2014 Annual Report
Courageous Voices
T he Faces of Bert Nash
The Courageous Voices of Bert Nash Last fall, I visited a historic hospital in Beaune, France, built in the 1400s. The building for persons with mental illnesses included balcony seating where people paid to watch inmates, providing both entertainment and a source of revenue for the nuns that ran the facility. I was appalled at the thought of this exploitation. But consider this. Between 2009 and 2012, state governments cut almost $5 billion from community mental health, 4,500 inpatient psychiatric beds closed, and the number of suicides nationally rose more than 30 percent. Today, we talk about jails and prisons as the new asylums. I am pleased that these situations are unacceptable in Douglas County. 2014 was a year for concentrating on solutions at the Bert Nash Center. David E. Johnson G We began discussions with the county and a jail Bert Nash CEO study consultant about the role Bert Nash can play in addressing the increase of people with mental illnesses who wind up in the correctional system. We have the opportunity to change the way we deal with people in crisis, including those who should never be incarcerated. G We led the state in developing our Medicaid health home program, which we call Health Connections. This service coordinates care across healthcare domains for people with a serious mental illness. G Our Sustain Bert Nash initiative continued to engage people throughout the community. More than 1,200 people have attended a Discover Bert Nash virtual tour of our mission. The number of donors in the Celebrate Bert Nash Society continues to grow, which will help us avoid moving backward in an era when our state has refused to consider expansion of health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. With the community’s support, the Bert Nash Center will continue to make significant progress toward providing the right service at the right time to the citizens of Douglas County.
Dedication In memory of Rosemary Kathleen Corbin Access Center team leader Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center Beloved colleague and friend Rosemary Kathleen Corbin
25 years of service The Bert Nash Center would like to acknowledge the dedication of its remarkable staff. In 2014, the combined years all personnel worked at Bert Nash totaled 1,016 years of service to the Douglas County community. We extend special recognition to the following colleagues who have each been at Bert Nash for 25 years.
Beth Ankerholz IT Director
Kala Bhana Child and Family Services team leader
Jean Dirks Child and Family Services psychologist
Chloe & Amy
Courageous Voices
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hen Chloe O’Dell was at her lowest point, her family went looking for help. They didn’t have to look far. “Help was here all the time,” said Amy Booth, Chloe’s mom. That help was available from the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. Chloe, who was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as a preschooler, started going to Bert Nash during her early middle-school years. She had problems with cutting and self-harm and had an eating disorder. Being a teenager wasn’t easy. “I found a group of people I really wanted to be friends with,” Chloe said. “But they ended up not being the type of people I should have been friends with.” As a parent, Chloe’s mom was concerned and confused. “I felt like I should have the answers, and I didn’t,” Amy said. “It was hard for me to understand why my child would have these issues.” Chloe’s problems took on a new urgency when her mom discovered she had a plan to possibly kill herself. “We realized we had a problem. We needed help, and we needed help quickly,” said Chloe’s grandfather, Hank Booth. “I made a couple of phone calls and we had help that next day.” Chloe went through at program at Bert Nash called Adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), taught by therapist Juliet Nelson. Through the program, Chloe learned life skills to help her manage her emotions. “It became ingrained,” Chloe said of DBT. “I will take those skills with me to college.” Chloe, a senior at Eudora High School, will attend Vanderbilt University in Nashville in the fall of 2015. Chloe is a singer and taught herself to play guitar; she hopes to pursue her music after high school. Kathleen Boyd, a Bert Nash child and family therapist in Eudora, worked with Chloe and her family. “I was struck by her remarkable range of artistic talent, intelligence and energy she possessed,” Boyd said. “Chloe seemed to excel at whatever she put her mind to — yet struggled with other areas of living that put her being successful at risk. Chloe’s family was supportive and open to doing whatever it would take. Being able to learn concrete skills to manage difficult emotions and life changes through DBT seemed to be a perfect fit for Chloe, and learning these skills as a family through the Adolescent DBT program was ideal. I’m beyond thrilled to see their hard work has paid off and Chloe with such a bright future.” Through her struggles, Chloe learned there is no shame in asking for help. “I know now that that’s not something that should be frowned upon,” she said. “Asking for help is a symbol of strength.” Chloe and her family found help at Bert Nash. “I don’t know if we realize what a resource we have and how blessed we are to have Bert Nash in this community and how many people it has helped,” Hank Booth said. “Bert Nash saved my granddaughter’s life.”
Chloe O’Dell and her mom, Amy Booth, have both benefited from services at Bert Nash. “Chloe deserves the credit,” Amy said. “She’s the courageous one. She’s the one who did the work.”
