OASAS Honors Life-Changing Work of Addictions Professionals

ALBANY, NY (09/17/2009)(readMedia)-- State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo today announced the recipients of New York's annual addictions professionals awards to individuals recognized for exemplary work among the 35,000 professionals in the addictions field.

Governor David A. Paterson proclaimed Sept. 22 as Addictions Professionals Day throughout New York to acknowledge the professionals who have dedicated their lives to helping others in Prevention, Treatment and Recovery.

"New York's 35,000 paid and volunteer addiction professionals dedicate their lives to prevent, treat and support recovery from addiction," said Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo. "These professionals play a critical role in preventing substance abuse and addiction and offering the hope of recovery to the 2.5 million New Yorkers who are dealing with drug, alcohol or gambling addiction."

Through the Addictions Professionals Awards program, OASAS annually presents awards to five addictions professionals whose work reflects the highest level of professionalism and dedication in serving individuals and families who suffer from addictions. The awards are presented each year to a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC), CASAC Trainee and Credentialed Prevention Professional/Credential Prevention Specialist (CPP/CPS), as well as a Physician and Certified Addiction Registered Nurse (CARN).

Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo continued, "These awards are not only to recognize the hard work of the addictions professionals, but to say thank you for saving lives - their work is truly life-changing."

Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo announced the following winners:

2008-2009 CASAC of the Year

Claudia J. McDuffie is employed by the New York State Unified Court System in Montgomery County. Ms. McDuffie is a prolific speaker on behalf of drug courts and is credited with developing all three treatment courts in Montgomery County. She developed a social support network and aftercare program for treatment court participants and graduates known as "Lifeworks of Montgomery County." This program promotes an ongoing and active involvement in the community by celebrating recovery in a positive and proactive manner.

2008 – 2009 CASAC Trainee of the Year

April L. Beamer is employed by the Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions in Jefferson County. Ms. Beamer has been instrumental in the development and implementation of Credo's women and children's program and currently sits on the community's Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Task Force. As an active member of Credo's Management Track Training, Ms. Beamer has provided guidance to peers who are new to the management track. She has also appeared on public television and at community golf tournament fundraisers.

2008 – 2009 CPP of the Year

Patricia Marin is employed by The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council of Saratoga County. Ms. Marin utilized her experience as a preschool educator to develop a curriculum for Head Start children called "Special Me" that has been used in Saratoga County for 15 years. Additionally, Ms. Marin managed the Saratoga County Board of Supervisor's smoking prevention poster contest as part of the media literacy lesson of her tobacco prevention curriculum.

2008-2009 Physician of the Year

Dr. Lawrence S. Brown Jr. is the Executive Senior Vice President at the Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation in Brooklyn. His current responsibilities include providing and supervising the administrative support and delivery of medical care for patients with substance use disorders and conducting biomedical and behavioral research. Dr. Brown's scientific contributions have focused upon addiction and improving treatment of substance use disorders, resulting in over 60 peer-reviewed articles, over 10 chapters and in excess of 125 published abstracts, sponsored by National Institute of Drug Abuse, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and private industry.

2008-2009 CARN of the Year

Joan Lohnes, RN, BS, CD, ADS, LMHC, is employed by the Outreach Project/Outreach Development Corporation. Ms. Lohnes, a registered nurse for 47 years, is currently co-chair of the OASAS Nurse Advisory Panel. Since joining Outreach, Ms. Lohnes has served as Supervisor of Nursing for a 40-bed adolescent residential therapeutic community in NYC; responsible as a senior treatment team member for development and implementation of health care systems and for providing direct health care and counseling while supervising staff; director of residential therapeutic residential health services; oversight of staff recruitment; director of the HOPE Unit/Ryan White Program; and for the development and facilitation of 5 OASAS approved CASAC courses. Additionally, Ms. Lohnes has trained substance abuse professionals, teachers, school counselors, human resource personnel, clergy, union and employee assistance managers on a broad range of addiction treatment and prevention issues.

In addition to the recognition the awardees receive, the CASAC and CPP of the Year Award recipients will each have a lifetime waiver of the $150 fee associated with renewing their credentials. The CASAC Trainee of the Year has all Examination Fees required to complete the credentialing process waived. However, this year, since being selected as the CASAC Trainee of the Year, the awardee has achieved full CASAC status. Therefore, the first renewal fee will be waived.

New York has approximately 7,000 active CASACs who provide quality care both within the OASAS system and in a variety of other systems, including criminal justice, mental health, social services and education. In addition, there are over 300 Credentialed Prevention practitioners who are essential to the delivery of quality services using evidence-based practices and environmental prevention strategies.

OASAS recognizes the importance of retaining the seasoned veterans who currently work in the addictions field, as well as attracting additional qualified professionals to OASAS systems by making the addictions field a "field of choice."

To increase the number of qualified credentialed professionals in the field OASAS efforts include:

• First-ever computer-based credentialing exam. New York will offer this computer-based exam four times per year, thereby allowing counselors more opportunities to test than in previous years.

• This year, OASAS issued a Local Services Bulletin establishing a framework for introducing a CPP and CPS staffing requirement for prevention providers that will be phased-in over a two-year period. This is critical to promoting the professionalism of New York State's prevention workforce, as well as assuring the general public that staff working in these settings have achieved and demonstrated a recognized level of competence. To support this effort, we offered an opportunity to CPS's and CPP's whose credentials were expired to reinstate their credential without paying a late fee.

• OASAS is currently combining and revising the Credentialing regulations which will support efforts to attract qualified individuals to this field of choice. These revisions will, for the first time, allow OASAS to issue a Gambling Credential to qualified individuals currently employed (or pursuing careers) in chemical dependence, mental health and specialized gambling treatment settings.

OASAS oversees one of the nation's largest addiction services systems dedicated to Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, with more than 1,550 programs serving over 110,000 New Yorkers on any given day. Through efforts such as the Your Story Matters campaign at www.iamrecovery.com, the agency hopes to foster a movement of recovery, one that sheds the stigma and promotes a life of health and wellness.

Addiction is a chronic disease and New Yorkers need to know that help and hope is available. Individuals can find help by calling the toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day a week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY. For more information, please visit www.oasas.state.ny.us.

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