Hello all,

 

Welcome to the:

 AAPNY COMMUNICATOR

ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

November 2005, Volume II

 

Visit our website at www.aapnycounselor.org

 

These emails and Newsletters are going out to all members of the

Association for Addiction Professionals of New York (AAPNY). 

 

AAPNY is the New York state affiliate of

NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals.

Membership information can be found at:

www.naadac.org or www.aapnycounselor.org

 

You can make local contact with AAPNY by emailing or calling us at: AAPNY@MSN.COM or 1-877-862-2769.

 

If you have information you want to share with AAPNY addiction professionals send it to AAPNY@MSN.COM  and we'll include it in these upcoming newsletters and/or informational emails sent out on a regular basis.  If you want an email address added or deleted from this network just let us know.  

 

Here are the topics for this Newsletter. 

 

  1. Greetings from the President
  2. June 2006 30th Annual Conference and Membership Meeting
  3. Website Update
  4. NAADAC Legislative Action Alert
  5. Institute of Medicine November 2005 Report
  6. Highlights from Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Weekly
  7. Regional Updates presented at our last Board Meeting
  8. Joining or Renewing Membership via Payroll Deduction

 

 

1

Letter from the President:           

 

The last several months have been a very busy time for the board.  We have all been working extremely hard at updating our website which can be seen by clicking on www.aapnycounselor.org.  The latest news, upcoming events, an extensive links (which can currently be found in the top right hand corner of the website) listing, and many other new additions have been added.  Please check out our site and let us know your thoughts.  You can send them to Aapny@msn.com.  

 

As of this edition we have secured the dates and location of our 2006 Annual Conference and Membership Meeting.  It will be held June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th at the Crowne Plaza in the heart of Albany.  You can view the hotel and accommodations by visiting, www.cpalbany.com.  This is a monumental year for AAPNY.  It marks our 30th Anniversary as the only counselor’s organization in New York.  We are promising an exciting conference this year featuring local, state and nationally renowned speakers.  Our theme this year is Research & Technology Entering the 21st Century.    I am pleased to announce to the membership that our Immediate Past President, Ed Olsen has been elected Northeast Regional Vice President for NAADAC.  The board is excited about the outcome of the election having a fellow New Yorker and former AAPNY President representing the Northeast region.  The board asks that you join us in congratulating Ed by emailing him at Elo50@msn.com or contacting him at 631 – 476 – 8788.  Ed has asked that any member who has any questions, comments or concerns that have not been resolved to please contact him.  

 

We have begun to work on improving our relationships with both OASAS, IPDA and the NeATTC.  These organizations were present at our last board meeting.  Their support of AAPNY and developing our profession are unquestionable.  I am very happy to see our organizations beginning to come together and supporting one and other.   Bob Killar of OASAS will now be managing the OASAS Counselor Wellness/Peer Assistance Program.  He reported that this unit has been moved from under the Credentialing Unit to now under the leadership of their Medical Director, Dr. Kipnis.  To assist Bob in his new position AAPNY will be looking for volunteers statewide to be trained to work with the impaired professional.  If you or if you know someone who is interested in this training please email us at Aapny@msn.com.  Please put “Peer Assistance” in the subject line.  We ask that those considering taking this training be a CASAC and be an active member of AAPNY/NAADAC.  This is an excellent opportunity for OASAS and AAPNY to work together in helping those in need.  The Board and I look forward to working with Bob in his new capacity. The NeATTC and IPDA representative, Lisa Howard, expressed interest in collaborating with AAPNY to be part of a new RFP focusing on Workforce Issues after January 2006.  The board expressed interest in pursing this opportunity.  Lisa also expressed an interest in partnering with AAPNY to work on regional development and to assist in our membership campaign.  Lisa informed the board of an upcoming Leadership Institute Training that will be available to AAPNY members in the near future.  You will receive information on this training in the very near future.  The board is very excited about building our relationship with both NeATTC and with the IPDA.  We look forward to working with Lisa in this development.

