the Bert Nash Community
VOL. 8, ISSUE 2
N E W S L E T T E R
June 2015
Acquiring the tools for life 200 MAINE STREET
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LAWRENCE, KS 66044
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(785) 843-9192
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www.bertnash.org
Since 1950, the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center has advanced the mental health of the Douglas County community through comprehensive behavioral services responsive to evolving need and changing environments.
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yle Roggenkamp has a unique relationship with the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. In his role as human resources director for Ballard Community Services, at the Penn House location, he interacts almost daily with the Bert Nash staff. He is also a client. “It’s all about the tools,” Roggenkamp said. “I fully understand that without certain tools I’m not going to progress in my life as far as I want to. “ Recently, when he was at the Bert Nash Center for an appointment, he saw some clients he knows from Penn House. One of Kyle Roggenkamp knows firsthand that therapy can give people “the tools to move forward in a more them asked him what healthy way.” he was doing there. It gave him an opportulot of stigma about mental health. I way for me to move forward. The key nity to talk about the importance of want Bert Nash to be as much of an opto Bert Nash being successful, to me, is mental health. tion for our clients as any other health that I felt they were willing to get to provider, and not have that stigma be know me and help me find my path “I saw a handful of our clients and what dictates their interaction. We forward and match my strengths with they were surprised to see me,” don’t live in a world that embraces opportunities to overcome my mental Roggenkamp said. “I just wanted to let people who have mental health issues. health barriers.” them know that everyone needs supWe just put them in a box and move port. You don’t have to feel like you’re Roggenkamp knows firsthand it can on.” a different type of person because be perceived as a sign of weakness to you’re here. It shows you have the guts Roggenkamp doesn’t want to be one ask for help, and there can be a stigma to reach out to get the tools to move of those people. about mental health. He sees it with forward in a more healthy way.” Penn House clients who are also clients “I fully understand that without cerof Bert Nash. Roggenkamp, 31, said therapy helps tain tools I’m not going to progress in him to be better at his job. my life as far as I want to,” he said. “A lot of times with our case manage“That’s what therapy is to me. I learn ment clients we offer to go with them “Oh, completely. Burnout is big in how my brain works and it makes to the first appointment, to get them in our field,” he said. “When I finally said the building,” Roggenkamp said. “We I would give Bert Nash a try, the therasit there with them to make sure pist got to know me. We figured out a PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 4 they’re comfortable, because there is a
Caring for the whole person H PAGE 2
THE BERT NASH COMMUNITY
ealth Connections care managers believe in going the extra mile. When a Health Connections client needed a pair of therapeutic shoes but couldn’t afford them, care manager Juliane Colby stepped in. Literally. The focus of Health Connections, the Bert Nash health home program, is to provide whole-person care with a focus on wellness. And this particular client’s feet needed a helping hand. “Medicaid doesn’t pay for anything foot related unless the person has been diagnosed with diabetes, and this client has never been diagnosed as having diabetes,” Colby said. “But there are other physical issues going on, and one of them is causing a lot of pain and pressure in her feet.” As a member of the Bert Nash Health Connections team, Juliane Colby, right, worked The problem was the client didn’t with a local organization to help find funding to pay for a client's therapeutic shoes. have the $140 to buy the shoes. organization’s board would consider sentative of the organization’s board So Colby started looking into rethe request. said. “It was great to see the retailer sources to help the client. providing the shoes at cost, and we the When Colby followed up, she was “Somehow I had heard about the orboard agreed to step in and fulfill the told the organization had agreed to pay ganization 100 Good Women rest of the cost to the client." for the client’s shoes. (www.100goodwomen.org), so I sent Talk about happy feet. them a request. That was last month. I "Although 100 Good Women cannot asked for the cost of the shoes and extypically pay for things for those in “When I called the client and told plained the situation.” need, this was a clear exception that her they were going to pay for the Colby received a response, saying the had to do with quality of life,” a represhoes, she was very happy,” Colby said.
West Middle School students make donation
The Bert Nash Center recently received this letter with an accompanying donation and wanted to share it. We are so thankful for these students and all they give to our community: Bert Nash, Please accept this donation of $120 from the eighth-grade West Middle School Service Learning Group. This dedicated group of 10 eighth-graders has been working hard to raise money and support children with social/emotional struggles. After much research, they decided to focus their fundraising efforts toward supporting the work of Bert Nash. They would like to designate their donation specifically to the WRAP program that supports these students in our school. In order to raise the money, they
planned a concession stand during the school-wide sock hop. They were so excited to raise this money for this cause. As their sponsor, I challenged them to do more than raise money. With guidance from our social worker, guidance counselor and administrators, we came up with an opportunity for them to directly give back to our school. The eighth-grade service learning students were able to mentor a small group of sixth-grade students who struggled with earning their ETO (earned time off) for the week. During this time, the eighthgrader helped the sixth-graders reflect on why they did not earn this time off and brainstormed strategies for the week. This experience proved to be very valuable for both groups of students. Many relationships were built and this time became important for all the students.
As the eighth-grade students participated in this project, their eyes were opened to the variety of needs the students of their school possess. They realized just how truly valuable the services of Bert Nash are to our community and are proud to be able to contribute in their small way. Thank you for letting us contribute to the WRAP program and we thank you for the services that you provide to our students. Cordially, Sunny Halsted West Middle School Service Learning Facilitator Eighth-grade science If you would like to make a contribution to the Bert Nash Center, visit bertnash.org and click on the “donate now” button.
A legacy of mental health care
THE BERT NASH COMMUNITY
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E
unice Ruttinger, Adult Services Director at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, who will retire Sept. 4, is excited about the next chapter in her life. But she has mixed emotions about leaving the place she has called her work home for the past 11 years.
