Dear ABC Recovery Center Community,

The last couple years were a whirlwind and seemed to pass so quickly. We are excited at ABC Recovery Center about what 2023 holds in store. We are now in the contracting process with The State of California for the $27 million dollar grant award which will all go toward expanding ABC’s campus. This year should be a noteworthy year as we break ground and begin to construct our 45,000 sq ft campus addition. My goal is to see the skeleton of our new campus by this time next year.

The substance-use crisis in this country has not lessened at all. Fentanyl will set records again this year in overdose deaths. The legalization of Marijuana for recreational use in California was a controversial move. I ,myself, did not have a clear opinion one way or the other on the subject prior to it being legalized. I would try to sort it out in my mind and couldn’t predict the outcome.

Marijuana has changed a lot since the 1980s. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Many people who have voted for legalization thought they were talking about the marijuana of the 1960s to 1980s when the THC content was less than 2%. However, without any clear guidelines or regulations from government officials, the cannabis industry has taken a page from the tobacco and alcohol industries’ play book and developed strains of marijuana and concentrated marijuana products with much higher concentrations of THC, the psychoactive component that causes addiction. The more potent a drug is, the stronger the possibility of addiction and the more likely the person will continue to purchase and use the product (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6312155/).”

While speaking with a young woman I know, she explained to me she never smokes the actual plant. Instead, she buys what she calls a Stizzy Pen, an electronic, vapor delivery system she stated contains 97% THC and 3% CBD oil. Of course, I was blown away by the concentration levels. This person suffers from disorder caused by her THC use. A fact that was also shocking to me, as I thought marijuana use had no physical withdraw symptoms or dangerous side effects.

The general public seems to be unaware of the disorder called CHS (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome), a condition that leads to repeated and severe bouts of vomiting coupled with abdominal pain. It only occurs in daily long-term users of marijuana, but when I spoke to an RN at one of the local hospitals, she stated, if we see a young person in the ER who has an inability to hold anything down for days and abdominal pain we always ask them if they regularly use marijuana. The nurse said, it was once a rare condition but not anymore. I did a google search and found instances where young people have died from CHS. Dehydration from vomiting leads to renal kidney failure. In watching someone go through CHS myself, I was shocked how much it mimicked Heroin withdraw. The party I watched go through CHS went to the ER three times in one week for anti-nausea medications and IV fluids.

After learning about CHS, I marveled that I had not heard of it or been aware of this syndrome. I mean, I administer a rehabilitation facility. Why are we not seeing this on the news or being made aware of this. Obviously, that is why I am putting it in this newsletter. A reader may assume I would have a bias because of my stance on addiction, but as I stated prior I had no opinion on marijuana legalization prior to its being legalized. I also do not think people who never suffered from alcoholism should abstain from alcohol. My understanding from my research is that many are suffering from CHS today. They continue to smoke because there are physical repercussions if they do not. All of this has caused me to change my opinion on the effect Marijuana legalization has had on the public. I definitely feel it has now become just another problem we must face.

I wish all of our community a Happy and Prosperous New Year. 

With Sincerity,

We are pleased to report that ABC Recovery Center, Inc. has been accredited for a period of three years for our:

Residential Treatment: Substance Use Disorders/Addictions (Adults) program(s).

Joe Knyvett managed the CARF accreditation process. Joe was recently promoted into the position of Facility Performance Manager where he is tasked with overseeing and implementing operational best practices including policies, procedures and compliance.

On December 3rd, ABC Recovery Center invited our community of supporters to enjoy and round of golf and enjoy the day at Indian Wells Golf Resort. It was a wonderful day of fun while supporting the life saving care that ABC Recovery Center offers. We give special thanks to our tournament sponsors for their generousity and for all they do to ensure our organization thrives.

ABC Recovery Center was proud to support our LGBTQ+ community as we participated in the DAP (Desert AIDS Project) walk on October 29th. It was a beautiful day at Ruth Hardy Park in Palm Springs. The day was full of great music and good vibes for a great cause. Thank you to Elsa, Mexia, Maureen Girouard, Rosy Rodriques, Steve Stafford, Patsy Ramirez, Melissa De Armond and Chris Corney for volunteering your time in support of ABC Recovery Center and DAP. ABC Recovery Center proudly provides our services to the LGBTQ+ community.

