NATSAP In Nashville!

Looking forward to seeing everyone next week!

Check the link for the Annual Conference schedule: http://www.natsap.org/conferences-workshops/annual-conference/program-information/

Hateful.

It’s not often a parent uses that word to describe a child, but that is how Miranda’s mother described her daughter before her time at Compass Rose.

She was doing drugs. She was drinking, hanging with the wrong crowd. She was letting her friends take advantage of her. As she has said, she had “lost control” of her life and needed help. Her parents were looking to send Miranda to a facility in Kentucky when they heard about Compass Rose, which was only 45 minutes from their home in Indiana.

For the first few months, Miranda simply “played the game,” as she puts it. She told the counselors what she felt they wanted to hear. It wasn’t until she realized that it was up to her to help herself that she began to open up and make real progress. That took four months.

But it wasn’t just Miranda who was given help. The whole family went through counseling. According to Miranda’s mother, they learned to “talk to each other instead of just yell at each other.”

For someone who had literally planned on becoming a drug dealer, Miranda has done an about-face. She has gone on to college and looks forward to bigger and better things.

And for someone who once called Compass Rose a “prison” and swore to never return, Miranda has willingly come back numerous times to simply touch base and say “hello” to her counselors. We, of course, are so happy to see her, welcoming her with open arms. Nothing makes us so proud as realizing that we had a hand in turning this fine young woman’s life around.

To learn more about Compass Rose and hear Miranda’s story first-hand, visit: http://www.compassroseacademy.org/.

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NATSAP loves to share our member programs’ success stories with external audiences. If you are interested in sharing your story, please contact megan@natsap.org

Update on the Annual Conference.

Good news all around! http://www.wtnzfox43.com/story/27945476/metro-health-says-opryland-hotel-free-of-norovirus

The Metro Public Health Department has given the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center the “all-clear,” saying there’s no longer any sign of norovirus among guests.

Health officials have been working closely with the hotel and the Tennessee Department of Health to investigate the illness at Opryland. They also supervised cleaning steps to end the outbreak.

The first reports of sickness came about a week and a half ago. Officials said there has not been a continued threat of illness.

The best information is that the virus was likely passed from person to person, not through food service.

Norovirus is highly contagious from person to person, making it difficult to pinpoint an exact source.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, typical hand sanitizers don’t kill norovirus. The CDC said it’s important for everyone to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water.

Shining the Spotlight on Novitas Academy!

Novitas Academy

Website: www.Novitasacademy.org

Office: 208-954-5085

Located on 26 acres of majestic river front property, Novitas Academy is a unique fully accredited therapeutic boarding school for boys ages 14-18.  Our program is designed to meet the needs of young men struggling with life skills, learning differences, lack of academic motivation, ADHD as well as mild to moderate behavioral and emotional problems.  Novitas is a relationship-based program that strives to help our students build their self-esteem and self-confidence through discovering and nurturing their strengths, passions and dreams.  Our goal is to help our boys reach their goals!

Novitas Academy uses a blended learning approach that consists of project-based learning, differentiated instruction, online credit recovery classes and career development.  Students will also partake in a career/college assessment program, local internships and will receive assistance in developing an individualized 10 year-plan.  Novitas students will also have the opportunity to attend a local professional technical academy which offers an array of hands on vocational training.  Students will also receive individual, group and family therapy.

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NATSAP is proud to shine the spotlight on our wonderful member programs. If you would like to participate, please e-mail megan@natsap.orgwith your program description.

Important info concerning the Annual Conference

Dear NATSAP Members and Annual Conference Registrants,

We understand that some of you are concerned about the news of a strain of flu that has infected a number of guests staying at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville recently. We  wish to assure everyone that every step imaginable is being taken by the Hotel to minimize, if not eliminate, anyone’s exposure to this.

We have had numerous conversations with the hotel management about this, and they have assured us that all steps are being taken. Here is what they recently wrote to us:

The safety and health of our guests and employees is our top priority, and we are deeply concerned to learn of guests experiencing flu-like symptoms. Gaylord Opryland takes hotel hygiene very seriously, and the hotel has established very strict standards of cleanliness.

 While anytime thousands of people are in a facility, the possibility of germs being passed from person to person exists, we take great care to follow procedures to prevent any kind of viral or bacterial outbreak.

 With recent widespread flu activity in Tennessee, additional precautionary sanitization measures have been implemented throughout the hotel. Employees are also being encouraged to follow recommendations provided by the CDC, including frequent hand washing, appropriately covering coughs/sneezes and staying home when experiencing illness.

We have a dedicated team monitoring the situation and will continue to maintain additional precautionary measures.

Today, NATSAP’s Executive Director, Cliff Brownstein spoke directly with the Tennessee Department of Health in Nashville. They confirmed that the hotel management and staff have gone “above and beyond” in terms of cleaning and sanitizing the hotel, and closing off areas of the hotel that hadn’t yet been thoroughly sanitized, The Dept. of Health continually inspects the hotel and, in fact, has determined that it is not a flu that has circulated within the hotel, but rather, a stomach virus. And while there was a surge of guests reporting illness about two weeks ago, the Department of Health now tells us that the number of reported illnesses is down to a normal number for a large hotel such as Opryland.   The current bed count at the Gaylord is 1000+,  and by the time the NATSAP Conference begins, 8,000 guests will have visited the hotel.