TJ, Jackie & Deacon Courageous Voices
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ackie Lira knew something wasn’t right. She just didn’t know what it was. Or why. “I essentially wanted to jump out of my own skin,” she said. “And I couldn’t fix it.” A couple of months earlier, Jackie and TJ Reyes’ son, Deacon, had been born premature. He arrived 10 weeks early and weighed only 2 pounds. Deacon spent the next two months in the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Even after Deacon came home and joined his two older brothers, he still had medical issues. “Once we got Deacon home, that’s when things started,” Jackie said. “I told TJ, I can’t do this. I thought I was going crazy.” Not sure what to do, Jackie went to the emergency room. A social worker at the hospital connected her with Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. “She was like, go here, these people will help you,” Jackie said. The same day she went to Bert Nash, she was referred to Heartland Community Mental Health Center. That’s where she connected with Karin Denes Collar, a Bert Nash behavioral health consultant, who is in her third year of working with clients and providers at Heartland. The two agencies have a partnership to provide integrated care. “I was so glad we were able to be there at the right time for Jackie,” Denes Collar said. “Jackie had a lot of skills already, but she had a very stressful few months, and they finally caught up with her. This model of practice is so rewarding because we can really get people comprehensive, integrated services quickly." For Jackie, it was as if a weight had been lifted. “It was like instant relief immediately when they met,” TJ said. Jackie felt like somebody understood what she was going through and why she was feeling depressed and anxious. “I thought, someone knows I’m not crazy,” Jackie said. “Karin could diagnose things and tell me I wasn’t alone and I wasn’t losing my mind and there was a reason I was feeling this way. I also started seeing a doctor at Heartland, which was great, because Karin and the doctor could talk and we were all on the same page.” TJ and Jackie also met with Karin as a couple. “He had struggles as well, because he had to do a lot things alone when I was sick and in bed,” Jackie said. The couple learned new skills to help them communicate better and support each other. And Deacon, though he still has weight issues, is doing well. “This has brought us together, even closer than I ever thought we could be,” TJ said. “It was a godsend for Karin to come into our lives.”
TJ Reyes III and Jackie Lira with their son, Deacon, who was born 10 weeks early. Jackie experienced depression and anxiety after Deacon came home from the hospital. At left, four generations: TJ Reyes Jr., TJ Reyes Sr. (holding Deacon) and TJ Reyes III, at the family restaurant El Matador Cafe in north Lawrence.
Rita Henderson
Courageous Voices
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eing a teenager isn’t easy. For Rita Henderson, it was traumatic. “I was going through a lot of problems at home,” she
said. Henderson’s safe place became school. One reason she felt safe at school was because of the time she spent with Tiffany Fike, the WRAP (Working to Recognize Alternative Possibilities) worker at West Middle School when Henderson was a student. WRAP is a Bert Nash program that places a master’s-level clinician in the school. “Tiffany was there to check up on me, to talk about the hard times, or not even talk at all, if I just wanted to sit in her office and listen to music,” Henderson said. “She just made me feel really comfortable. I felt very protected. I could go to her more than I could anyone else.” While a student at West, Henderson also became friends with a woman, Bev Lockwood, who worked in the cafeteria. “I call her Nanny, and her daughter is like a mother to me,” Henderson said. “They are like family.” Henderson’s own family situation was unsettled. Her father died when she was young, and her mother had her own struggles and didn’t provide a safe environment. Henderson moved in with Lockwood’s family for a time. “She was just this adorable, blue-eyed girl, who stole my heart right away,” Lockwood said. “I thought, this girl needs me, and I need her, too.” Besides suffering from an unhealthy home life, schoolwork was difficult for Henderson because of a learning disability and she also suffers from Tourette syndrome, which causes people to make repeated movements or tics they can’t control. “I’ve had a lot of obstacles,” Henderson said. When Henderson moved on to Free State High School, she worked with the Bert Nash WRAP workers — Kim Hubbell and April Ramos. Henderson has remained close with her former WRAP workers. “I love that girl,” Ramos said. “She is such a sweetheart. It helps us to know we did make a difference.” After high school, Henderson considered becoming a teacher, but decided to go to culinary school at Flint Hills Technical College in Emporia. She talks about following in her Nanny’s footsteps. “I’ve actually thought about going back to West and being a lunch lady, at least for a year,” Henderson said. For Henderson, it would be a way to say thank you to those who helped her when she needed it the most. “Along with the love of my WRAP workers and my Nanny and her family, my grandparents Judy and Bill Pickering also did a lot. They would take me to my therapy appointments at Bert Nash. They also taught me how to love. Everyone was part of Team Rita. No one let me feel abandoned,” Henderson said. “I’ve had a lot of people support me. I didn’t do it alone. They saved my life.”