ABC Recovery Center continues to reach out to families. Feel free to reach out to Kateria for further information at ksession@abcrecoverycenter.org. or check out our website (click through button in the top article on this page)

A film ABC shares with our clients and client families is Pleasure Unwoven. Should you wish to view this video, you can click on the link below.

Every month, the ABC Recovery Center team identifies our Rock Stars. This is a peer designation which makes it even more special. Rock Stars are member of our staff who are going above and beyond the expectations of their positions. They are making our mission happen and are integral to the important changes we are helping our clients make in their lives.

Monthly, staff are included in the request to nominate a Rock Star. They are asked what inspired them to nominate their peer and are provided six criteria to select from that apply to their nominee. The survey is tabulated, and the winners are announced by Human Resources.

Our October Rock Star is Patty Vizcarra. Patty joined ABC as a Housekeeper in late June of this year. Immediately upon starting, praise from staff around the facility would reach my desk. The most notable comments were all an emphasis on how her positive attitude left an impression on others. I have personally appreciated the fact that she has integrity with her work. Everything assigned to her is completed thoroughly. I’m grateful to have her as an integral part of the team!

Brock Jenikovsky, Director Operations, and Patty Vizcarra, Housekeeping

Our November Rock Star is Rosie Rodriquez. Rosie has been with ABC Recovery Center as our Receptionist since October of 2021. Since she arrived, her ability to make others feel heard and cared for has left a lasting first impression for many. Her passion for artistic creativity keeps our facility looking festive on all holidays and occasions. We are lucky to have such a positive individual on our team!

Brock Jenikovsky, Director Operations, and Rosie Rodriguez, Reception

Do you shop on Amazon? Of course you do! Everyone does. The next time you need to make an Amazon purchase, Amazon will donate a percentage of your sale directly to ABC Recovery Center. The only thing you need to do is identify ABC Recovery Center as your "charity of choice" by using our giving page when making your purchase. No extra cost to you, and plenty of benefits for those we care for.

Pictured: Andrea Courreges, Alumni Association President and Ashely Hinesley, Vice President.

ABC Alumni Committee Members not pictured: Brenda Hughes, Eloise Black and Angel Munoz.

The Alumni of ABC Recovery Center have plans in the works for the rest of this calendar year. The Alumni Breakfast is on the first Sunday of the month, here at ABC Recovery Center. The next breakfast is on Sunday February 5th.

The Alumni Fundraising Dinner is held annually as a means of securing donations for our clients and their families to ensure them a warm and wonderful holiday. The event is usually in October or November, but we are having it in the beginning of the year on January 18th, gathering funds for our 2023 clients and their families. If you'd like more information please contact development@abcrecoverycenter.org

A big "Thank you" to the owners of La Quinta's Nothing Bundt Cakes, Ellie Koch Tropple and Jeff Tropple. Their thoughtful generosity in providing cakes for us each month helps us recognize and celebrate those in our organization who have been given another year, and a second chance at life.

Thanks so much Ellie and Jeff and thanks to your amazing team.

December Birthdays - Pictured Left to Right: Kris Corney - Primary Counselor, Brian Greenleaf - Intake Specialist, Joel Shields, Behavioral Health Tech - Brock Jenikovsky, Director Operations

As one of Southern California's leading destinations for addiction treatment, ABC Recovery Center promotes wellness and healing for all stages of recovery. When we first meet the clients who arrive at our door, we don’t know what the future will hold. We welcome them without judgment and provide an individually tailored holistic and multi-disciplinary team approach that has successfully helped many others overcome their battle with substance use disorders. ABC is Licensed by the State Department of Health Care Services, as well as being accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

ABC Recovery Center offers a full continuum of services for those who have made the decision to make significant changes to their lives. We offer the following programs: Detoxification (Detox), Residential Treatment, Intensive Outpatient Program, Outpatient Program, and our Transitional and Sober Living Programs. We also provide a family program, perinatal services, and specialized groups for LGBTQIA constituents.

We are helping provide a future for over a thousand people a year, and that doesn’t include the number of people whose futures will be impacted when our clients are returned to them, sober and safe. We are here to provide them every opportunity to have the future they want.