycle of relapse and clean time,” she recalled. When Phaedra was ready to quit once again at age 37, she couldn’t find a halfway house in the Boston area. Then an opening came up at Gándara Residential Services for Women (GRSW) in Holyoke. “At GRSW I found a foundation of women who supported me in my recovery,” she said. “They gave me my life back.” After her stay in 2009, came back to volunteer there. “I went to Recovery Coach Academy in Northampton with the help of the Hope for Holyoke recovery center,” she said. “It was there where I got my first taste of actually working in the field of recovery, and Gándara Center hired me as a recovery coach in 2016.” In that year she went to school at UMass-Boston at Tower Square in Springfield, where she earned her Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor certification. In March of 2017 she became a case manager at Gándara’s Transitional Support Services in Westfield, and then in May of 2018 she was promoted to be the program’s intake coordinator. Phaedra said Gándara Center helped her find purpose in life. “I had reached a point where I didn’t think recovery was part of my future,” she said. “I didn’t think I had a future. I had lost my dreams.” She met John at a recovery dance at the former Basilica of Holy Apostles in Springfield in 2009. Although many professionals discourage beginning romantic relationships during the first year of recovery—because people have a lot of growing and learning to do as individuals during this time and are extremely vulnerable—there are exceptions. They waited until they both had graduated from GARP and GRSW to begin dating. “We had put recovery first, and we still do,” said Phaedra. “If we’re about to go out to dinner, and he says, ‘I have to go to a meeting,’ he’s going to go to that meeting.” John agreed: “We support each other in our recovery. Back then, she trusted me before I trusted myself. In the end, we have a common bond.” The couple, who live in East Longmeadow, MA, are engaged to be married, but they haven’t set a wedding date yet. John said the Gándara staff gave him a chance when it seemed no one else would. “Because of my record, it was hard to find a job,” he said. “I did a lot of labor off the books. I loved the volunteer work at GARP, and I still volunteer there.” When Hope for Holyoke opened in 2016 and needed a volunteer coordinator, John jumped at the chance. He credits Gándara Center Executive Director Henry Julio East-Trou with “believing in me from the start.” John and Phaedra find inspiration in their work every day. “My job motivates me in my recovery,” said Phaedra. John said that he enjoys the process of helping people put their lives back together. “I want to spread the message that life can get better,” he said. “I certainly don’t want to keep it to myself.” ׉ 7cassandra://RhRf03AilG5wmiA-K37NQSXW15IIC7koVKZEi2CsHgAK`\[N{KI ׉E New Re-entry Program for Prisoners in Plymouth County Features Innovative Wrap-around Team Approach For many former prisoners transitioning back into their communities, the cycle of re-incarceration is difficult to break. And studies show that released inmates who have substance use disorder—often combined with another mental disorder—are more likely to end up back behind bars if they don’t get proper treatment and access to community services. The five-year Gándara Center-Plymouth County MISSION Re-entry Program, which began in September at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility, provides coordinated and integrated services for 260 incarcerated men who are assessed with substance use disorder, co-occurring other mental health issues, and are at high risk to reoffend. The project was funded by a $425,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In the first year, the program is assisting 40 