Dear Friends,

I would like to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of The Ridge House. I am excited about the direction Ridge House is moving in and am happy to be able to work with the community to continue that progress.

I'd like to start out by telling you a bit about myself and over the next several newsletters lay out my vision for The Ridge House.

As some of you may know, I joined The Ridge House in August of 2006 as a Residential Counselor. I was excited then to join an amazing team of caring clinicians and administrators who believe in re-entry programming and are so helpful to so many people.

As the new Executive Director, I envision The Ridge House increasing the availability of substance abuse treatment services in Washoe County. I believe the criminal justice population we serve should include the city and county court systems as well as the State Parole and Probation System.

While our outpatient counseling services are currently available to the the entire community, I envision Ridge House being better able to respond to the growing need for our services in the community. While being responsive to community demand we will add services as needed to serve our target clientele.

Currently, Ridge House has a Bill Draft Request in the Senate Finance Committee (SB 441). If you would like to follow this bill you can do so here.

This request is for an appropriations of money to assist The Ridge House in becoming the vision above. Senator Bill Raggio, a long time Ridge House supporter has sponsored this bill. When it comes time for this bill to go before committee and eventually the floor of the Senate and House, we hope we can count on you for support. We will send out notification by email to keep everyone informed on the timeline of these events.

Finally, I look forward to working with the community to make this vision a reality. If you would like to discuss anything Ridge House related I invite you to email me at sburt@ridgehouse.org.

Sincerely,

Steven Burt
Executive Director

At Men's House 3, Ridge House's newest residential home, there's excitement in the air. Jennifer Winburn, Residential Counselor, loves to talk about the things that are happening at the house. She's excited when she sees change and strives to fill the house with joy in recovery

"We try to encourage the guys to feel comfortable and take some ownership in the house." Jennifer said. "We think its really important to keep joy and laughter alive."

Doug Andersen, Residential House Manager agrees.

"We are firm, fair and consistent with our guys," Doug says. "And we try to have fun at the same time."

Jennifer says there is a healthy balance between learning to have fun in recovery and at the same time learning a new way of living.

"Many clients when coming out and re-entering society want immediate gratification and someone to solve their problems," Jennifer said. "My job is to show them that these problems are part of life, life is not always easy and patience is needed to make it on the outside."

Doug is realistic about his expectations for his clients.

"I let them know this is the first stepping stone," Doug said. "If someone really wants to change we typically see the signs of that change around the one month mark. They are more responsible with their actions. Signs like these tell us someone really wants a better life."

Jennifer continues Doug's thought by adding, "It's such a good feeling when you see someone, often for the first time in their lives, living their life honestly and with gratitude."

One in every 13 adults suffers from alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. Millions more drink in ways that can place themselves or others at risk. And for those who don't personally have a drinking problem, they may be directly affected by someone who does - approximately one-half of U.S. adults report a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking.

In an effort to help people recognize the signs of an alcohol problem and, in turn, seek help, The Ridge House will offer free, anonymous screenings for alcohol use disorders on April 5, 2007, National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD). The screenings will be held at 900 West First Street, Suite 200, Reno, Nevada 89503 from 9am-4pm

As part of the program, attendees will have the opportunity to complete a brief, written questionnaire assessing their alcohol use and talk privately with a health professional about their results and next steps. The program is free and confidential.

“National Alcohol Screening Day gives you the opportunity to look at your own drinking and how it might be affecting your life in a variety of ways including work performance, relationships and health. Through education, awareness and understanding, you can make informed decisions about your drinking behaviors,” said Lynda Harper, Ridge House Clinical Director.

Signs that you, a friend, or a loved one may have an alcohol problem:

• Drinking to calm nerves, forget worries or boost a sad mood
• Guilt about drinking
• Unsuccessful attempts to cut down/stop drinking
• Lying about or hiding drinking habits
• Causing harm to oneself or someone else as a result of drinking
• Needing to drink increasingly greater amounts in order to achieve desired effect
• Feeling irritable, resentful or unreasonable when not drinking
• Medical, social, family, or financial problems caused by drinking

Held in April as part of Alcohol Awareness Month, NASD is a program of the nonprofit Screening for Mental Health. Last year, over 100,000 people attended National Alcohol Screening events nationwide. Of those that completed a screening form, 45% scored in the hazardous or harmful drinking range. For more information about National Alcohol Screening Day, visit www.NationalAlcoholScreeningDay.org.

Leading up to The Ridge House's 25th anniversary celebration we would like to provide a picture of the history of Ridge House by sharing some stories written by people who have been involved with the program for many years. Below is an excerpt from one story, written by Sandy Finelli-Nishimoto

Now, I’ll bet some of you are wondering, “Just what is the Ridge House, and how does it affect me?” I’d like to tell you the story of how a small group of committed Christians envisioned creating change in the lives of hundreds of people, and how that vision was carried out.

The story, as I heard it, goes like this…four or five original KAIROS members were sitting around the table drinking coffee and probably eating donuts. Now, as we all know, when members of KAIROS and Dios Con Cristo hang out, they talk about their passion - their ministry. So, these KAIROS folks were talking about the inmates and what happens to them when they get out of prison. These folks had been moving the inmates into their homes, but that didn’t seem to be working. Apparently, the inmates needed more structure than people could provide for them in their homes. So, the discussion was about what to do with the inmates after prison and how to continue to share the love of God in a compassionate way. Someone, I never heard who it was, suggested renting a house and turning it into a starting point once the inmates became outmates.

Story continued here