Volume 9 | September 2023
Our monthly news & updates
Fall is coming!

As you've heard, we're getting ready for our inaugeral Oasis of Hope Gala! Please plan on celebrating with us as we commemorate our 60th year of service and all the lives we've touched along the way.

We would love to have all of you participate. There is special pricing for ABC staff, so please check in with Maureen should you wish to attend.

Read further for information on our upcoming events, funding news, and all the goings-on at ABC Recovery Center.

If you have upcoming news or information you'd like to have us share in this newsletter, please contact our development office at [email protected]. Our next newsletter will publish on September 1st, so please send your article requests to Maureen no later than August 20th.

A Message from the
Chief Executive Officer

To All ABC Recovery Center Family and Supporters,

Just a quick reminder to make your reservations for our November 3rd Oasis of Hope Gala if you have not done so yet. We are getting excited about our new Gala event, as it is only a couple months away.

We are diligently working on our expansion project. We have successfully subdivided our parcel on the west side of Palm St. This was a year long effort and we are glad to be moving on to the next phase in our development process. Our contracted architect is now working with us to design the new facility in earnest and it is beginning to take shape. Our goal is to design a space that is perfect for the purposes of carrying out our mission far into the future.
In every newsletter I have been talking about our expansion. There is reason for that. We are all involved in our own development project. Whether it is personal, professional or physical (like a building). One of my professors, a couple years back, asked me what my job was, as a CEO, in front of the class. I gave her a boxed answer, basically reciting my job description. She embarrassed me a bit in front of the class by saying, “Are you reading your job description? Your job is to expand your business and create a vision for the employees.” Not going to lie, my ego said, “this lady doesn’t know what she is talking about.” 

After four years here at ABC, I realized I was just going to be doing the same thing every day of my life. Honestly, I was not okay with that realization. Rehabilitation Facilities are a grind. I locked onto what had been done here under Danny and Helen Leahy. The facility expanded greatly over those years. Was I going to show up here until I grew old and not add something to it? I began researching ways to expand. Finally, we saw the source for funding and shot for the moon. Since we received the award letter, I believe the staff can now see the vision. I can tell when we discuss the future they have more hope. I am fortunate enough to be a CEO, yet as CEO I felt depressed about the prospect of doing the same thing everyday. What must the entry level staff feel? As you can see, the teacher was right. I understand now if we do not provide our employees a place to grow… then eventually we will see them go. 

I literally cannot wait until we break ground. I can't wait to watch our people look at the buildings going up. I know they will think there is a better life for them and their families by being a part of our organization. There is opportunity to grow. Some of our current Board Members have been on the board for a long time, and I know they feel a part of this new chapter as well. 

I hope I have done my best to convey my own personal, professional, and physical development story.

Sincerely, 
 
Chris Yingling - CEO
ABC Recovery Center, Inc. 
So, this happened.......
Sharing from Newsweek:

"From 2000 to 2020, the share of the population who have alcohol or drug use disorders increased from 4.9 percent to 6 percent. Sadly, in the 12-month period ending in November 2022, over 100,000 people died of drug overdose in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That startling statistic is part of the addiction epidemic in America where there were over 1.5 million admissions into addiction treatment centers of people 12 and older in 2020. Patients and families seeking help and treatment face the daunting task of selecting the right program and facility. To provide our readers with an additional resource when seeking out help with addiction recovery and support, Newsweek and Statista partnered for a fourth year to rank "America's Best Addiction Treatment Centers 2023," recognizing leading addiction treatment facilities across the country."

"Facilities in the 25 states with the highest number of addiction treatment centers, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), were included in the study."

We are pleased to share that ABC Recovery Center is included amoungst other distinguished organizations who treat a significant population with substance use disorders and have been ranked amoung the nation's finest.
MEET OUR GALA COMMITTEE
Gala Committee Members from left to right: Gil Ruttenberg, Marlene Ruttenberg, Ashley Hinesley, Andrea Courreges, Robin Harmon, Maureen Girouard, Kelly Ryan, Alexis Pollard, Victoria Volsky, Brock Jenikovsky. Not pictured, Kris Corney.
Our committee is made up of volunteers from every sector of ABC Recovery Center including our board of directors, alumni, management, staff and donors. It was important for us that all voices were consulted and heard. This event marks ABC's 60th Anniversary and through it, we are going to share our story with the community.

