Gold Key Recipients
The annual WNYCDC Gold Key Awards recognize exceptional accomplishments in the field of substance abuse prevention, substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction, and recovery by professional staff, service providers, businesses, community groups, or individual supporters in the eight-county region of western New York. Recipients are honored at the WNYCDC Awards Luncheon each year.
2022 Recipients of Gold Key Awards
Ann Bowback, Spectrum Health & Human Services
Spectrum Health’s Ann Bowback, CASAC has been a tireless advocate and supporter of individuals seeking treatment for substance use throughout her career. She has been an employee with Spectrum Health and Human Services since 1999 and, during her time with the agency, worked in innovative programs such as New York State’s first integrated treatment clinic at MICA located at 1235 Main Street in Buffalo. For 13 years, she offered direct care services through individual and group counseling. In 2012, she was promoted to Program Manager, yet still maintained her involvement in direct care services delivery. In 2018, Ann be-came a Clinical Director at one of the agency’s busiest outpatient locations. De-spite her shift in roles, Ann never ceased offering direct care services and al-ways maintained a caseload and facilitated groups. If there was a late staff call-off, Ann was the first to volunteer to stay and cover the services. In early 2022, Ann was named the Director of Spectrum Health’s SAMHSA Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) grant. This program supports a fast track for individuals needing MAT services for opiate use and provides ongoing linkage support throughout their continued course of care with the agency. Under Ann’s leader-ship, this program has helped link 260 individuals with MAT services this year. Her program is unique in the effort to support the person beyond just linkage by coordinating appointments and doing outreach when a person has missed a scheduled visit. This outreach reduces the risk of overdose, death, and disengagement from treatment. Ann’s program has also trained more than 310 people in naloxone overdose reversal, saving countless lives. Ann’s creativity and problem-solving nature buoy not only her clients, but her team members, as well. She truly embodies the spirit of recovery.
Ken Bossert, Community Action Organization of WNY
Ken Bossert is the Program Administrator of the DART Clinic at Community Action Organization of Western New York and has worked in the addictions field for nearly forty years in several different locations and roles. Ken served four years in the United States Air Force as an inpatient mental health and addictions counselor providing services to active duty personnel and their family members. He also spent one year at Bry Lin’s Alden facility as an addictions counselor. For twelve years, Ken worked at Sisters Hospital as the Clinical Coordinator for their outpatient opioid treatment program. He also spent one year with Spectrum Health and Human Services as the Clinical Director of their New Alternatives outpatient MICA Program. For the last nineteen years, Ken has served as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) as an Administrative and Program Surveyor for their Opioid Treatment Program Division. Ken will soon retire from his position with CAO after twenty-one great years of service. He has been a dedicated leader in the addictions field and very active in the Value Network Behavioral Health Care Collaborative where his commitment to the health and wellbeing of the WNY community has been on full display. When informed of his nomination as a Gold Key Award recipient, Ken was quick to point out his gratitude for the consumers he has had the privilege to serve and the numerous competent and caring colleagues he has been blessed to work with over the years.
Sue Bissonette, Cazenovia Recovery Systems
Sue Bissonette currently serves as Caz Recovery’s CEO, and she’s been the leader of the organization since 1997. She will be retiring in early 2023. Thanks to Sue’s leadership, Caz Recovery has transformed from a small organization with just a couple of programs to a major partner in substance use disorder treatment and support services in Western New York. The agency began its strategic shift into supported housing in the 2010s and now the agency has nearly 100 supported housing beds in Erie and Niagara Counties. These units feature wraparound support services with a focus on harm reduction and a housing-first approach.
Sue was instrumental in Caz Recovery’s partnership with FLACRA in the creation of Cadence Square, a collection of programs on the VA campus in Canandaigua that support veterans with substance use disorders. Since 2015, she helped guide Caz Recovery through some significant changes, including program acquisitions, expansions, and the creation of a Medicaid and Managed Care billing system from the ground up.
Today, Caz Recovery is a thriving partner in the region’s system of behavioral healthcare. Sue’s steadfast fiscal stewardship has increased the organization’s revenue from $2 million in 1998 to nearly $10 million in 2022, setting the stage for Caz Recovery’s continued success. Above all else, Sue has always prioritized providing the best possible treatment and care for people with substance use disorders and a sincere appreciation for the continued dedication of Caz Recovery’s staff members. Over the last 25 years, Sue’s leadership has helped to transform Caz Recovery into a major partner in Western New York’s continuum of substance use disorder treatment and support services. Most importantly, the agency has reunited families all over Western New York and saved thousands of lives.
Sue was instrumental in Caz Recovery’s partnership with FLACRA in the creation of Cadence Square, a collection of programs on the VA campus in Canandaigua that support veterans with substance use disorders. Since 2015, she helped guide Caz Recovery through some significant changes, including program acquisitions, expansions, and the creation of a Medicaid and Managed Care billing system from the ground up.