Rita Henderson and her Nanny, Bev Lockwood, who took Rita into her home when Rita was in middle school and gave her a safe, loving environment.
Charlie Ross C
harlie Ross was 33, married and his wife was expecting a baby. Then his world turned upside down. But he didn’t know why. “I didn’t know anything about depression, but I kept getting more and more depressed,” he said. “I didn’t know what was happening to me.” Two weeks before his daughter was born, the pressure became too much. “I felt like I was going to explode or run through a window,” Ross said. “In the end, I just didn’t know what to do. So I ran. I left.” Eventually, he ended up at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. In 2005, he started seeing George Wanke, a former Bert Nash therapist. “He was the first one to recognize I was psychotic,” Ross said. “My recovery basically started from that point.” Wanke could tell Ross was a smart guy, but he needed help understanding why he was feeling this way. “People come to therapy either because they don’t like the way they feel, or they don’t like how they think, or they don’t like how they behave,” Wanke said. “I wasn’t going to have to help Charlie think. Charlie Ross His process was how do I connect up how I feel with what I do. I was just honored to be there with a person who wanted to change his life and invited me to be there to help him.” His recovery has been a lengthy process, but Ross feels good about his life and the progress he has made. “Bert Nash got me going in the right direction, and I could work with this fantastic therapist,” he said. “I did all the work, of course. That’s what George would tell you. But I couldn’t have done it without him. So, thank you, Bert Nash.”
Courageous Voices
2014 IN REVIEW: Responding to needs ... Our staff of 180 provided services to 4,794 people in 2014. The most common diagnoses were depression, anxiety and PTSD. 1,489: Number of children and families who were served 3,305: Number of adults who were served. 337
1,453
1,090
2014 Clients Served
5%
3%
2014 Funding Sources
10%
$10,694,000
4,794
1,203
4%
5%
711
53%
20%
Restoring lives ... There were 1,781 new admissions in 2014. We see clients of all ages, ethnicity and income levels.
Building a healthy community ... 236 people were trained in Mental Health First Aid in 2014 528 people attended one of 37 Discover Bert Nash presentations provided to the community in the past year.
% 55 Males
% 45 Females
Courageous Voices The Bert Nash Center is grateful to these donors who have made a remarkable investment in the work we do and the health of our entire community. Thank you to these donors who contributed nearly $230,000 in the 2014 calendar year. $25,000 – Plus Anonymous
$10,000 – 24,999 Custom Mobile Equipment, Inc. Harrison Family Fund of the Douglas County Community Foundation Maurice & Betsy Joy The Dolph Simons Family Fund of the Douglas County Community Foundation Stella Family Fund of the Douglas County Community Foundation Tod & Sidney Sutton
$5,000 – 9,999 Mary Ruth Petefish Trust
$2,500 – 4,999 Anonymous Frank DeSalvo Reed & Stacey Dillon Pauline & Bob Johnson Helen & John Kiefer Ken & Sheila Martinez Scotch Fabric Care Services William Charitable Trust, Bradley D. Burnside, Lawrence Market President, US Bank U.S. Bank
$1,000 – 2,499 David & June Adams Chris & Shari Anderson Justin & Jean Anderson Beth & Rich Ankerholz Arthur A. & Frieda L. Heck Memorial Fund of the Douglas County Community Foundation Association of CMHCs of Kansas, Inc. Barbara & Al Ballard Beverly Smith Billings Charles & Delores Blaser Charles & Kathy Branson Jim & Carol Buchheister Jeff Burkhead
