News Releases
News from Lane Community College
For release April 27, 2010
Willamette Family treatment services named Employer of the Year
Award to be presented tonight at 7 p.m. at LCC
EUGENE, OR - For almost two decades, Willamette Family has worked with Lane Community College to provide training opportunities for more than 200 students interested in working with people struggling with chemical dependency. Willamette Family has helped students meet their certification requirements and successfully pass the national test required to become drug counselors. Willamette Family now employs many of these students; other students take away valuable experiences to employment in other community agencies. Willamette Family's commitment to training new counselors in state-of-the-art treatment methods won them the 2010 Cooperative Education of the Year Award from Lane Community College.
The award will be presented April 27 at Lane's annual Advisory Committee Gala beginning at 5 p.m., with the presentation about 7 p.m., in the Center for Meeting and Learning, building 19, main campus in Eugene, 4000 E. 30th Avenue.
Willamette Family started more than 40 years ago as an alcohol detoxification center. Today, they provide residential and outpatient services to teens, women and men. They have been a national leader in providing comprehensive treatment for chemically dependent women, including those who are pregnant or who have young children. They were one of the first programs in the nation to offer mothers, including teen mothers, the opportunity to live with their children while they were in treatment. Most recently, Willamette Family Treatment has begun offering services to veterans' families as well families who have a loved one on active duty.
"One of the reasons I am always happy to have students intern at Willamette Family is that as an agency, they continually look to improve the quality of their services," says Garry Oldham, human service program instructor and cooperative education coordinator at Lane. "Willamette Family has a research department, and participates in projects aimed at improving treatment effectiveness. They respond to new research findings and changing conditions in our community. Students come to realize that ongoing education and training is a professional responsibility that they will have once they are employed in the field."
Lane is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
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Media contact: Joan Aschim, PIO, (541) 463-5591, aschimj@lanecc.edu
