Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Hughes.
Hi Melissa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Yes, I am proud to serve as Director of Marketing and Development for Cedar House Life Change Center. I came to Cedar House with experience in marketing and in the nonprofit fundraising space about seven years ago when the organization was beginning to ramp up its development efforts for tremendous growth. Cedar House first opened its doors to the community in 1973 when nine gentlemen from Fontana, Riverside, and Upland signed on as the first board of trustees. Founded in Bloomington, CA and originally called Amigo House, the organization’s initial purpose was “to provide an environment where men who are suffering from alcoholism can be detoxified, treated, counseled, and educated on the dangers of alcoholism and human behavior of problem drinkers.” In 1984, the Board expanded its programming to be a full-service treatment center serving men and women suffering with substance use disorders, taking on the name Social Science Services, Inc. The organization moved into its current facility on Santa Ana Avenue in Bloomington in 2002 and is now doing business as Cedar House Life Change Center. Recognizing the special needs of pregnant women and those with young children, Cedar House purchased a home in 2005 and created Maple House Women with Children program. By providing childcare on-site, the women could walk from Maple House down the street to attend programming during the day at Cedar House and return to their children in the late afternoon to learn and implement parenting skills. In recent years, Maple House has started offering treatment on-site in addition to childcare. In 2008, we purchased 4.4 acres across from the main facility on Santa Ana Avenue with the intentions to expand services, temporarily using the residence for Sanctuary House Sober Living for men. Currently, plans for expansion of programs and additional housing on that property are in the works. In 2017, Cedar House began serving clients with Medi-Cal which enabled us to significantly enhance our services, and we now accept most private health insurance as well. To this day, Cedar House remains at the forefront of addiction treatment, using the most current, evidence-based practices in our CARF-Accredited programs to help those with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
With growth comes challenges, and Cedar House has seen substantial growth in recent years due to the staggering need for mental health and substance abuse treatment in our area. In California, we saw a 70% increase in drug overdose in the last year (californiaopioidresponse.org). According to CalMatters.org, the vast majority of these deaths were linked to fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic opioid. With an ever-increasing need for lifesaving treatment services, Cedar House is determined to expand our programs to serve more people in need with a full continuum of care.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Cedar House Life Change Center?
For more than 50 years, Cedar House Life Change Center has been providing evidence-based treatment to empower those affected by addiction to find wholeness in recovery. We envision a full continuum of care and outreach activities to achieve healing for individuals, families, and communities.
As Director of Marketing and Development, it’s my job to share the stories of success that come from the compassionate care individuals and families receive at Cedar House. We’re known for the effectiveness of our treatment services because of our staff’s empathy and knowledge. Many of our staff members have been through addiction treatment themselves and generously extend their passion for recovery to the individuals who come to us ready to make a positive change in their lives.
Cedar House has multiple CARF-Accredited programs across four facilities. Our main treatment facility has 125 beds and provides detox, residential, and outpatient services for adult men and women throughout San Bernardino and Riverside Counties who suffer from substance use and co-occurring disorders. Cedar House also operates a residential program for women and their children known as Maple House, able to accommodate 11 women and up to 15 children, a 30-day SUD residential stabilization unit with a Sobering Center, and Sanctuary House, a sober living facility for up to 6 adult males. In addition to providing complete residential and outpatient treatment, Cedar House delivers programming for families affected by chemical dependency. We believe that treatment services should respect every client’s dignity, value, and self-worth and provide the highest quality treatment services with the greatest promise of successful outcomes in the least restrictive setting. Cedar House is a 501c3 non-profit corporation, and all of its programs are licensed and certified by the State of California Dept. of Health Care Services.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We are always seeking community partnerships to support our efforts to grow and serve more individuals in need. Whether that’s providing resources for those we serve or making a donation toward our expansion efforts, every contribution to our mission matters. We host a number of events throughout the year to engage our community, including an Alumni Day, Golf Tournament, and Heroes Gala. We invite anyone interested in getting involved to reach out to me to learn more about volunteering, sponsoring, or participating in these events. We also encourage our supporters to become ambassadors for our mission by spreading the word about the great work happening at Cedar House every day through social media and community outreach.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cedarhouse.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cedarhouselifechangecenter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CedarHouseLCC
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/18246049/admin/feed/posts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfftnknDAYhOBU8UtH6PaCw?view_as=subscriber
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cedar-house-life-change-center-bloomington
