By Mike Pettinella, UConnectCare Publicist

BATAVIA – The annual meeting Wednesday at Terry Hills Restaurant in Batavia may have been the first under the name UConnectCare, but it served as a celebration of the many ways the agency formerly known as Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse is having a positive impact on community health.

Chief Executive Officer John Bennett, speaking to 73 employees, board members and award recipients, outlined a long list of recently added programs that, in his words, “are building access to essential services for those in need.”

UConnectCare Scholars: UConnectCare Foundation scholars for 2024 are, seated from left, Brianne Amico and Megan Gates; standing, Kenna MacKenzie and Chloe Crossett.

“As far as quality of care, I look at two things – our staff and board members who go above and beyond each and every day, and the expansion of our service over the past seven years,” Bennett said.

The agency changed its name to UConnectCare Behavioral Health Services last fall to reflect its work toward implementing programs to reach a wide spectrum of people in the areas of prevention, treatment, recovery, detoxification, supportive living and residential.

In 2023, Bennett said, the agency received three significant grants:

• A federal Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome II grant for $498,848 from the Health Services and Resource Administration to provide the Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies program to pregnant and postpartum women.
• A federal Targeted Capacity Expansion Special Projects grant in the amount of $375,000 to provide harm reduction services in the community.
• A Statewide Health Care Facility System Transformation grant for $985,250 from the NYS Department of Health to improve building capacity in the integrated outpatient treatment program in Batavia.

UConnectCare’s reach, as indicated by the 2023 numbers, is expanding as well, Bennett said, noting that more than 35,000 people were served by the agency’s Prevention department and more than 39,000 counseling visits were provided.

“Furthermore, we had 2,400 visitors at The Recovery Station (on Clinton Street Road), served 339 people in community residence or detox settings, served 1,538 patients in integrated outpatient services and provided 380 childcare sessions,” he said.

‘Friends of UConnectCare’ Honored

Four individuals, a public health agency and a Buffalo pharmacy received “Friends of UConnectCare” awards at the luncheon.

Honorees are as follows:

• Erin Martin, case manager at Genesee Justice. Nominated by the Batavia clinic, Martin was recognized for her continued service to the agency by helping clients face their legal consequences and by encouraging them to make positive steps toward improving their lives.
• Gordon Luthart, health teacher at Medina Junior-Senior High School. Nominated by Orleans County Prevention, Luthart, a Marine Corps veteran, was awarded for working with UConnectCare over the past decade to provide prevention education in the classroom.
• Pam Gefell, mental health therapist for Orleans County Mental Health. Nominated by Orleans County Treatment, Gefell, a former UConnectCare counselor, provides evaluation and counseling services on a weekly basis in Albion for those who have co-occurring (substance use disorder and mental health issues) disorders.
• Dr. Davina Moss, founder of Positive Direction & Associates, Inc., of Buffalo and creator of The Positive Direction Model. Nominated by Recovery Services, she is instrumental in starting and sustaining the agency’s Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program. Dr. Moss said she shares the award with Jessica Budzinack, coordinator of UConnectCare’s program to help the pregnant and post-natal population.
• Genesee/Orleans Department of Health (GO Health). Nominated by Genesee Prevention, GO Health partners with UConnectCare on the GOW Opioid Task Force and joined forces with UConnectCare on the HEALing Genesee group over the past 18 months. Both agencies have worked to implement new programs focusing on Naloxone and fentanyl education and medications for opioid use disorder, including the launching of the task force’s Text for Naloxone Line.
• Riverview Pharmacy, Buffalo. Nominated by Residential/Detox Services, the pharmacy was acknowledged for its reliable and dependable service to those on medication and its communication with UConnectCare’s nursing staff.

4 receive Foundation scholarships

Three graduating seniors and a Genesee Community College graduate each will be receiving $1,000 scholarships, courtesy of the UConnectCare Foundation. The winners include:

• Kenna MacKenzie, Le Roy High School, who will be attending SUNY Geneseo to major in Psychology.
• Megan Gates, Kendall High School, who will be attending SUNY Brockport in the Nursing program.
• Chloe Crossett, Kendall High School, who will be attending SUNY Brockport in pursuit of a degree in Social Work.
• Brianne Amico, who earned an associate’s degree in human services from GCC before enrolling at SUNY Plattsburgh. She plans to work toward a master’s degree in social work at SUNY Binghamton.

Press Release, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Wednesday held a virtual press conference to announce her push to provide a boost in federal funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP) in the FY25 appropriations bill.

The AFGP provides funding for local fire departments to purchase equipment and emergency vehicles and address staffing shortages. As many fire departments across New York State continue to rely on outdated equipment and struggle with staffing shortages, Gillibrand is pushing for additional federal funding for the AFGP to ensure firefighters have what they need to stay safe as they protect their communities.

“Fire departments across our state are operating with outdated fire trucks and protective gear, and replacing it can cost millions of dollars that many of them just don’t have,” Gillibrand said. “This year, I’m calling for increased funding to address nationwide need. Firefighters put their lives on the line for us, and we owe it to them to provide the resources they need to do their jobs.”

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program offers multiple types of grants, including Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), which help fire departments acquire new emergency vehicles, protective gear, and equipment, and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER), which help fire departments hire and retain trained firefighters to meet industry minimum standards and ensure 24-hour staffing. Last year, Gillibrand helped secure over 200 AFG and SAFER grants totaling nearly $50 million for fire departments across New York State.

