Annual Report 2023

2023 Annual Report Mental Health Association of Fauquier County Promoting and facilitating mental wellness in Fauquier and Rappahannock counties

540-341-8732

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WHO WE ARE Established in 1964, the Mental Health Association of Fauquier County (MHAFC) is a grassroots, nonprofit, advocacy, and action group that works to increase mental health resources in our community. We provide support, education, and hope to those struggling with mental health concerns or gaining access to care. We are an affiliate of Mental Health America.

VISION To help create a caring community where everyone is able to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

MISSION

To promote and facilitate mental wellness in the communities we serve, primarily in Fauquier County and Rappahannock County in Virginia.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Over the past year, MHAFC has strengthened our outreach efforts, provided education and training, expanded collaborations with stakeholders, and remained persistent in our mission of reducing the stigma associated with mental health.

In 2024, we will extend our reach into communities to help combat the loneliness epidemic that is affecting our older adults, veterans, youth, and adolescents.

Thank you for continuing to support us!

Renee Norden, Executive Director

"There is no health without mental health." ~ Sallie Morgan, former Executive Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Joy Willey, President Tenne Wordsworth, Vice President Dona Rodgers, Secretary Regina Moore, Treasurer

STAFF Jessica Ashby Greg Bengston Cassin Bertke Dr. Diana Chalmeta Karen Flikeid Rev. Vinicent Holland Darlene Kelly Darren Stevens Katrina White

Renee Norden, Executive Director Bridget Downey, Programs and Events Manager Christine Craddock, Communication and Outreach Manager

LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION MHAFC provided leadership for multiple coalitions - bringing individuals together with common goals.

Veterans Task Force for Mental Health

Rappahannock Behavioral Health Roundtable

Mental Health Collaborative

Faith Community Wellness Council

Mental Health Schools Coalition

These collaborations play a critical role in connecting organizations and individuals to understand the current schools and county climates, the new or continuing difficulties facing children and adults, and the resources our community can use to combat these issues.

ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS Through social media and targeted messaging, MHAFC worked to open the lines of communication while providing statistics, wellness and mindfulness tips, and affirmations.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION MHAFC provided Mental Health First Aid training on recognizing signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges, how to talk to someone about concerns in crisis and non-crisis situations, deescalation, and more.

Adult, Youth, and Teen Mental Health First Aid instruction is offered throughout the year to community members, faith leaders, schools, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local government agencies. We also offer Spiritual First Aid through the Faith Community Wellness Council.

To date, we have trained over

4,250

individuals in the community!

MHAFC’s monthly Lunch & Learn programming provided an opportunity for those in the community and workforce to tune in with us for one hour of mental health education and connection. Post-event surveys reveal the positive impact for those who attended and engaged in discussion about issues affecting them and others.

Lunch & Learn themes for 2023 included Addressing Childhood Grief and Loss, Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training, Mental Health Needs of Vietnam Veterans, Supporting Community Wellness, Issues and Trends in Substance Use, Healthy Relationships and Boundaries, and more.

These events are recorded and posted on our YouTube channel.

RESOURCES AND REFERRAL We produced a guide for Individuals Impacted by Suicide and multiple Resource Guides focused on eating disorders, substance use, developmental disabilities, psychiatry, psychology, and counseling/therapy to help connect those in need to appropriate care.

Fauquier Health and the Fauquier Free Clinic are among the many groups who are benefitting from having information about local mental health providers right at their fingertips.

We hosted 5 presentations to medical practices to share information about the Virginia Mental Health Access Program and our resources.

VMAP provides psychiatric consults and case management support for pediatric and family providers at no charge.

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND PARTNERS MHAFC participated in outreach programs and events designed to reach underserved communities, older adults, veterans, families, and caregivers. We also provided local civic and nonprofit organizations with resources and collaborated with faith leaders to address mental health and substance use concerns and implement faith-based initiatives.

We met those in the community right where they work and play to engage in dialogues about mental health. During the summer months, MHAFC collaborated with and supported Fauquier FRESH. Positivity messaging for children was well-received by children and adults alike while parents expressed interest and gratitude for our Resource Guides to help find providers for their families.

Our community Wellness Walks allowed us to promote mental wellness and mindfulness while partnering with Fauquier Parks and Recreation, the Town of Warrenton Parks and Recreation, and Fauquier Health.

11

2023 AT A GLANCE

Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings

9

4 Mental Health Collaborative meetings

12

12

12

Mental Health School Coalition meetings

Veterans Task Force for Mental Health meetings

14

25,000+

Adult Mental Health First Aid trainings

Rappahannock Behavioral Health Roundtable meetings

Wellness Walks in the community

Social media reach

8

12

9

8

Lunch and Learns

Resource Guides

Back to School events

Faith Community Wellness Council meetings

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2024 The Mental Health Association of Fauquier County has made significant strides in promoting wellness and reducing stigma by continuing the conversation about mental health concerns. But we realize our reach must extend deeper into communities to impact those who may be suffering difficulties in other areas of their lives, which contributes to their mental health issues. Secure housing, food, and transportation, as well as social isolation, can be tremendously impactful for a person’s mental health. We are committed to reaching the underserved and the isolated, the veterans and the aging, the children and adults, first responders and all those in between.

We will end the year with our last eRACEing the Stigma event at Great Meadow in The Plains. But this won’t be our last fundraiser. Stay tuned for our new signature event coming in 2024.