 

As you can see, we have been very busy in trying to bring to you items needed to continue to do the good work that we do in serving others.  Let us know how you feel about we are doing and what you feel we need to be doing by writing me at Aapny@msn.com.  

 

Regards,

      Frank A. Naccarato                                             

 

 

2

 

SAVE THE DATE !!!!!

 

Annual Conference and Membership Meeting:

 

The annual Conference and Membership Meeting will be:

 

JUNE 22, 23, 24, 2006

CROWNE PLAZA

 

(www.cpalbany.com)

 

ALBANY, NEW YORK

 

 

 

3 

AAPNY Website:

 

The AAPNY website continues to grow.  Please visit our website at www.aapnycounselor.org and send us your feedback.  We will read all feedback and present suggested additions and changes.  Ferd Haverly is currently working on rewording our site so that it is all inclusive of professionals in the addictions field to include educators and prevention specialists.  Ferd continues to work closely with the webmaster in developing our website to make it user friendly and still provide you with the most up to date information and resources needed.

 

 

4    

NAADAC LEGISLATIVE ALERT:

 

Please take the time to read this as it will have a MAJOR effect on our profession across the county.

 

The following alert was released by NAADAC regarding the need for membership to become mobilized in contacting your national legislators to make changes to the House Bill HR 3010 to ensure funding for addiction treatment, prevention and education.  You can find your representatives through the AAPNY website at www.aapnycounselor.org.  Follow the link to the homepage then click on the “Take Action” button.

 

 

ACTION ALERT! ACTION ALERT! ACTION ALERT!

 

The national office of NAADAC, along with the Coalition for Health Funding, wants you to know about the latest developments on Capitol Hill concerning the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2006.  H.R. 3010, which would fund Labor/Health & Human Services/Education programs, was narrowly defeated in the House of Representatives.  The majority that defeated the bill believed it did not provide enough funding for programs that are of critical importance to our country’s health and well-being.

 

This budget conference report did nothing to advance the cause of addiction treatment, and in many places it would have reduced spending for programs that would benefit addiction professionals and their clients.  If Congress had passed this budget, it would impact treatment, research, prevention programs, and workforce development.

 

The budget, if passed in its current form, would have made the following changes:

 

Ø      Safe and Drug Free School Grants would be cut by $87.4 million (a 20% decrease from last year.)  This cut would have an impact on over 14,000 school districts.

 

Ø      National Institutes of Health was to receive a 0.7% increase, its lowest increase since 1970.  When inflation is factored in, the real value of the NIH budget will be below last year’s levels.

 

Ø      A proposed 24% cut in block grants for state health departments.

 

Ø      The Health Career Opportunity Program would lose $32 million of its $36 million budget.

 

Addiction professionals and their patients should demand better from Congress.  Call, write, fax, or e-mail your members of Congress (www.house.gov) and ask them to make the improvements that are so necessary, and produce a budget that will move our field forward.  To find out how to contact your Senators, go to www.senate.gov.  We hope that you will urge others in your region to do the same- NAADAC is counting on your voice, and all our voices, to be heard!

 

Remember to tell your members of Congress:

 

Ø      Addiction professionals are fighting a disease that afflicts more people than cancer or HIV.

 

Ø      Congress must provide the necessary funds for not only treatment programs, but education and prevention as well.

 

Ø      We must develop a workforce for the future.  Programs in health education are critical!

 

Ø      Addiction research and evidence-based practices are vital if we are to defeat this disease.

 

Please contact the national office with any questions.  

 

"NAADAC is the premier global organization of addiction focused professionals who enhance the health and recovery of individuals, families, and communities." - NAADAC Vision Statement adopted 1998

 

 

 

5

Please take a few minutes and read the following article.  It is a timely and important one as it may effect how we do treatment.  Please send your thoughts on this to Aapny@msn.com

 

Institute of Medicine November 2005 Report:



R

                                                      

 

6

 

 HIGHLIGHTS FROM ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE WEEKLY:

 

The following 2 articles focus on the increasing concerns of our profession.  The first deals with the number of older people using alcohol to assist in the medication of pain and the second with gaining legislative support for offender re-entry programs to include addiction treatment.  Let me know your thoughts on these two timely articles by emailing Aapny@msn.com.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

Regional Reports and updates from our last Board Meeting:

 

Region I:  Roberta reported that she is finding an increasing interest in students   looking to join AAPNY.  Roberta stresses the importance of becoming a member to her students as way of developing professionally and advocating for the addictions profession.  It was also reported that a student of Roberta’s, Paula Wolfe, is interested in participating on the Student Committee.  We look forward to having Paula join us.