Gillibrand sent the following letter to Senate appropriators:

“Dear Chair Murray, Vice Chair Collins, Chair Murphy, and Ranking Member Britt:

 “As you begin crafting the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill, we urge that you include increased funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program. We appreciate the committee’s previous strong support of these vital programs, but were concerned to see the cuts levied against these vital programs in Fiscal Year 2024, as they make important investments in public safety in states and local jurisdictions throughout the country.

“The AFG Program has strengthened public safety by providing much needed funding for infrared cameras, personal protective gear, hazmat detection devices, improved breathing apparatuses, interoperable communications systems, and much more. This equipment is critical to ensuring the safety of firefighters as they respond to emergencies and protect our communities. The cost of this equipment, however, continues to increase year after year, and demand for the AFG Program continues to significantly outpace available funding.

 “Similarly, the SAFER Grant Program provides much-needed funding for career and volunteer fire departments to hire, recruit, and retain firefighters. This program is critical because more than half of all career and volunteer fire departments in our nation do not have sufficient personnel to protect the public effectively. In order to bring our nation’s fire departments to the staffing levels needed to serve their communities and respond to emergencies, the SAFER Grant Program must be adequately funded.

 “The AFG and SAFER Programs are vital to firefighters across the country, and yet, the programs face a statutory sunset date of September 30, 2024. We urge Congress to pass the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S. 870) to reauthorize these essential programs. Should the Fire Grants and Safety Act not be enacted prior to your drafting of the Homeland Security appropriations bill, we request that you include language to extend the sunset of AFG and SAFER for one year, until September 30, 2025.

 “We have an obligation to protect those who protect us by providing them with the necessary resources to perform their jobs as safely and effectively as possible. We urge you to help Congress meet that obligation by accounting for the increased needs of firefighters nationwide and providing increased funding for the AFG and SAFER programs in FY 2025. Thank you for your consideration of this request and your ongoing commitment to our nation’s firefighters.”

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Students in Ron Jackson’s and Shannon Rutty’s Welding Program at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center recently worked on an interesting project with the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association.

The juniors and seniors both worked on constructing a fish pen for the Eighteen Mile Creek Pen Rearing Project.  The association’s pen-rearing program started in 2004 with the help of the Niagara River Anglers Association and New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

The original plan was to allow fish to acclimate to Eighteen Mile Creek in Olcott and “imprint” to the tributary so that at the end of their life cycle they would return and spawn.  DEC studies have shown that pen reared fish have a 2-to-1 better survival rate over direct stocked fish. Thus, resulting in increased return to Eighteen Mile Creek and surrounding tributaries creating a year-round Chinook “King” Salmon fishery for both lake and tributary anglers, bolstering the economy of Niagara County and its lakeside villages.

Through the years, the project has grown from two pens and 20,000 fish to nine pens and 153,000 Chinook Salmon and steelhead trout. The original pens have been degrading over time and they needed to be replaced.

The Welding classes’ all-aluminum pen will replace one of the degraded galvanized steel pens allowing this program to continue for many years to come.

“The students in the Welding program did an exceptional professional job assembling and welding the pen,” says Alan Sauerland, the Vice President of LOTSA.  “The craftsmanship and attention to detail that Mr. Jackson and Mr. Rutty have taught their students can be seen in every aspect of this pen. “The Orleans/Niagara BOCES has a top-notch Welding Department and should be proud of the students that they are preparing for the trade.”

Mr. Jackson said that he and Mr. Rutty appreciate LOTSA giving their students this opportunity.

“It was a great way for the students to show what they are capable of,” Jackson said. “We are very appreciative when the public bring projects in for the students to design, fabricate and reverse engineer or repair. The experience is unreplaceable.”

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – The State Senate and Assembly Republican Conferences today announced the introduction of several pieces of legislation aimed to curb the dramatic increase of antisemitism on college campuses throughout New York State.

At the “Hate Has Consequences” press conference held at the New York State Capitol, legislators outlined new bills to help combat the rise in antisemitism in New York State schools, including proposals that would:

• prohibit state funding for any degree-granting institution of higher education if they permit certain pro-terrorist groups on campus, and any group or organization on such campuses that engage in or promote terrorist activities (S.9193, Senator Rhoads);
• establish new crimes of deceptive wearing of a mask, and aggravated assault while wearing a mask, a class B misdemeanor and class A misdemeanor, respectively (S.9194, Senator Rhoads); and
• prohibit state funding for any college where a member of such college’s instructional staff directly or indirectly promotes, encourages, advocates or engages in any activity on campus in support of a terrorist organization (to be introduced, Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick).

“Amidst a dramatic rise in antisemitism, and the increase of hateful speech and rhetoric on college campuses here in New York and throughout the nation, it is imperative that the Legislature act to protect Jewish New Yorkers. This is the single most pressing issue we are faced with, and I’m disappointed in the lack of action by New York Democrats. I commend my colleagues in the Senate and Assembly Republican conferences for their work and continuing to bring attention to the need for the Legislature to act,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt.

The bills introduced are the latest in a series of legislative proposals first unveiled in a report by the Senate Republican Working Group on Antisemitism and members of the Senate Republican Conference to address the dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents in the wake of the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.