Our goal is to provide Mental Health First Aid training to any and all members of our community so that as a collective group, we know how to respond to a mental health or substance use concern with kindness and compassion in non-crisis and crisis situations.

Our focus will be on maintaining and strengthening our relationships with our stakeholders and all those who support our mission of mental health for all in the community. We will work tirelessly to achieve our goals. We hope you come along with us.

Board of Directors and Staff

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Akre Capital Management Appleton Campbell The Black Dog Foundation Cherry Street Building Supply Country Chevrolet Fauquier County Dominion Construction Group, LLC Drs. Woodside & Sentz, DDS Edward Jones Fauquier Neo Team Greater Washington Community Foundation Gulick, Carson & Thorpe, PC Hottle and Associates Jacquemin Family Foundation Jay & Angela Keyser Charitable Fund Loeb Foundation Margaret Spilman Bowden Foundation Marshall Doeller Family Fund Mental Health America MCR Full Circle Foundation Oak View National Bank Piedmont Family Practice Piedmont Pediatrics, P.L.C. Portman Reisler Fund Superior Paving S. W. Rodgers Company, Inc. The Rodgers Family Fund UVA Health System Virginia Radiology Associates Walker Jones, PC William A. Hazel Family Foundation Wise Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Akre Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Alliman Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Alm Ms. Earsaline Anderson Ms. Sarah Atkins Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Bates Mr. and Mrs. Greg Bengston Ms. Mary Benhard Ms. Cassin Bertke Mr. Chase Bertke Ms. Barbara K. Black Ms. Enriquetta Bond Ms. Patti Bounds Ms. Aberle Bridges Mr. and Mrs. Ike Broaddus Ms. Eve Brooks Ms. Helen Christian Mr. & Mrs. John Coles Mr. & Mrs. John Connolly Ms. Jane Coon Mr. & Mrs. Michael Crane Ms. Karen Crow

Ms. Beth Darrough Dr. & Mrs. Joseph David Ms. Darragh Davis Mr. & Mrs. Henry Day Ms. Elizabeth Dietel Mr. & Mrs. Marshall Doeller Mr. & Mrs. William Doores Ms. Bridget Downey Mr. and Mrs. Alan Dranitzke Ms. Wendy Edwards Mr. Dell Ennis Ms. Mary Fairbanks Ms. Verna S. Farkash Dr. and Mrs. Robert Flikeid Ms. Sarah Godfrey Mr. & Mrs. Gary Gore Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Gowen Dr. & Mrs. Trice Gravatte Mrs. Stuart Thornton Greene Dr. Susan Griffin Mr. and Mrs. Rick Groux Capt. & Mrs. Barry Hamilton Ms. Kathryn Harper Mr. and Mrs. Craig E. Hatfield Mr. & Mrs. David Hazel Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Henson Mr. & Mrs. Stuart Himelfarb Dr. Chuck Hogge Mr. & Mrs. Tony Hooper Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Hymans Ms. Maria Hyson Ms. Nancy Jacobs Mr. Gary Jeffries Ms. Lora Jenkins Ms. Heidi Jones Rev. & Mrs. Robert L. Jones Mr. Peter Kaufmann Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Kelly Mr. & Mrs. Roger Kurz Mr. & Mrs. Robert Lawrence Ms. Aliene Laws Mr. Robert Lee Ms. Mary Frances LeMat Ms. Julie Lerudis Mr. & Mrs. John Lesinski Ms. Tracey Liberson Ms. Natalia Lueck Mr. & Mrs. Dana MacKimmie Mr. and Mrs. Rick Marino Ms. Misha Martin Ms. Andrea McAvoy Ms. Nina McKee Mr. John McMahon

*The list above reflects gifts of $150 or more.

We have taken great care to ensure the accuracy of this list and deeply regret any errors or omissions.

Mr. And Mrs. James Mitchell Ms. Patty Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Moore Ms. Kathy Morehouse Ms. Jeanne Morency Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Morgan Ms. Tracey Newton Mr. and Mrs. David Norden Mr. Mark Ohrstrom Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Passmore Mr. & Mrs. John K. Pegues Ms. Katrine Pendleton Drs. Raymond D Petryshyn and Bernadette Dunham Mr. & Mrs. Michael Post Mr. Warren Rawson Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Riley Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Rodgers Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Rodgers Mr. Austin Rodgers Mr. & Mrs. George Scheulen Ms. Mary Schlegel Mrs. Anne D. Schwartz Mr. and Mrs. Keith Selbo Dr. and Mrs. David Snyder Mr. & Mrs. Andy Soyars Mr. Darren Stevens Mr. Larry Stillwell Ms. Susan Strittmatter Ms. Holly Stuart Mr. & Mrs. John Thompson Mr. Dan Thompson Dr. & Mrs. John Turner Mr. William Turnure Ms. Mary VanHoose Ms. Karen Wachtmeister Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Warfield Mr. David P. Wassenaar Mr. and Mrs. Robert Weigel Mr. Rocky Westfall Mr. and Mrs. Tom Whelan Dr. Katrina White Mr. & Mrs. Dave Willey Mrs. Eileen A. Wilson Ms. Wanda G. Wiser Dr. & Mrs. Patrick F. Zazzaro

All donations are greatly appreciated.

Visit fauquier-mha.org or mail checks to P.O. Box 3549, Warrenton, VA 20186