 

Region II: It was reported that Chris Taylor is the President of that region and that Diana Robinson is the Regional Representative.

 

Regions III & IV:  No report given

 

Region V:  Congratulations to the newly elected President, Deb Hendron and to the newly appointed Regional Representative, Joel Bergman.  Both Deb and Joel have shown excellent leadership in the rejuvenation of this region.  We all look forward to their continued contributions.  Region V hosted it’s Capital Region Luncheon at ACCA and over 50 addictions professionals in attendance.  Their next schedule luncheon will be held on December 15, 2005.  For information regarding the upcoming luncheon please visit our website at www.aapnycounselor.org and view our “Upcoming Events” section located at the bottom right hand corner of the homepage.  

 

Region VI:  No report given

 

Region VII: Bert Johnson reported that a majority of the region’s board preferred to receive hard copies of The Communicator rather than the electronic versions.  We will discuss ways in which to accommodate the region with printed copies of the newsletter which can be mailed.  It was also reported that the region supports the merger between NAADAC and the ICRC.  As trainings in the region become known we will also post them on our website at www.aapnycounselor.org.  We will also be asking Bert to supply us with Public Policy information which will be placed on our website as well.  This information is crucial for members to remain up to date on new and changing statewide policies which effect each of us directly.  

 

 

8

 

Membership and Renewals via Payroll Deduction:

 

The following information is supplied by NAADAC.  So many times I hear people say that they can’t afford to pay the annual dues for membership or renewal.  What a great opportunity we have to now spread our annual dues payment over a 12 month period.  Please read the following article and see if this is something that may interest you or others that have been postponing joining or renewing their membership.

 

 

Talk to Your Employer about Payroll Deduction

A New Way to Pay Your Membership Dues

 

NAADAC encourages its members to look at payroll deduction as an affordable option for paying your NAADAC membership dues. Speak with your employer about automatic payroll deductions that can make things easier for you.

 

The benefits of payroll deduction:

  • Easier to pay small amounts rather than a larger one-time payment.
  • Saves time and takes little effort.
  • It ensures that you have money set aside for your membership and you don’t have to worry about your membership lapsing.

 

The payroll deduction plan works like this:

1.      Take this form to your employer and work out a payment plan based on your annual membership dues.

2.      Make your monthly payments for 12 months.

3.      When your NAADAC membership renewal form arrives, take it to your employer and have them send a check to NAADAC.

4.      Enjoy the benefits of NAADAC membership for another year!

 

Visit the membership section of the NAADAC website at www.naadac.org or call 1-800-548-0497 for the breakdown of your state’s membership fees.

 

For more information on paying your membership fees by payroll deduction, contact Donovan Kuehn at dkuehn@naadac.org or 1-800-548-0497 ext 125.

 

 

Your state affiliate membership fee is:

New York $145 Membership Fee

 

$12.09 for 12 monthly payments

$6.05 for 24 bi monthly payments

$5.58 for 26 bi-weekly payments

 

 

Payroll Deduction Authorization Form

 

 

I authorize the deduction from my paycheck of $____________________ for membership in NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals.

 

I authorize the deduction from my paycheck of a tax deductible donation of $____________________ to the NAADAC Education and Research Foundation (NERF).

This is a ð one time ð recurring donation.

 

I authorize the deduction from my paycheck of a donation of $____________________ to the NAADAC Political Action Committee (PAC).

This is a ð one time ð recurring donation.

 

I authorize this deduction to begin on ______________, 200____.

 

________________________

Print Name

 

________________________

Signature

 

________________________

Date