Spectrum’s Edition of Extreme Makeover
Recently, our peer recovery centers received a home makeover! As we celebrate our 50th anniversary of serving those struggling with addiction throughout Massachusetts and beyond, we thought it was time for some new digs. In Worcester, our peer recovery center, Everyday Miracles received brand new awnings, conference tables, flooring, TVs, ...
Get to Know Shannon Coolahan, Spectrum Health Systems’ Outpatient Clinician
Working in addiction treatment can be tough, but our incredible staff love their jobs. This week, we’re talking with one of our Master’s level clinicians, Shannon Coolahan, who has worked in our outpatient treatment center located in Waltham, Massachusetts for the past two years. What brought you to Spectrum Health ...
50 Years of Spectrum
As you may have heard, Spectrum Health Systems has been celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! We’ve come a long way since the company’s founding in 1969. As substance abuse has changed over the past 50 years, so too has Spectrum – in order to better treat individuals impacted by ...
How to Deal with Triggers in the Workplace
Many believe that addiction only affects the unemployed and homeless when, in reality, most are employed. In fact, of the estimated 96 million adults reported to have a substance use disorder, 72 percent are employed. Many factors can be attributed to substance use and dependency, with stress being one of ...
PTSD Awareness Day – June 27th
Back in 2010, Senator Kent Conrad spearheaded a campaign to create an official form of recognition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through a “day of awareness.” Senator Conrad was passionate about the creation of an awareness day as a tribute to North Dakota National Guard serviceman, Staff Sergeant Joe Biel, ...
Pride Month: How Addiction Impacts the LGBTQ+ Community
Pride Month is here! The month-long celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community is a time for fun, raising awareness and reflection. The LGBTQ community faces many hardships, from accepting their own identities to coming out to facing social and political adversity. Studies show that an estimated ...
Four Outstanding Spectrum Employees Celebrate 20 Years with Spectrum Health Systems
Four of our talented employees recently celebrated their 20th anniversary with Spectrum! Barbara Tingley, Lisa Blanchard, Earl Warren, and Carole Palaima have all dedicated decades to our organization. To show our gratitude for their hard work and support for Spectrum’s mission, we hosted a celebration luncheon for all home office ...
Mental Health Month: The Connection Between Addiction and Mental Health Grows
While mental health has become a widely talked about topic in recent years, May is the official observance for mental health awareness. In its 70th year, Mental Health Month was launched by Mental Health America in May of 1949 with a mission of reaching millions of Americans through the media, ...
50 Addiction Facts in 50 Days to Celebrate 50 Years of Spectrum Health Systems
50 days from today, the team at Spectrum Health Systems will be celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary. Since our inception, we’ve seen a lot of positive changes in the addiction treatment field and recovery community. While many improvements have been made, there’s still much work to be done. We’ve worked ...
Addiction and Depression: A Vicious Cycle
According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.9 million Americans have been diagnosed with both depression and addiction. Each disease can be difficult to deal with on its own, so dealing with both at the same time is obviously more challenging. With depression being one of ...