Recovery is a long journey that affects everyone a little differently. Learn more about what to expect and what resources are available to everyone involved.
“24.6 million Americans were addicted to drugs in 2013. That’s 9.4% of the population.” If you’re among the millions of Americans addicted to alcohol or drugs, it’s never too late to get help. The longer that you wait, the harder it may be to recover from an...
Friends, family members, and significant others of an individual dealing with substance abuse often fail to realize that they are acting as enablers in their loved one's life. To make the decision to treat their addiction, an individual must come to terms with how...
“No life skills.” This is a common insult you may occasionally hear thrown around—often behind a person’s back—when they have trouble cooking, cleaning up after themselves, or even socializing with other people. But while people are often judged quite harshly for...
On page 17 of Alcoholics Anonymous, diversity receives an important mention. Bill Wilson, co-founder of AA, writes: “We are average Americans. All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented, as well as many political, economic, social, and...
Humility is the most important of the Seven Heavenly Virtues, which is why it has been chosen to end this series. Much as pride is often seen as the root of all the Seven Deadly Sins, humility is in many ways the attribute which breeds the rest of the virtues. Without...
The penultimate article in our series on the Seven Heavenly Virtues may come as a surprise to some. Not the concept of patience as a virtue—which is, after all, a rather common expression—but rather the fact that its counterpart in the Seven Deadly Sins is generally...
In the most recent installment of our series on the Seven Heavenly Virtues, we mentioned that kindness meant more than just charity. Of course, the two clearly still go hand-in-hand. And once recovering addicts and alcoholics have learned the basics of kindness, it is...
Even if you had only just heard of the Seven Heavenly Virtues for the first time, it would likely not surprise you to learn that kindness was on the list. In fact, it is the first virtue we have covered that mostly stands on its own. Courage is required for diligence,...
It was mentioned in our initial article on the Seven Heavenly Virtues that chastity had something of a broad definition. Technically, the same could be said of diligence or temperance, as both encompass numerous virtuous qualities that would be beneficial to the life...
The first article in our series on the Seven Heavenly Virtues was focused upon diligence, which we greatly associated with such qualities as faith and courage. Temperance is more aligned with prudence, and actually complements diligence quite well for those who are...
This is the first true installment of our series on the Seven Heavenly Virtues, and it seems to have been unintentionally timely. Those who follow Hollywood are aware that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice only just released, and the film’s heroes are almost icons...
Spring arrived this past weekend, and it’s a good time for recovering addicts and alcoholics—as well as their families—to think about the direction in which their life is headed. After all, it’s been almost three months since we made our New Year’s resolutions. Some...
If there’s one thing that many addicts and alcoholics have in common, it’s that we like to be lazy from time to time. Sure, you may get the occasional functioning addict who has the strange sensation to get loaded and get some work done. But for many of us, that first...
Since we waited until a little later in the year to start doing a series on AA’s Twelve Concepts for World Service, the first few have been posted relatively close together. Now that it is March and we are on Concept III, we are finally caught up and able to continue...
sober.
Whether you or your family member is struggling with addiction, you are not alone in this journey. Explore our expansive addiction resources, including our guides for teens, parents, and spouses, as well as relatable recovery stories from Amethyst Alumni.
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Laurel McGinnisLaurel, as the Director of Corporate Compliance for USR, is responsible for ensuring that the facility follows all federal and state regulatory requirements, accreditation standards and industry best practices. Laurel has over twenty years’ experience in legal and regulatory affairs in both the public and private sectors. She attended the University of Kansas where she studied political science, and she is designated by the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR) as a Certified National Investigator and Inspector (CNII). Prior to joining Amethyst, she served as the Director of Enforcement for a state regulatory body.
Brie RodriguezBrie joined the Amethyst Recovery team in 2017 as an HR assistant. Her over 15 years’ experience working in healthcare administration and management quickly launched her into a leadership role. Now serving as the Director of Human Resources since 2018, she leads our organization through the intricate requirements of recordkeeping, recruitment, staff development as well as compliance. While also directing all aspects of HR including payroll, benefits administration, performance management, and compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, as well as licensing and accreditation standards.
Brie graduated as a high school valedictorian with a major in Health Technologies and continued her studies at Springfield Technical Community College with a focus on healthcare. She served in Operations and HR for a finance company for ten years, before returning to healthcare and eventually arriving at USR.
Brie works closely with the leadership team to develop and implement effective HR strategies that support our organization’s goals and values. As an HR professional, Brie’s primary focus is on ensuring that our organization attracts and retains the most talented and qualified individuals to help us fulfill our mission of providing compassionate care to those struggling with addiction. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by those working in the substance abuse field, Brie is committed to creating a positive and supportive work environment where employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to make a difference in the lives of others.
Brie is known for being compassionate and empathetic as well as for her ability to navigate complex and sensitive situations and find solutions that benefit everyone involved. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and their fur babies!
CORI BAIZACori’s key responsibilities include supervising financial operations, and daily financial reporting and account management. Cori’s goal is to ensure all patient’s needs are met in an accurate and timely manner. She is a Certified Recovery Residence Administrator with The Florida Certification Board and licensed Notary Public in the state of Florida. Her experience includes accounting and finance training.
JOHN GAUJohn’s key responsibilities include maintaining the day-to-day operations from both a clinical and housing perspective. John’s goal is to monitor every department to ensure proper policies and procedures are in place and client care is carried out effortlessly. John joined Amethyst as a behavioral health technician where he quickly developed strong personal relationships with the clients through support and guidance. John understands first hand the struggles of addiction and strives to provide a safe environment for clients. John is a Certified Recovery Residence Administrator.
MARK GUDIMMark’s key responsibilities include handling day-to-day maintenance matters and oversees our Environment of Care management plan in conjunction with Joint Commission and DCF regulations. Mark’s goal is to provide a safe environment where distractions are minimized, and treatment is the primary focus for clients and staff alike. Mark received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a minor in Economics from the University of Rhode Island. He is a licensed residential home inspector in the state of Florida and relates his unique experience of analyzing a property and/or housing condition to determining any necessary course of action at our facility.
Jeffrey M. Bishop, D.O.Dr. Jeffer M. Bishop was born and raised in Florida. He joined the U.S. Navy while attending the University of Nebraska for this undergraduate degree in Medicine. When he left the Navy, he went on to graduate from e Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1985.
He worked in Family Medicine for 35 years before retiring from his practice. He then went on to be the Chief Medical Officer at Wellington Regional Medical Center for an additional seven years until resigning from his position in 2013 and started Addiction Medicine.
He is a member of over a dozen professional medical associations and in his free time enjoys a number of different activities. Although now retired from racing, was a member of the International Motor Sports Association and Sports Car Club of America. Dr. Bishop is also a certified open water scuba diver, he enjoys fishing, traveling, and hunting.
AMANDA MARINELLI, DNP, BBA, AG NP-BC, PMHNP-BC, CARN-APAmanda Marinelli is a Board Certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC) with over 10 years of experience in the field of mental health and substance abuse. Amanda completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice and Post Masters Certification in Psychiatry at Florida Atlantic University. She is a current member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and the Delta Epsilon Iota Honor Society.