The Loop - Nevada (February 2024)

THE LOOP

GreetingsfromWestCareNevada,

There’s something different in the month of February. The crisp air appears to carry whispers of love and romance. Hearts tend to skip beats and passion is ignited when Cupid’s arrows hit their targets. Love appears to blossom most everywhere and for some reason, life seems a little more livable when we can shareourloveanddevotionwithothers.

Nowofcourse,thereisnosuchthingasCupidorhisarrowsforthatmatter,yet thetruthis,whenweexperiencelifeandopenlyandwillinglyshareourjourney with others, even with its challenges, life can and does seem a little more livable.

WestCare Nevada has remained busy with just that: Using our shared experiences, our strengths, and our hopes for the future toward making a positive impact on those we encounter, toward our entire community at large, andabroad.

InthisissueoftheLoopNewsletter,youwillreadandseehowwewereableto demonstrateouroverallpassionandcommitmenttoservingourcommunityby being one of three WestCare states to host and tour a delegation from the Island of Guam, that included their Lieutenant Governor, Mr. Joshua Tenorio The beauty in this visit was the fact that the same passion and commitment to serve others was demonstrated by the entire delegation, includingtheLt.Gov.,anditisgreattoseethatWestCarePacificIslandswill beactivelyinvolvedintheexpansionofservicesforthoseinneed.

WestCare Nevada had the privilege of attending and participating in the ReCon: 2024 We Are Everywhere Community Awareness Event This eventwaspreviouslycalledBlackMonday,soitwasactuallythe11theventof this type put on by There Is No Hero In Heroin (TINHIH) Spending time with other providers for a full day of events again made a positive impact on everyoneinvolved.

The North Las Vegas Community Correctional Center held its 12th “I Am Possible” graduation and once again, being able to be a part of something greater than ourselves by providing services within a correctional setting and then be able to see the fruit of that labor, absolutely changes us all for the better.

WealsoaskedsomeofouremployeesaboutwhatUpliftingtheHumanSpirit meanstothemaspartofWorldHumanSpiritDayandIamsurethatyouwill truly enjoy the thoughts of those who provide services throughout WestCare Nevada.

Our Development Director, Mr. Andrew Moran, and I had the opportunity to travel to WestCare California for their Open House and to tour some of the programs there. To see the magnitude of services they provide there is remarkable. WestCare California is approximately five times larger than WestCare Nevada and it was an absolute pleasure to be able to see the operationandmeetsomeofthecommittedpeoplemakingitallpossible.

Lastly, I cannot complete this introduction without sharing my personal thoughts and feelings about arguably the most important observance in February,whichis Black History Month Forme,itprovidesanopportunityto recognize, honor, and celebrate the achievements of Black individuals throughout history. It allows me to become more educated while confronting someoftheuncomfortable truthsaboutthepastregardingsomeofthesevere challenges faced, yet overcome, by members of a different culture than my own. It helps me to set my mind, heart, belief and value system, and life on a path that never, ever, mistreats another for my own personal gain. Instead, it makesmeevenmoreawareofhowimportantloveisandhowmyjourneymust include a willingness to share my love and devotion for others, no matter who they are Now close your eyes and imagine a world like that and how much morelivableitwouldbeforeveryone.

A Visit from WestCare Pacific Islands

Traveling from afar, our WestCare Pacific Islands family visited us at WestCare Nevada! We were excited to be one of the three WestCare states to host their stay and tour them around our facilities - sharing and exchanging what we have been doing and hope to do in the many years to come. It is through continual communication and seeing what each of our WestCare operations is doing in their locations that we can learn from each other and strive to expand the ways in which we Uplift the Human Spirit!

Learning from our Family at WestCare California

On February 28, 2024, our Vice President of WestCare Nevada, Leo Magrdichian, and myself on behalf of the WestCare Foundation Development team, traveled to Fresno, CA and celebrated 50 years of Uplifting the Human Spirit with the WestCare California family!

