Many people in Genesee County receive assistance from DSS according to Jerry Moran

There was an interesting article in the February 20, 2009 issue of The Daily News written by Paul Mrozek describing Genesee County Interagency Council meeting which met on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.

Jerry Moran, the Director of Family Services at the Genesee County Department of Social Services reported that:

7,000 out of approximately 60,000 people or 12% in Genesee County are on Medicaid. Many of these folks are working.

In addition, GCDSS handles about 1,800 requests per year for food stamps and 3,000 requests for heating assistance.

Here is part of what is written in the article:

Moran said of the 7,000 Genesee County residents who received Medicaid benefits in 2009, many are from working families and many of their children received their medical care through a related program, Child Health Plus. The 7,000 number represents about 12 percent of the county's population of about 60,000.

Moran said DSS handles about 1,800 requests per month for food stamp eligibility. About 3,000 property owners or renters receive Home Energy Assistance Program funds to offset their heating bills.

"We expect those numbers to go up," Moran said.

GCASA staff participate in the Interagency Council and one of its staff, Neil Bedford is the Council's Vice-President.

New York State Nurses Association help nurses with substance abuse problems

The New York State Nurses Association has a EAP for nurses called SPAN. SPAN is an acronym for Statewide Peer Assistance For Nurses.

There are several peer assistance for nurses support groups in Western New York State. The regional coordinator is Paula Calleri, RN, MS, CARN. You can reach Paula at 1-800-724-6976 x355.

GCASA successfully provides treatment services for a number of health care professionals. Referrals to services such as SPAN are facilitated by GCASA counselors, but only with the consent of the client and permission to release information.

To find out more about SPAN click here.

Here is a Q&A from the Sping, 2008, SPAN newsletter.

Click on image to enlarge for easier reading.