Thanks so much to this group of folks who are doing their best to provide funding and awareness for our mission and those we serve.

Thank you to all!
There will be special pricing for gala tickets for our ABC Recovery Center Staff.
Please reach out to Maureen for details. [email protected]*
Harm Reduction Clinic at the College of the Desert
ABC Recovery Center has been funded by the Desert Healthcare District who is a client of the University of Riverside Health System. ABC Recovery Center is helping to staff and provide education on fentynal overdoses as reaction to the increasing crisis in our area.

Brock Jenikovsky, ABC Recover Center's Director of Operation, and Joe Kynvett, ABC Recovery Center's Facility Performance Manager conducted an educational opportunity at College of the Desert.
We are pleased to share that ABC Recovery Center has been selected as one of five beneficiaries of the 2023 Annual Charity Golf Tournament of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahilla Indians.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is preparing for the 13th Annual Agua Caliente Charity Golf Tournament to be held Friday, December 8th, 2023, at the Indian Canyons Golf Resort in Palm Springs. For more than a decade, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is proud to have distributed upwards of $1.7 million to more than 50 organizations locally and nationally.

As more information about this tournament is available, we will provide updated messaging through our newsletter and social media.
Grief Support Group
Grief can be complicated, but finding help shouldn’t be. Here at ABC Recovery Center we will be providing a safe, judgement-free space for support and encouragement, no matter the nature of your loss. We acknowledge that not everybody understands.

Please join us for an evening of education, support and processing on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. There is no cost for this service.

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm at the Spiritual Center at ABC Recovery Center
Annual Report
If you haven't seen our Annual Report, please click on the link below:
Family Program
For families impacted by a loved one's substance use, please consider attending the counseling that ABC Recovery Center provides.
For additional information please e-mail us at [email protected]
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 June Rock Star is Ralph Alvarez. Ralph is our lead residential supervisor. He has been working for ABC Recovery Center for 6 ½ years. Ralph is a hard worker and is dedicated to support the ABC mission. He has shown great growth in his new role and works well as a team player striving to provide the best client care for all.
Pictured is Ally Anderson, Program Director, Ralph Alvarez, Lead Residential Supervisor
Our July Rock Star is Vanessa Soliz.
Pictured is Vanessa Soliz, and Heidi Flores, Director of Nursing
ABC Recovery Center Alumni Association News
Pictured: Andrea Courreges, Alumni Association President, Ashely Hinesley, Vice President.
ABC Alumni Committee Members, Mandy Guntman, Eloise Black and Angel Munoz.
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.
July Birthday celebrants Ally Anderson and Elsa Mexia
Thanks to all in the community who generously support our mission

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.

ABC Recovery Center's Core Values
We Value. . .
An organizational culture and delivery of service promoting the belief that no one life is more important than another. We value every person, every client as an individual and respect their journey providing dignity, and empathy to everyone seen and served.

Those who are like-minded and adhere to the science that addiction is a disease and those challenged with this disease deserve compassion, encouragement and every opportunity in attaining a new beginning. 

Our work towards an organizational future when we will have the capacity to open our doors to anyone who will need our services without concern for compensation.

The search for and incorporation of leading therapies, treatments, and care models that provide our clients the greatest opportunity for successful sobriety.

The unlimited courage of our clients who seek treatment, for their life-affirming decision to say, “no more” and taking difficult steps that will be life-changing.

All those who encourage and support our clients and help shepherd them on their life-long journey, as we extend our care by incorporating family members whenever possible. 

The time, education, training, effort and sacrifice of the employees at ABC Recovery Center, as they administer care to those we serve, often under difficult circumstances. Each one serving ethically and bench-marking our industry’s highest standards.

The fostering of teamwork and the creation of a culture that encourages collaboration rather than competition. Everyone on our team is an integral cog in the wheel, in support of our client's recovery. 

The support of our donor community, whose contributions we steward with the utmost care.

The legacy of all clients served and how their journey further affirms our dedication and informs our service.