“I love Bert Nash. I love what I do here. I love what we stand for,” Ruttinger said. “But at the same time, I’m looking forward to doing some new things.”
One of those things she will be doing is teaching Mental Health First Aid classes at the Center. Ruttinger is a certified trainer of the eight-hour program (the mental health version of CPR training), which is offered through Bert Nash.
“Mental Health First Aid has been a passion of mine,” she said. “I’m excited I will be able to continue to teach classes.”
Ruttinger and her husband, Steve, will remain in Lawrence, which has been their home base even when her job took her to other parts of the state.
Ruttinger began her career in commuEunice Ruttinger, Bert Nash Adult Services director, who will retire in September, said nity mental health in the early 1970s in her home state of Wyoming. Her training “this is the best organization I've ever worked for.” was as a family therapist through the “Thanks in large part to Eunice, we are during her time as Adult Services director. Menninger Foundation. But she spent all better prepared to face the challenges most of her career as a CEO, including a “Anything related to the development of the future,” said Bert Nash COO Patriof the evidence-based practices is what 14-year run at Shawnee Community cia Roach Smith. While Ruttinger is lookI’m most proud of, and what I’ve been Mental Health Center — now called ing forward to this next stage of her life, most passionate about,” she said. “BeValeo — in Topeka, before coming to she will miss being involved with her colcause there are really clear protocols Bert Nash. At that time, she also had an leagues and being part of the cuttingabout how to do the work, there are active role with the Association of Comedge services practiced at the Bert Nash measurements about how successful we munity Mental Health Centers of Kansas, Center. are, and the outcomes look good as far as where she served as an officer for more clients actually getting better.” “This is a very exciting time in our histhan six years and president for two tory with what’s happening with the disyears. Which, of course, is why she chose to cussion about a crisis care unit. That’s go into the mental health field initially, Ruttinger became Adult Services Dithe bittersweet part; it will be hard to not and why she has been proud to be associrector at Bert Nash in 2004. She is a be a part of those new things we will be ated with the Bert Nash Center. member of the Center’s executive team doing,” she said. “But, mostly, I will miss “I’ve had the privilege of working with and supervises eight team leaders. the people — the executive team mema lot of community mental health centers Her colleagues at Bert Nash will miss bers who have become very dear to me, in Kansas and knowing of lot of them, her, and praise her for her contributions then also my team that I supervise, and and I can say unequivocally, this is the all the people at the Center. The people to the Center. best organization I’ve ever worked for,” here are really remarkable.” “The Kansas mental health system has Ruttinger said. “We have wonderful leadRuttinger is proud to have been associgrown up with Eunice but remains as ership. They are exceptional and passionated with the Center for the past decade young at heart as she is,” said Bert Nash ate and committed to what they do. The and proud of the changes that occurred future of Bert Nash is in great hands.” CEO David Johnson.
Check out the new Bert Nash website: www.bertnash.org
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Governing Board of Directors
Endowment Trustees
Beverly Billings Jane Fevurly Carol Hatton Kelvin Heck David Johnson Alice Ann Johnston Cindy Maude Michael McGrew Rachel Monger Linda Robinson, Chair Gary Sollars Beth Stella Mike Treanor Kelly Welch Judy Wright
Investment Committee Chris Anderson Carolyn Shelton Chuck Warner Kelly Welch, Chair Jide Wintoki
BERT NASH CENTER 200 Maine Street Lawrence, KS 66044 (785) 843-9192 bertnash.org
Rhonda Stubbs, Bert Nash Child and Family Services case manager, is excited about a van purchased, in part, thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Douglas County Community Foundation.The Center will use the van to transport children and families to the Center for therapeutic activities.Thank you, Douglas County Community Foundation!
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things make sense and helps me to deal better with my moments of weakness.” Therapy also helps Roggenkamp be a better dad. He has a son, Rhett, who is 3. “It’s all about breaking cycles. I grew up in a very angry, anxiety-driven household,” Roggenkamp said. “I want my son to grow up and not have feelings of I had an angry dad or his anxiety was more important than my dreams. I don’t want him to have that trauma that I faced. I want my son to have at least one role model who is humble enough to say I’m not perfect and to move forward I have to learn. And the more I learn about how to interact with this world, then hopefully my son
will have the confidence to feel humble about his issues and know the quicker you get that support, the more apt you are to get over those hurdles.” Roggenkamp had plenty of hurdles when he was younger. He sees many of the same obstacles in the lives of people he works with at Penn House. “I’ve been there, man. Several years ago, I was homeless, sleeping under a bridge, smoking meth,” he said. “But I was lucky. I had a social worker who helped me out. I got clean. I went to college. Here I am 12 years later with this opportunity to serve others. I know what it’s like to stand on the backs of great people. That’s what Bert Nash is, it’s an opportunity to stand on the backs of giants, of great people, and have that be a part of your support.”
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
2015 Classes
Barbara Ballard Brad Burnside Reed Dillon Jane Fevurly Steve Glass Don Grosdidier Sue Hack David Johnson Cindy Maude, Chair Ken McGovern Bob Morse Elizabeth Sheils Doug Stephens Jeffrey Vitter
September 2015 (Tuedays) 8, 15, 22, 29 (4-6 pm) MHFA for adults October 2015 (Mondays) 5, 12, 19, 26 (4-6 pm) MHFA for adults Classes cost $30 per person; which covers 8-hour instruction, a manual, and snacks.All classes are held at the Bert Nash Center, 200 Maine Street, Lawrence, KS. To sign up for a MHFA class, please email mfha@bertnash.org, or for more information, visit bertnash.org.