Q&A: RED RIBBON WEEK TO RAISE AWARENESS ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE

The Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse will
celebrate Red Ribbon Week Oct. 23 to the 31 to raise awareness about drug
and substance abuse.

GCASA provides a wide range of services for individuals and families
suffering from addictions. The Genesee County Treatment, EAP, Prevention
and Administration centers are located on East Main Street in Batavia and
West Avenue in Albion. Convenient satellite Treatment Clinics are in
Medina, Holley, LeRoy and Indian Falls.

The Journal-Register spoke with Pat Crowley, assistant director of
prevention services, to learn more.

Question: What is the purpose of Red Ribbon Week? When did it begin?

Answer: It is an ideal way for people and communities to unite and take a
visible stand against drugs. Red Ribbon Week has been nationally celebrated
every year from Oct. 23 to the 31 since 1985. The Red Ribbon Campaign was
started when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered Drug Enforcement
Administration agent Kiki Camarena in 1985. This began the continuing
tradition of displaying Red Ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the
use of drugs. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a
unified and visible commitment towards the creation of a Drug-Free America.
We want people to take a stand against alcohol and drug abuse.

Q: There will be a number of activities held countywide in honor of Red
Ribbon Week. Who are they geared toward? What are some of the events?

A: They're geared toward everybody. We're starting off with the Drug-Free
Community coalitions in Genesee and Orleans County. We are welcoming Mark
Kelso, a former Buffalo Bills free safety, at a leadership breakfast,
"Tackling Substance Abuse," at 9 a.m. Wednesday?? at the Town of Batavia
Fire Department Recreation Hall on Lewiston Road. We're targeting high
school athletes, coaches and athletic directors, along with members of the
coalition.

During the week, there's going to be a 50-foot Red Ribbon banner at Medina
High School. Red Ribbon week displays are up in all four libraries in the
county, Medina, Albion, Holley and Lyndonville. There's information about
the history of Red Ribbon week and different events that are going on.

Our Orleans United Against Substance Abuse coalition is conducting a canned
food drive and we're asking people, for the month of October, to donate
canned food items. They can be dropped off at GCASA or the Lee-Whedon
Library in Medina. Donated foods are going to be given to the Medina Area
Association of Churches Food Pantry.

GCASA's Prevention Educators attended the Oct. 19 Albion versus Medina
football game and passed out information on our underage drinking tip line
and a new public awareness campaign called "Parents who host, lose the
most." Next week, on Oct. 26, we're going to be at the Holley versus
Kendall soccer game.

On Saturday Oct. 27, we're having a walk for a drug free community, which
will start at the Batavia City Centre Mall at 1 p.m. It will proceed to
GCASA in Batavia, and the public is invited to take a stand against
underage drinking and illegal substance use. T-shirts and free refreshments
will be provided.

Q: Tell us a little bit about GCASA. How long has it been serving the
communities of Genesee and Orleans counties? What programs are offered?

A: Founded in 1975, the mission of GCASA is to improve community health,
reduce stigma toward people with substance abuse disorders and work across
systems to produce positive community change. We're a not-for-profit
organization, but we have funding sources from local and state organizations.

GCASA provides treatment, residential, employee assistance and prevention
programs. Its service area encompasses Genesee and Orleans counties, with
offices located in Albion, Batavia, Holley, Indian Falls, LeRoy and Medina.

Treatment provides counseling and support for individuals and their
families. Individual and group counseling sessions help our patients
understand the disease of addiction and develop goals and strategies that
will lead to sobriety and an improved quality of life.

Residential services offer a structured environment for men and women in
recovery, which provides an opportunity for patients to transition from
addiction to sobriety and develop the interpersonal job readiness and
self-sufficiency skills needed to stay clean and sober.

The Employment Assistance Program is designed to maintain productivity in
the workplace. The EAP offers work place training, technical assistance and
short-term counseling to individual employees and their families. There's
the Atwater Home Community Residence and supportive living apartments.

Prevention utilizes research-based programs to educate individuals on the
dangers of using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. As with all GCASA
programs, the goal of prevention is to reduce the incidence and prevalence
of substance abuse.

Q: What is the most rewarding part of working with individuals suffering
from drug or substance abuse?

A: We at GCASA know first hand the devastation that alcohol and drugs can
bring to individuals, to families, to communities and to our society. We
know that substance abuse prevention and treatment works. Because of our
services and commitment to the community we know that there has been a
decrease in deaths, disease, family turmoil and impaired driving arrests.

Q: What are some of GCASA's goals?

A: Myself and all the staff at GCASA will continue personally -and most
important passionately - to provide these much-needed services and never
lose sight of our agency's mission to improve community health, reduce
stigma towards people with substance abuse disorders and work across
systems to produce positive community change.