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Addiction counselor returns to native homeland
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 Although George Onni left his native Estonia as a young boy, he returns often to reconnect with family and the culture of his childhood. The language of Estonia, for example, is Finno-Hungarian, combining Finnish with Hungarian and is Onni states, “as different from Russian as Chinese is from English.” Other aspects of Estonian life, however, are less endearing. Of particular concern to Onni, who is a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor working with St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation Center’s Elizabethtown Outpatient Clinic, is the epidemic of alcohol abuse. “The per capita consumption of alcohol in Estonia is 17 liters of pure 200 proof Ethel alcohol. That’s about twice the amount consumed in the United States,” he says. In addition, for a country of approximately one million people, there are just two or three hospitals specifically dedicated to treating alcoholism, while membership in Alcoholics Anonymous is only about 400 individuals. “I’ve been in the (alcohol and substance abuse) business for quite some time,” he says. “And last year when I went to Estonia I met with a lot of people who work in substance abuse. The state of treatment there is embryonic, so I was interested in what they had to say and they were interested in my views.” Since those first meetings, Onni has partnered with the AVE which is the Estonian Temperance League, and Estonia National Civil Service College which is a technical university for civil servants and human service specialists who also work with substance abuse. These contacts have led to Onni being invited to participate in this year’s NordAN Conference, which is a collaboration of over 80 governmental organizations who share the mission of preventing substance abuse in a variety of Nordic and Baltic countries. In addition to attending such sessions as “Focusing on Families with Alcohol Problems,” and Focus on Youth and Peer Education,” Onni will participate in presentations involving career development for substance abuse workers. The topic is particularly rewarding to Onni as he is the Chairman of Public Policy for the Association for Addiction Professionals of New York, the organization that among other objectives, seeks to manage and enhance talent in the field. “This (trip) is a labor of love for me,” he says, “as well as an area of academic interest.” Bob Ross, St. Joseph’s CEO, believes, “I feel that when we have someone like George who has a deep understanding of another system, another set of approaches, his familiarity with the culture brings meaningful depth to his visit that will give him the opportunity to present a richer experience to our staff.” With a staff that includes 41 Qualified Health Professionals (Credentialed Alcohol Substance Abuse Counselors, Licensed Master Social Workers, Registered Nurses, psychologists, and a psychiatrist), St. Joseph’s has provided addiction treatment since 1970 for a clinically-challenging population that encompasses residents from throughout New York and surrounding states. In addition to a 58-bed inpatient facility serving both men and women, St. Joseph’s operates five outpatient clinics located in Franklin and Essex Counties. The outpatient program further provides a wide range of services for inmates in both the Franklin and Essex County jails. |