Bradley D. Burnside Duane & Michaele Costlow Tom & Marilyn Dobski Stephen & Chris Edmonds John & Rosy Elmore Emprise Bank Jane & Chris Fevurly Steve & Bobbie Gish Steve Glass & Terese Gorman Web & Joan Golden Cindy Hart & Todd Johnson Donald & Carol Hatton Kelvin Heck & Marilyn Bittenbener Dick & Sue Himes Rev. H. Sharon Howell David & Michele Johnson Tracy & Ted Kihm Koss Construction Company Carl & Judy Kurt Cindy Maude & Mike Maude Michael & Chris McGrew Eli & Mary Lou Michaelis Jeff & Mary Margaret Morrison Chris & Laurie Muder Robert & Barbara Nash Tandy Reussner Eric Smith & Patricia Roach Smith Scott & Linda Robinson Reggie & Jane Robinson Eunice & Steve Ruttinger Dale & Marianne Seuferling Jennifer Shaw & Tim Peltier Catherine Shenoy Marsha Smith Robin & Shirley Smith Gary & Connie Sollars Philip & Stephanie Struble Scott & Nancy Thellman Michael & Elinor Tourtellot Kevan & Gail Vick Dan & Phyllis Watkins Jack & Judy Wright Takeshi & Susan Yoshida
$500 – 999 Banks Construction Karen Van Blaricum Jerree Catlin Peter & Virginia Curran Ralph & Martha Gage Don & Mary Grosdidier
Ron Guerin & Karan Cochran Al & Sue Hack Ray Hummert Steve & Maria Ilardi Kevin & Claudia Kressig Lawrence Breakfast Cosmos Club Rachel Monger Richard & Georgia Orchard Beverly Roelofs Mary Ross Bill & Cindy Self Susan Sloop Richard Spano Doug & LaDonna Stephens Jon & Karen Stewart Jeff & Sharon Vitter Chuck & Karen Warner
$250 – 499 David & Mary Kate Ambler Andrea & Dave Baloga Micheline Burger Michael Campbell Immanuel Lutheran Church Judy Fleissner Jeff Hambleton Mike Hammond Rodger & Sheryl Henry Brian & Sue Iverson Mrs. H.P. (Faye) Jones Kathy Larkin Tony & Karen Mynsted Melanie Oldfather Dr. Jim & Vickie Otten Gary & Terrie Price Terry & Elaine Riordan Pascale Roberts John Roper Rich & Sandi Yeakel
$100 – 249 David & Helen Alexander Anonymous William Beedles Judy Bellome Mary Brady Virgil & Elaine Brady Bridge Haven Care Cottage Katy Britton Kristen Brown Amy Buchele-Ash Jackie Bunnell
Brower & Mary Burchill Pam Bushouse Diana Carlin & Joe Pierron Fred Conboy James & Sandra Cooper Chris & Amy Cunningham Candice Davis Katherine Dinsdale Jerry & Gwen Dobson Carly Efros Lanell Finneran Gordon & Eileen Fitch Drew Fleming Jim & Donna Flory Henry Foster Kevin Freese Richard S. & Susan M. Givens Family Fund of the Douglas County Community Foundation Phillip & Phoebe Godwin Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Denise & Steven Gossage Captain & Kitty Gray Marcel Harmon John & Cindi Hickey Erv & Shirley Hodges Melissa & Chad Hoffman Janet & David Holt Marilyn & Rob Hull David & Diana Ice Ed & Sonja Jacobs Lori Johns Dody Johnson Paul & Liz Johnson Shannon Kimball Laura Kirk Katie Kutilek Derek Kwan Mark & Lori Lange Bootsie Lauridsen Scott & Laura Lauridsen Jeanette Lippencott David & Angela Loch Sammie Locke Jerry & Janet Magnuson Carrie Mandigo Sue Mango Janet Marquis Jane May Pat & Deb McCandless Gene & Carol Meyer
LaVonne Nauman Tina Neal James & Kathleen Neeley Anna Oliver Josh & Jill Reese Carol Reynolds Janet Riley Amy Risley Lisa Rueschhoff Robert Russell Jr. Rose Schmidt Tom & Barbara Schnitker Dale Seele Marilyn & John Sell Marianne Seuferling Elizabeth Sheils Robert & Carolyn Shelton Mark Simpson Wesley Smith Korrie Snell David Spangler Bob & Mary K. Stephens Anna Stubblefield John & Pamela Todd Tim & Jerrye Van Leer Kathy & Dustin Walker T.Q. & Amy Warren Jeff & Mary Weinberg Kelly & Tara Welch Bonnie Wells Peggy White Robert Wilson & Kristin Scheurer Vanessa Yunger Robert & Marilyn Zerwekh Julie Zule We are also grateful for the generosity of many of our friends whose gifts range from $1-99; we regret that space does not allow us to publish all of their names. We have made every effort to ensure that each gift is recorded properly. If you name is misspelled, listed incorrectly, or inadvertently omitted, we sincerely apologize. Please advise Cindy Hart at chart@bertnash.org or 785-830-1701.
Celebrate Bert Nash Society To build a stronger foundation for expanding our programs and provide a stable future for the Bert Nash Center, we established the Celebrate Bert Nash Society in 2012. Since then, the Society has grown to 65 individuals, couples or businesses who have pledged at least $1,000 a year for five years toward the Center’s ongoing operations. We are incredibly grateful for their solid commitment to sustainable funding for the Center and the health of our entire community.