We are aware that several companies have canceled and/or moved their meetings to other venues.  Please understand that at this late date, NATSAP has no plans to move our meeting from the Gaylord.  We are confident that the Gaylord has taken proper measures, and the Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed this. We feel good about bringing our 2015 Annual Conference there.

We hope this has calmed  your concerns.  We look forward to seeing everyone there.

Sincerely,

NATSAP Staff

Spotlight on NATSAP Program Member: Cumberland Heights

Cumberland Heights Youth Program

Cumberland Heights’ 170-acre campus is located along the banks of the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee. Surrounded by wooded hills and free of city distractions, it provides the ideal setting for recovery. A complete continuum of care for substance abuse, including academic education, psychiatric and medical services, is available. Cumberland Heights is accredited by the Joint Commission, and has 12 male beds for youth ages 14-18. Insurance accepted.

Therapy and Clinical Interventions

Primary interventions include:

• Peer-driven Twelve-step groups
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (REBT, DBT)
• Family systems
• Experiential therapy: art therapy, equine therapy, music assisted therapy, ropes course, spirituality groups, mindfulness meditation
• Medication management
• Psychiatric services, including testing, are available
• Twice-daily group sessions, weekly individual sessions (more if needed), weekly family sessions first 30 days
• Medical detoxification (if needed)
• Behavior and progress incentive program
• Community service projects

 http://www.cumberlandheights.org/

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NATSAP is proud to shine the spotlight on our wonderful member programs. If you would like to participate, please e-mail megan@natsap.orgwith your program description.

January is half over already? Time flies!

Today is the day! Last chance for preregistration to our Annual Conference. After today, you will have to register at the conference. Save yourself some time in line and preregister! http://www.natsap.org/conferences-workshops/annual-conference/registration-information/

We Are NATSAP!

We are pleased to announce the January edition of We Are NATSAP! This newsletter is designed to highlight our member programs. So go ahead and brag a little. Let us know about the different events that your students are participating in, share your successes with us, and toot your horn about the great work you are doing. Being featured in We Are NATSAP allows a program to tout their latest achievements as well as providing the opportunity to promote your press release to a wider audience that consists of industry associates, consultants, and parents.

http://bit.ly/JanuaryWeAreNATSAP

If you are interested in providing an article for the next edition of We Are NATSAP, please contact Megan Stokes (megan@natsap.org).

January is flying by! Are you ready for the Annual Conference?

Friday is the last day for preregistration: http://natsap.org/conferences-workshops/annual-conference/registration-information/

If you are unable to register by Friday January 16th, you will have to register at the conference. Save yourself some time and register now!

If you would like to exhibit at the conference, check out the link: http://natsap.org/conferences-workshops/annual-conference/exhibitor-information/

If you register as an exhibitor by Friday January 16th, your program name will be placed in the 2015 Conference Agenda. Exhibitors will be accepted after January 16th but your program name will not be placed in the agenda. It will, however, still be placed on signage, our website and on electronic media used at the Annual Conference.

Spotlight on NATSAP Members: Active Recovery Network

Active Recovery Network – Be Active in Your Recovery!

Active Recovery Network brings a radical and fresh approach to the mental health and addiction/recovery and wellness continuum of care by providing in home, community-based recovery support and integrated wellness solutions. Many of our clients, families and referring professionals refer to us as a “Street IOP” ™ (Intensive Outpatient Program), as we bring our recovery support, job and life skills training, educational support and wellness program to your door.

We are headquartered in San Diego, CA and have recently expanded to Orange County and the Santa Monica/South Bay areas of Los Angeles. Our clients live in their own apartments, with select roommates, in sober living or in their parents’ homes. The majority of our clients have come through drug and alcohol treatment or hospitalization for mental health concerns. Others we are working with to support their ongoing work with psychiatrists and psychologists and others are working concurrently with an IOP. We have both adolescent and adult programs that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the respective populations.

Whether our clients need 2 hours of support weekly, 16 hours per week or need some 24/7 support and/or travel and companionship, Active Recovery Network has you covered. Active Recovery Network utilizes best practices and implements strengths-based strategies, solutions-focused and mindfulness based processes to engage our clients in creating healthy, purposed and meaningful lives.

We team up with local psychiatrists, psychologists, intensive outpatient programs, treatment centers and other treatment and wellness practitioners to ensure the optimum level of care and support for each client. This is a very active and engaged, relationship-based type of support that allows us to quickly get at the root causes and begin to help our clients and families get their needs met in a healthy way.

The majority of our mentoring, coaching, drug and alcohol counseling, therapy and life skills work is one-on-one but we also have wellness, exercise, volunteer and goal setting groups. Additionally, Active Recovery Network has a much larger, community-based group (100+) that meets regularly and engages in self-lead running or hiking, book groups, coffee meet ups, dinner and other sober meetings and activities in the greater San Diego area. This sober network greatly enhances our client’s sense of connection, support and wellness and helps them move toward independent living and community integration.

Supporting our adolescent, young adult, and adult clients to thrive in Southern California

http://www.activerecoverynetwork.com/

NATSAP is proud to shine the spotlight on our wonderful member programs. If you would like to participate, please e-mail megan@natsap.org with your program description.