individuals who are within four months of finishing their sentences and returning to the greater Brockton and Plymouth communities. All 260 clients across five years will be the focus of the evidence-based practice called MISSION-CJ (Maintaining Independence and Sobriety through Systems Integration, Outreach, and Networking-Criminal Justice). Hope for Holyoke Hosts MOAR Western Massachusetts Policy Forum Powerful recovery stories were told at the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) Western Massachusetts Policy Forum, which was hosted by the Hope for Holyoke recovery support center on May 24. Hope for Holyoke, one of Gándara’s peer-to-peer recovery centers, provides such services as relapse prevention and tobacco cessation support groups, social events, access to computers for job readiness/job search activities, and advocacy and recovery coaching. Several people shared testimonials about how recovery support centers helped change their lives. Maritza, a member of Hope for Holyoke, thanked “those who saw me when I felt invisible.” Another member, Marcos, called Hope for Holyoke his second home. “I learned how to read here,” he said. He also related a story about his bicycle being stolen and how the center’s peers bought him a new one. State Rep. Aaron Vega was in attendance and spoke about centers like Hope for Holyoke doing more than their part in fighting the addiction crisis. Project Health Infectious Disease Initiative to Reduce Hepatitis & HIV Gándara Center received a four-year, $445,000 federal SAMHSA grant for our outpatient recovery services in Springfield to reduce the incidence of hepatitis, HIV, and other chronic health conditions for individuals with a serious mental illness or co-occurring disorder. An onsite pharmacy will open in 2019 and a bilingual co-located infectious diseases physician, Dr. Claudia Martorell, will join clinicians in offering minorityfocused primary and behavioral health integrated care to screen and treat clients living with—or at high risk of contracting—hepatitis and HIV, which are prevalent among the communities we serve. Each year, 400 individuals will receive treatment for hepatitis/HIV and 2,500 will receive enhanced risk screening. \[N{KI \[N{KI (בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://I8NLL-pJXGV7497hz-OchGH6B6JbudJDuMz0UkKcqYEq/`iq׉ 7cassandra://yu0-tjbQx6d4ALkOPGqsx0Fls5JgBdTlveqCaGqDPu8`׉ 7cassandra://3zXdLsFPg-2LQvyk3ZJyvztr6IObF5EiEJFUpVVlLYM= `׉ 7cassandra://y9Z7kqjxoB376EuQT5a6p0uQialWN813gXNL2nh-fe0~͠ \[R{KI&׉EHONORABLE MENTIONS On April 27, Heather Murphy, director of clinical operations, was one of three recipients of the 2017-2018 Field Supervisors of the Year Award, which was presented by the Springfield College School of Social Work. Cindy Carley, program director at our Cornerstone Recovery Program for Young Women, was presented with the Outstanding Service award by the Western Massachusetts Addiction Providers Association on June 8. On June 14, Western Mass News interviewed Lianette Rivera, a CSA in-home behavioral services supervisor, about the possibility of students needing counseling after witnessing a student attack a teacher with a screwdriver in Holyoke’s Peck Middle School. On June 20, Hope for Holyoke Director Debra Flynn-Gonzalez was honored at the State House in Boston with the state’s Unsung Heroine Award, an honor that was covered in The Republican, the Holyoke Sun, and the Chicopee Register newspapers, as well as BusinessWest and Healthcare News. She was also interviewed about the synthetic drug “K2” on Western Mass News on August 16 and by the same news team on July 26 about singer Demi Lovato’s overdose. On June 29, Impact Center Director Kristine Rodriguez and recovery coach Amanda Alicea discussed their work on WGBY’s Connecting Point. On July 31, Hampden