Restoring Lives: $10,000 or more a year for 5 years Maurice & Betsy Joy
Responding to Needs: $1,000 or more a year for 5 years Chris & Shari Anderson Justin & Jean Anderson Beth & Rich Ankerholz Beverly Smith Billings Charles & Kathy Branson Jeff Burkhead Bradley Burnside LaRisa Chambers Frank DeSalvo Reed & Stacey Dillon Tom & Marilyn Dobski Stephen & Chris Edmonds Rosy & John Elmore Emprise Bank Jane & Chris Fevurly Joe Bickford & Marci Francisco Mike & Julia Gaughan Jeff & Kerry Glasgow Webster & Joan Golden Steve Glass & Terese Gorman Cindy Hart Michael Hammond Donald & Carol Hatton Arthur A. & Frieda L. Heck Memorial Fund Marilyn Bittenbender & Kelvin Heck Richard & Susan Himes Rev. H. Sharon Howell David & Michele Johnson Larry & Peggy Johnson Helen & John Kiefer Tracy & Ted Kihm Carl & Judy Kurt
Cindy Maude & Mike Maude Michael & Chris McGrew Elias & Mary Lou Michaelis Durand Reiber & Martin Moore Jeffrey & Mary Margaret Morrison Chris & Laurie Muder Dr. Jim & Vickie Otten Jennifer Shaw & Tim Peltier Mary Ruth Petefish Trust Lee & Tandy Reussner Reggie & Jane Robinson Scott & Linda Robinson Eunice & Steve Ruttinger Bill & Dru Sampson Steven & Carolyn Schroeder Catherine Shenoy Dolph & Pam Simons Eric Smith & Patricia Roach Smith Marsha Smith Robin & Shirley Martin Smith Gary & Connie Sollars Beth & Val Stella Janice Storey Phillip & Stephanie Struble Tod & Sidney Sutton Scott & Nancy Thellman Mike & Teresa Treanor Gail & Kevan Vick Dan & Phyllis Watkins Beverley & George Wilson Jack & Judy Wright Takeshi & Susan Yoshida
Courageous Voices Tributes In Memory of Theresa "Terri" Marie Birch Robert Cardot & Family David E. Johnson In Memory of Robert Bryant Rick Hornsby In Memory of Dr. James Wallace "Wally" Coonfield The Wisler Family In Memory of Hazel S. Treanor Sue Alldredge John & Peggy Cobb James & Kathy Coffman Emprise Bank Ken & Sandra Hamlin Earl & Sonja Jacobs David E. Johnson Callom B. Jones V & Faye H. Jones Joe & Nancy Jones David & Peggy Livingood Steven & Emily Malin Martin Moore & Durand Reiber Robert & Marna Moore Charlotte A. Mueller Crissa Nonken Rachel Treanor Norton Marianne & Bill Petrelli William & Debra Renick Cathy Rosebaugh Randall & Ruth Anne Sneegas Mike & Linda Wildgen Wiley Wilson In Memory of Adam Mersmann Joe & Patti Poe In Memory of SanDee Nossaman Katie Armitage Buzz & Suzie Hampton Bob & Marleen Harris Charles & Mary Pat Himmelberg Susie Lounsbury Michael & Susan Reynolds Dr. R. Wayne & Joyce Thompson In Memory of Doug Witt & Sandra Shaw Stephen & Sarah Carttar Dr. Loring & Lucy McAllister In Memory of Doug Witt Don & Alice Ann Johnston Stephen & Carolyn Schroeder In Honor of Teresa Treanor Chris & Laurie Muder
GOVERNING BOARD: Members of the Bert Nash Governing Board, back from left, Ken McGovern, Don Grosdidier, Steve Glass (Chair), David Johnson (CEO) and Jeffrey Vitter. Front from left, Elizabeth Sheils, Jane Fevurly and Sue Hack. Not pictured: Barbara Ballard, Reed Dillon, Cindy Maude, Bob Morse and Doug Stephens.
ENDOWMENT BOARD: Members of the Bert Nash Endowment Board, front from left: Carol Hatton, Judy Wright, Linda Robinson (Chair) and Alice Ann Johnston. Back from left, Steve Glass, Michael McGrew, David Johnson (CEO), Beth Stella, Mike Treanor and Cindy Maude. Not pictured: Beverly Billings, Brad Burnside, Kelvin Heck, Rachel Monger and Kelly Welch. INVESTMENT COMMITTEE: Members of the Bert Nash Investment Committee, not pictured, Chris Anderson, Carolyn Shelton, Chuck Warner, Kelly Welch (Chair) and Jide Wintoki.
Courageous Voices
T he Faces of Bert Nash