WestCare California hosted an open house at their new Gateway Campus located at 1850 and 1900 N Gateway Blvd to celebrate their goldenanniversary Severaloftheirprogramsandserviceshavemoved intothesecentralizedlocationsforaone-stop-shopofservices Thisisa wonderful idea for coordinated care and it promotes collaboration and communicationbetweentheindividualsreceivingsupport Itcanimprove access to care and make it a more convenient experience for everyone involvedwithouthavinggapsintreatment

This location of WestCare California’s new campus has everything from outpatient treatment services to their Veterans program, San Joaquin Valley Veterans (SJVV) SJVV’s Navigators are present and going into encampments to build trust with the community, taking as many as seven initial visits to establish rapport before unhoused community membersfeelcomfortableenoughtosharetheirneedsandexperiences Outsideofthecampus,WestCareCaliforniaalsoworkswithFresnoCity College through a program called Project Hope, and they have several Adolescent Services programs providing outpatient treatment in partnerships with Kings school school system Collaboration with other serviceprovidersiskeytohousingopportunities

Leo and I were also able to visit more of the amazing programs being offered to Uplift the Human Spirit that were not present at the Gateway location It made me proud to be a part of such an awesome team of rockstar individuals From their Marketing team to their Vice Presidents andtheChiefOperatingOfficerfortheWesternRegion,ShawnJenkins - I was blown away at the coordination and continuity of care at their locations Theyaretrulygivingindividualsandfamiliestheopportunityto have a better long-term outcome in their journey through treatment and care All of our jobs and skills are different, but we complement each other’s expertise, and the diversity allows us to tackle any challenge coming our way Embracing our diversity and inclusion leads to a more successfulcrew

westcarenevada.com

World Human Spirit Day

This year, World Human Spirit Day is celebrated on February 17 and it is a global celebration of the courage, resilience, and ability to overcome challenges based on the strength within each of us. It focuses on some of the universal values that unite us all as human beings and that regardless of the challenges we may face, the human spirit has the capacity to overcome. However, unlike this once-a-year observance, our mission at WestCare is to Uplift the Human Spirit each and every day and our commitment is aimed at supporting individuals, families, and communities in need. We strive daily to help others create lasting, meaningful changes while empowering and supporting their efforts toward positive change. We asked our WestCare Nevada employees what Uplifting the Human Spirit means to them and here is what they had to say.

“IbelieveIneedtostartwithanupliftedspiritinthemorning andbringitintopassitontoco-workersandclients.”

Counselor

“UpliftingtheHumanSpirittomemeanswearegiving purposeandself-sufficiencytoaperson’slifeforce.”

“Uplifting the Human Spirit means providing support, encouragement,andempowermenttohelpourclients rebuildtheirself-esteem,findhope,andregainasenseof purposeandworth.Bycreatinganurturingandpositive environmentthatfostersgrowth,resilience,andasenseof community,wehelpindividualsbelieveintheirownabilityto heal,grow,andthrivedespitepastchallengesandtrauma.“

“Uplifting the Human Spirit is about connection, engagement,andexperience.Thesethreethingshelpusto operatefromaplacethatisallaboutbuildingupothersina waythatseekstoinspire,motivate,andinstillasenseof hopeandpositivityinpeople.“

Anna Thomas

Behavioral Health Technician

Marel Cordova

Peer Parent Partner

“Elevatingthewell-beingofindividualsby involvingandpromotinghope,motivation, andencouragement.Weaimandstriveto helpindividualsfindtheirstrengthsand resilienceinchallengingcircumstances.

Acts of kindness, motivational talks, motivational literature, and especially meaningful connections with others and humanbeings.Ouraimistofosterasense ofaccomplishment,asenseofpride,a senseofself-worth-butespeciallyasense ofinnergrowth.

Lifehaschallenges,butifwecanimplement thesekeyfactorsashumanbeingsand projectthemtoothers,wemighthavemade another individual's day or maybe just maybehavesavedtheirlife.

ThisiswhatUpliftingtheHumanSpirit meanstome.