County Tobacco-Free Community Partnership Director Sara Moriarty talked about the Mass. Department of Health’s dangers of vaping campaign on the WGBY program Connecting Point. On September 6, our Springfield Family Resource Center was given a Governor’s Citation in recognition of the work it has done for families displaced by Hurricane Maria. On September 20, Stairway to Recovery Program Director Efrain Baez spoke about recovery coaching on WBZ-TV 4 in Boston. Clinician Audra Winn was interviewed on Western Mass News on October 18 about the recent National Center for Health Statistics analysis that found the U.S. life expectancy falling for the second year in a row—nudged down again by a surge in fatal opioid overdoses. She also talked about cell phone addiction on Western Mass News on February 13. Gándara Center recovery coach supervisor Daisy Hernandez and our executive director, Henry Julio East-Trou, joined Nellie Maldonado, assistant director for program administration at Tapestry Health, on the BOMBA RADIO Springfield 104.5 FM show Nuestra Raíces on October 24 to discuss our Spanish-speaking community Narcan training sessions in Holyoke and Springfield. Lisa Brecher, Gándara’s marketing and development coordinator, discussed the importance of serving vulnerable populations in a lengthy feature in the May issue of Health Care News. Lisa was also interviewed in an October 29 Better Western Mass segment of Western Mass News about our six Narcan trainings in the community, and on New England Public Radio on August 23 about gambling addiction. On April 6, Gándara Center celebrated the life of Jenn Avery, a dedicated employee of the agency for 19 years until she lost her battle with cancer in April of 2017. Jenn worked for the CSA division providing in-home therapy to children with severe emotional disturbances. In her most recent role, she acted as the CSA’s training and quality assurance director. Gándara Center had relocated its CSA division to a building in Holyoke that the agency had been renovating for nearly two years, a project that Avery was very much a part of and that would have housed her office. The staff felt it was time to officially honor their colleague with a naming ceremony at the new site. The “Jenn Avery Conference and Training Center” provides a central location for much of the agency’s training programs and meetings. Jenn’s husband, Rock 102’s Steve Nagle, accepted a plaque and unveiled a picture that hangs outside of the center. He was joined by their two daughters, eight-year-old Felina and Allie, seven, as well as Jenn’s sister Sonia. Western Mass News’ Lia Auto Group Surprise Squad made a stop at the ceremony to show their support and treat Jenn’s children to a shopping trip. ׉ 7cassandra://3zXdLsFPg-2LQvyk3ZJyvztr6IObF5EiEJFUpVVlLYM= `\[N{KI ׉ETDONORS & SPONSORS ALLIED FLOORING & PAINT BAYSTATE HEALTH MARY GUSTAFSON STERLING HALL PATRICIA BERNARD DAPHNE BOARD LISA BRECHER KATHI BROWN CHECKWRITERS CIGNA COPYCAT PRINT SHOP COUNTRY BANK EASTERN ELECTRONICS & SECURITY, INC. HENRY JULIO EAST-TROU, PH.D., LMFT, LADC1 DEAN ETHIER, UFCW LOCAL 1459 BRIAN FITZGERALD THE GAUDREAU GROUP INSURANCE CENTER OF NEW ENGLAND DR. YOUNG K. KIM, PH.D. SCOTT LUCCHESI KATHLEEN LYNCH MANSFIELD PAPER COMPANY MARCOTTE FORD JEFF MCGEARY MERCHANTS FLEET MANAGEMENT KEN MRUK REBECCA MULLER NORTHAMPTON AREA PEDIATRICS DEBORAH PALM (IN MEMORY OF JENNIFER KOZIOL) MATT PASQUALE PEOPLESBANK GINA PIETROCOLA JOE PIETROCOLA ELIZABETH POPOLO RIVER VALLEY CO-OP MELLA SINGLETON SKOLER ABBOTT THIS END UP THREE BEARS FACE PAINTING DANIEL USHER (IN MEMORY OF JENN KOZIOL) EMILY WASLICK W.B. MASON WESTFIELD BANK WHITTLESEY PC \[N{KI \[N{KI (בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://yCt0OilM_ngF3cac6EvZhD3OxpmeCAXizkS06q596VEa9`iq׉ 