Today, Caz Recovery is a thriving partner in the region’s system of behavioral healthcare. Sue’s steadfast fiscal stewardship has increased the organization’s revenue from $2 million in 1998 to nearly $10 million in 2022, setting the stage for Caz Recovery’s continued success. Above all else, Sue has always prioritized providing the best possible treatment and care for people with substance use disorders and a sincere appreciation for the continued dedication of Caz Recovery’s staff members. Over the last 25 years, Sue’s leadership has helped to transform Caz Recovery into a major partner in Western New York’s continuum of substance use disorder treatment and support services. Most importantly, the agency has reunited families all over Western New York and saved thousands of lives.
William Bly, Horizon Health Services
Bill Bly has been passionately working in the addictions field since 1987. But his story, and his impact on the recovery community at large, doesn’t start there. In 1980, at the age of 24, Bill decided to change his life by choosing sobriety. He began attending AA meetings and was introduced to NA while in rehab in Pennsylvania. Bill brought the very first NA meeting to Western New York, hosted by the Amity Club on Military and Hertel. Bill served as the first NA Chairman during its first year and in the years afterwards worked to branch out and create additional NA meetings for Buffalo’s inner city and surrounding areas. Today, there are over 100 NA meetings available to the local recovering community. Bill’s home group remains at the Amity Club. In 1987, Bill formally started his career in the addictions field, and in June of 2022 Bill semi-retired but still does some per diem work because he wants to continue helping others. Over the course of his career, he has held many titles including health aid, trainer, counselor, supervisor, advanced practice clinician, and family counselor. He has worked in various levels of care, from detox to outpatient to residential. Bill brought innovative approaches to the field working alongside his late wife, Diane, who also worked for Horizon Health. The pair used theatrical productions to reach recovering patients and were the first to bring a therapy dog to the agency. Bill was named the Horizon Addictions Professional of the Year in 2011. He has been a speaker at recovery conventions and countless other events. He served on the OASAS appellate board for two years. Bill has been a sponsor and counselor to many and an example and inspiration to so many more.
Jackie West, Beacon Center
Jackie West celebrated her 30th anniversary with Beacon Center this year. Over time, she has served the organization in different roles ultimately leading to her current position as Chief Executive Officer. In that role, Jackie oversees all of Beacon Center’s clinical, financial, and personnel matters. She brings a unique blend of clinical as well as administrative experience. In addition to holding a CASAC (Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor), she is also a Registered Nurse.
Jackie’s contributions to the SUD field go beyond just western New York. While operating four outpatient clinics in Erie and Niagara Counties, Jackie, sharing in Beacon Center owner Faith Nichols Peterson's vision, established Nichols Supportive Living House. That 15-bed men’s reintegration program in Herkimer, New York was followed by three outpatient sites in Herkimer, Utica, and Rome, addressing a scarcity of SUD services in the region. Every week she traveled down the NY State Thruway to spend her days training staff and implementing program operations. With the opioid epidemic continuing to rise and those seeking methadone driving to Syracuse daily, Jackie opened Beacon Center’s Opioid Treatment Program in Utica and then in Rome. The determination and leg work required to develop positive relationships with these communities as well as create and maintain programs with high standards of care can not be overstated. Jackie’s leadership was quite evident throughout the COVID pandemic, managing protocols with all Beacon Center locations and spearheading a swift transition to telehealth services. Jackie has served on the Niagara County Community Services Board and is a long-serving member of the Western New York Chemical Dependency Consortium Board of Directors. In her free time, Jackie is an active volunteer for Diamonds in the Ruff, a fostering and volunteer animal rescue organization.
Jackie’s contributions to the SUD field go beyond just western New York. While operating four outpatient clinics in Erie and Niagara Counties, Jackie, sharing in Beacon Center owner Faith Nichols Peterson's vision, established Nichols Supportive Living House. That 15-bed men’s reintegration program in Herkimer, New York was followed by three outpatient sites in Herkimer, Utica, and Rome, addressing a scarcity of SUD services in the region. Every week she traveled down the NY State Thruway to spend her days training staff and implementing program operations. With the opioid epidemic continuing to rise and those seeking methadone driving to Syracuse daily, Jackie opened Beacon Center’s Opioid Treatment Program in Utica and then in Rome. The determination and leg work required to develop positive relationships with these communities as well as create and maintain programs with high standards of care can not be overstated. Jackie’s leadership was quite evident throughout the COVID pandemic, managing protocols with all Beacon Center locations and spearheading a swift transition to telehealth services. Jackie has served on the Niagara County Community Services Board and is a long-serving member of the Western New York Chemical Dependency Consortium Board of Directors. In her free time, Jackie is an active volunteer for Diamonds in the Ruff, a fostering and volunteer animal rescue organization.