“Itmeanshelpingpeoplebethebestthat theycanbebyidentifyingtheirstrengthsand teaching them how it relates to their dreams.”

“WhatdoesUpliftingtheHumanSpiritmean tome?Itmeansgivinghopewherethereis little.Itmeansholdingsomeone’shand whiletheytaketheirfirstfewstepsin recovery.Itmeansbeingtheretobuildup andsupportthosestrugglingtoremainon theirrecoverypathway,butmostofall,it meansbeingarolemodelinrecoverythat otherscanimitate.“

“Tome,UpliftingtheHumanSpiritmeanstohelpremind otherswhoarestrugglingthattheyareworthit-nomatter what.”

“UpliftingtheHumanSpiritistoprovidewhatisneededfor eachpersonthatentersourdoorstoleavetheminamuch betterplaceintheirlifeaswellaswiththenewfoundskillsto maintainandcontinuouslyimprovetheirlife.“

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

“UpliftingtheHumanspirittomeisteachingthosewho believetheyhavenothingthatlifehasendlesspossibilities.“

“Our mission at WestCare is to Uplift the Human Spirit each and every day and our commitment is aimed at supporting individuals, families, and communities in need. We strive daily to help others create lasting, meaningful changes while empowering and supporting their efforts toward positive change.”

- Leo Magrdichian

ReCon: 2024

Black History Month

Black History Month is important for individuals of all backgrounds as it allows us to take a moment to ensure that the experiences, achievements, struggles, and contributions of Black people are recognized and acknowledged It helps to challenge stereotypes and promote a more inclusive and diverse understanding of history For me personally, learning aboutitprovidesasenseofprideinmyheritage,fostersself-worth,andpromotesapositiveself-identity Ihopeitdoesthe sameforothers

Understanding Black History provides a broader understanding of the socio-political, cultural, and economic factors that have shaped our society today It sheds light on the legacy of slavery, racism, and discrimination in order for us to recognize, address, and advocate for a more equitable future Black History encompasses a rich tapestry of diverse cultures, traditions, art, music, literature, and contributions to various fields It promotes cultural appreciation and understandingamongindividualsfromdifferentbackgrounds

Black History serves as a foundation for social justice movements and inspires activism By learning about past struggles and the progress made, individuals can gain insight into current issues and work toward a more equitable and inclusive society Ultimately, this is important as it recognizes and appreciates the diversity and contributions of Black people, fosteringequality,understanding,andharmonyinourcommunitiesandsociety

What was previously called Black Monday and hosted by There Is No Hero In Heroin (TINHIH), has evolved. This year, the event became ReCon: 2024 This all-day recovery conference/community awareness event was held on the campus of UNLV and the recovery community came out in full force. This year, the conference offered a resource fair, which WestCare Nevada and WestCare Spiritual Fellowship, participated in with over 50 other providers. There was a remembrance display, Narcan distribution, and Fentanyl test strips available for everyone. What was also offered were Continuing Education Unit (CEU), Continuing Medical Education (CME), and Professional Development (PD) workshops, which made this event different from previous years. The keynote speaker was Former Miss USA, Tara Connor, who shared

I Am Possible – 12th Graduating Class

You can gauge the success of a program based on many things. However, a few of those things are definitely the number of graduating classes and the type of leadership and community support you have established. Based on those few items, it is evident that the I Am Possible program, which is conducted inside the City of North Las Vegas Correctional Center, is a successful one. On February 26, the program held its 12th graduation ceremony, this time for the male population, and the ceremony was standing-room only. What truly stands out are those who came out to provide remarks, all who were individuals who firmly believe in what is being done in the correctional center. Specifically, both the City of North Las Vegas Chief of Police Jacqueline Gravatt and the City of North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown, shared their overall view of the program - reinforcing how this city and its leadership believe in rehabilitation versus just warehousing inmates and believe in the ability for individuals to successfully make the necessary changes within themselves to become more productive in society - even during incarceration. WestCare Nevada is proud to partner with such a great city and believes this type of service/program should be available in all correctional settings.

WestCare Nevada

@westcarenevada