7cassandra://VeCZL1D1j1CBM1M8RzwUg-wOY2HngxzH08l6zMrIkZ0̈́`׉ 7cassandra://NCwuKamEmaKrcvtm-7lHYpLx16JEWK00YbSUl9OAdQo0J`׉ 7cassandra://kohc8cBB_xD_dobjOswubN07s1vfJ4fqqttvPjETWFk͓Z͠ \[R{KI(׉EMBOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Kimberly Klimczuk Skoler Abbott VICE PRESIDENT James Donnelly Law Office of James Donnelly CLERK Rafael Mojica Holyoke Medical Center TREASURER Sterling Hall MEMBER Lydia E. Martinez-Alvarez Springfield Public Schools MEMBER Hugh deRenzy MEMBER Mary Eaton deRenzy Document Solutions MEMBER Victoria Ford ׉ 7cassandra://NCwuKamEmaKrcvtm-7lHYpLx16JEWK00YbSUl9OAdQo0J`\[N{KI׉ELEADERSHIP TEAM Executive Leadership Team Henry Julio East-Trou Executive Director Ken Mruk Chief Financial Officer Heather Murphy Director of Clinical Operations Lisa Brecher Director of Marketing & Development Rebecca Muller Director of Grant Development & Management Senior Division Directors Dr. Madeline Aviles-Hernandez Director of Outpatient Services Tami Davis Director of Adolescent & Family Services Christopher Ezzo Director of Children’s Story Title Tur, cus. Haruptaquid ulpa doluptate es quam nonsequatur ape natum volo int min nis corit et ius pra poreiur, ut pliquos as cum quas soluptatum que niendi debistiistia consequatias am, inctotat pelia serum voluptas adicae volupturerum fugiam, et repeliquati rerrore res dolore pa sam, voluptatiure. Behavioral Health Initiative/CSA Randi Grubbs Director of Adult Residential Services Cimilitiunt. Ximagnateni dolute officiis renimus. Nemporatem quiamus tiosam rae dolupta imint apellat millati ateture dis peribus de porro quis vellibe rumque eatas volupta quis apid qui volectest voluptatum ea imet etum volorru menditaquis non cum que eum untempor sin pores eum ad molorehenda que aut ese nam quas doloreium volore sae quaspero quaecus volora que nisiniatium qui doloreratur sit quo moluptatio. Et dolupistios de asperib eribus Virginia Mercure Director of Peer Recovery Support Services voluptas eatem quiatur seque vit laborrovit quiam, ventius velibus Is volum nulpa conem lam incil ipsum que plitatiatur as sime quis nullabo. Lendist que et mint laborum re debit es incius ratem re nonserr uptistrum fugit abori omnihillor sin est, net alibus sequam esequis digendundae. Ugiaspid etur as rero berio con erum quiam elis ut eatur? Xerum et voluptatet audisci Sharon Hall-Smith Director of Prevention & Community Services Madaline Martinez Director of Residential Recovery Services Jeff McGeary Director of Operations Kathleen Brown Director of Human Resources Robert DeVito Director of Information Technology \[N{KI\[N{KI(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://tItXFxEAZ906tdivnINyqXk7frreAyNMRfSXZC1KtmMh`iq׉ 7cassandra://PXrnQIuniLj5s8oJKZ7OsrPZwN40CgX5hVv86HaAv4E͙_`׉ 7cassandra://8lGGucAkohxelq5IG8ujv3_nDNGBhX8fWcrmccq95OM2m`׉ 7cassandra://0chMsIZ6_NnNXhhIQgHSDZB9W0rs2KWyH1hp1RluHQQhH͠ \[V{KI*׉EFINANCIALS 2018 2018 Revenue By Source Contributions and In-Kind $365,710 Third-Party Revenue $14,756,013 City Funding $827,931 Federal Funding $985,560 State Funding $26,836,599 Other Misc. Revenue $331,480 Revenue & Assets–6 Year Comparison (Thousands of Dollars) Fiscal Year Assets & Liabilities Total Assets Total Liabilities Total Net Assets Revenue Program Service Fees Total Revenue 6/30/2018 6/30/2017 6/30/2016 6/30/2015 6/30/2014 6/30/2013 $ 12,905 $ 6,426 $ 6,479 $ 43,595 In-Kind, Contributions & Grants $ 479 Other Revenue $ 10,590 $ 5,189 $ 5,401 $ 41,101 $ 496 $ 41,638 89% 11% $ 8,405 $ 4,132 $ 4,273 $ 37,373 $ 495 $ 37,910 88% 12% $ 7,729 $ 4,592 $ 3,137 $ 32,874 $ 456 $ 33,370 90% 10% $ 5,575 $ 3,220 $ 2,355 $ 23,755 $ 754 $ 24,572 90% 10% $ 4,686 $ 2,427 $ 2,259 $ 21,362 $ 303 $ 30 $ 41 $ 42 $ 40 $ 63 $ 39 $ 44,103 Percentage of Operating Expenses Program Services Administration 90% 10% 90% 10% $ 21,704 ׉ 7cassandra://8lGGucAkohxelq5IG8ujv3_nDNGBhX8fWcrmccq95OM2m`\[N{KI׉EGÁNDARA LOCATIONS Greenfield DCF Youth Residential Program Northampton Holyoke Westfield Transitional Support Services for Women W. Springfield Administration Office Fitchburg CBHI Fitchburg Ware Chicopee Youth Detention Center DCF Youth STARR Program Springfield SUD Residential for Young Women Boston/ Roxbury CBHI Boston Brockton Peer Recovery Support Center Plymouth SAMSHA Offender Re-entry Program Peer Recovery Support Center Northampton DCF Intensive Group Home DPH SUD Residential for Men Sober Living Supportive Housing Sober Living Sup. Housing for Women Holyoke Cancer Prevention and Screening Community Housing Program CSA/CBHI Holyoke DCF After School Program DCF Youth STARR Program DMH/DCF Caring Together Continuum DYS Short-term Treatment Center Intensive Foster Care Peer Recovery Support Center Recovery Supportive Housing SUD Residential for Women Youth Development Center Springfield CSA/CBHI Springfield DCF Youth STARR Program (2) DCF Youth Pre-Independent Living Program (2) DCF Youth Residential Program DCF Teen Parenting Program DDS Shared Living Program/Long-Term Res. DMH CBFS Springfield (contd.) DMH Youth Access Center DPH Residential SUD for Hispanic Men Drug Free Coalition Family Resource Center Homeless Young Adult Housing Outpatient MH Clinic/Integrated Primary Care Outpatient Addictions Clinic Recovery Supportive Housing Teen Domestic Violence Prevention Teen Pregnancy Prevention Tobacco Free Community Partnership Brockton Brockton Champion Plan CBHI Brockton MH/SUD Outpatient Clinic Peer Recovery Support Center Plymouth SAMSHA Offender Re-entry Program Peer Recovery Support Center New Bedford CBHI New Bedford Hyannis Peer Recovery Support Center \[N{KI\[N{KI(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://EpEgf5kKkXExdvq4YSEUg1j43B_sjE_cj0X-UPxklI0Z(`׉ 7cassandra://vZ93WCbZMiYIK_lctJafyWPQ4LnObJNSRywbeC5MTFM͌`s׉ 7cassandra://ECL-YWG7OU8mCmtn62VHytpWiGhv91RwXyHVTJp7SHo-o`׉ 7cassandra://WoLVaHYMLjpExcG_pBUp-yMOCJuIz4D7MRm5PmaipW4G :͠]\[V{KI,׉E20 individuals with developmental challenges and acute brain injury were supported 281 individuals were empowered and encouraged by recovery coaches 2,919 people focused on their mental health needs at outpatient clinics FY 2018: At a Glance 611 individuals struggling with substance use disorders were welcomed and treated at residential recovery homes 2,815 youth with severe emotional disturbances were wrapped in services provided by CSA/CBHI teams dedicated to family, peer, and clinical support 2,286 lives were enriched through prevention, education and intervention services for HIV, domestic violence, smoking cessation, underage substance use, and cancer 2,584 people worked to successfully maintain their recovery by accessing services at peer recovery support centers 988 at-risk youth found safety and stability in residential, foster and communitysupported caregivers 103 families were given a chance at more stable and productive lives in supportive housing 40 homeless young adults were placed in housing 12,000 Lives Impacted Mental Health and Substance Treatment, Prevention and Education Serving Our Most Vulnerable Communities Dedicados a Mejorar su Salud Over 150,000 lbs. of food was distributed to those in need 1,328 families were connected to services at the Family Resource Center 413 families displaced by Caribbean hurricanes were welcomed and connected to housing, supplies, mental health, and wellness ׉ 7cassandra://ECL-YWG7OU8mCmtn62VHytpWiGhv91RwXyHVTJp7SHo-o`\[N{KI׈E\[N{KI\[N{KI(,2018AnnualReptMany exciting developments have taken place at Gándara Center in the past year. We launched new programs that have enabled us to even better serve our communities and expand our innovative care to more of the state's most vulnerable populations.\[I15^