Bert Nash Center Services BNC FORMS

The Bert Nash Center is dedicated to improving the health of Douglas County through comprehensive behavioral health services responsive to individual concerns. The Bert Nash Center currently employs 175 people, including psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychologists, educators, case managers, employment specialists and personal attendants who focus on child, adolescent, adult and geriatric mental healthcare, as well as public information and education about mental health issues. Our staff is large enough to provide a wide range of services yet small enough to accommodate individual concerns, both small and complex, in an affordable, quality-assured and culturally-sensitive manner. The Center engages in partnerships throughout Douglas County to ensure access to community resources.

The Bert Nash Center provides cutting-edge, research-based services that address mental health needs. Our services are affordable! Fee discounts for residents of Douglas County are available based on financial eligibility. Services are offered to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Bert Nash Center services can be accessed at three convenient locations in Baldwin City, Eudora and Lawrence. Appointments can be arranged by calling 843-9192 to visit our Lawrence and Eudora offices and by calling 888-843-9192 to visit our Baldwin City office.

Over 80% of all adults seeking outpatient services benefit from the opportunity for brief focused individual or family interventions. Most people who use our services find solutions to problems in less than 10 visits. For more information about the Center's services call our Access Center at (785) 843-9192.

EMERGENGY SERVICES

The Bert Nash Center provides emergency services 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to people of all ages in Douglas County. Call (785) 843-9192 to access these services. A qualified mental health professional is available to address your concerns and assist you in accessing appropriate services.

Child and Family Programs

The Center offers a wide range of services for youth and their families including individual, group and family therapy, parent support groups, in-home therapy, support and skill groups, psychological evaluations and appropriate medications.

PARENT PARTNERS
provides support to parents, guardians, and families of children who have mental health challenges and to serve as a consultant to the Bert Nash Center with the goal of continuously improving the quality of services to children and families. Grandparents who are raising grandchildren are also welcome to attend. Childcare is provided by the Center's Staff.

ATTENDANT CARE
is provided by attendants trained in crisis stabilization skills and can provide in-home supervision and add daily structure for children and adolescents. Attendant care can help reduce parent-child conflicts and help maintain a positive environment by relieving parents of some child care demands.

COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES FOR FAMILIES
intends to provide children and adolescents with severe emotional needs the opportunity to learn life skills required to become healthy adults such as learning how to identify feelings, managing anger, controlling impulses, cooperating with peers, allowing an adult to be in charge, using leisure time constructively, establishing and maintaining friendships, resolving conflicts, and living independently.

IN-HOME FAMILY THERAPY
is provided by licensed social workers and psychologists who are experienced in working with families. Case management provided by bachelor level staff. The main goal of case management is to help families to develop the skills and obtain resources necessary to stabilize their child at home and in the community.

SUCCESS BY SIX
assists parents in their homes and without charge to more successfully parent their children. Services provided by the Family Resource Specialists include: Assistance with family life management; parenting education, information and referral, support and advocacy, and mental health services. The primary focus of the team is on positive parent-child relationship building and preparing children to succeed in school and life. Services are provided by Master’s level clinicians with specialties in early childhood. The number of families receiving services annually is 120, with approximately 400 children being served by the program.

AFTER SCHOOL PSYCHOSOCIAL GROUP and SUMMER CAMP
is organized each semester (or summer) to address the needs of the current participants. Activity-based groups address such topics as: anger management, independent living skills, leisure activities, problem-solving skills, relationships, self-esteem, and social skills. Groups are kept small and staffed with at least two group leaders.

THERAPEUTIC CLASSROOMS
is a jointly sponsored program by the Bert Nash Center and the Lawrence Public Schools providing an alternative to the traditional classroom setting for students with severe emotional problems. The classroom is staffed by a teacher, a paraprofessional, and a therapist, and provides more structure than is available within a public school setting. Up to eighteen students in grades 7 - 12 attend.

WRAP PROGRAM
(Working to Recognize Alternative Possibilities) is a program where clinicians provide specific mental health services to the children and staff in each school including: crisis intervention; individual and small-group counseling skill building; mediation; parent support; teacher support, education, and consultation; resource acquisition; consultation to educational teams; and transition support. WRAP utilizes the concept of school functioning, in its broadest sense, as an indicator of a child’s mental health and social/emotional wellness. WRAP clinicians focus on helping children achieve success; therefore assistance with social skills, self-regulation, discipline referrals, attendance, and grades are often key components in accomplishing goals.

Adult Programs

The Center offers a wide range of outpatient mental health services for adults, ranging from brief solution-focused therapy to supportive services for persons with more extensive mental health needs. A variety of helping strategies are offered based on individual needs including individual, couple, and group therapy, psychological evaluations, and appropriate medications.

GENERAL THERAPY SERVICES
are provided by our Master’s Degreed and above staff who provide traditional individual therapy. The majority of clients come this program for assistance with symptoms of depression and or anxiety.

ANXIETY DISORDERS CLINIC
provides research-based treatment for anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting almost 1 out of every 5 adults each year.

DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT)
helps adults diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and other disorders to develop effective coping and life skills.

INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM (IOP)
assists adults who are in acute distress and at high risk for inpatient hospitalization without such assistance OR as a transitional treatment for those who have just been discharged from inpatient or residential settings.

SUCCESSFUL AGING
provides individual counseling for depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns for older adults and their families. An aging specialist facilitates two groups: one on successful aging, and one on chronic illness. An Aging Specialist also provides Educational programs (to inform the community about aging issues and mental health)

COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES (CSS)
includes all the services provided to persons with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness. These services are Case Management; Psychosocial Groups; Peer Support; Supportive Housing; Supportive Employment; Supportive Education and Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment. These services are designed to assist adults with mental disorders to live independently and productively within their community. Within CSS there are three separate Evidence Based Practice activities which included SES; IDDT and Strength Approach to Case management. CSS assists clients individually to meet each client's needs to help them build upon personal strengths and recovery goals.

CASE MANAGEMENT
is the core CSS Service providing face to face services for persons with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness which helps these individuals in decreasing their symptoms; maintaining housing and benefits, and other supports.

SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT
provides a combination of job development with employers and individual job coaching/ rapid job placement with CSS clients; assisting with information on benefits; and assisting them in finding the right competitive job. Click here to watch a CBS report on the concept of Supportive Employment.

SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT
offers consumers support in returning to school to receive additional training in their deserved area of interest.

SUPPORTED HOUSING
provides a combination of services which includes some housing owned by Bert Nash Center as well as a partnership with the Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority which provides housing vouchers for persons with severe and persistent mental illness. Bert Nash does help clients in transitional living in two locations in Lawrence as well. In these settings clients share housing with some staff support until they are able to live more independently. In addition we have team of psychosocial workers and case managers that help clients maintain their housing. This program also utilizes funds to assist clients with rent, utilities and other cost of living independently as funds allow.

HOMELESS OUTREACH
case managers assist people/ families with and without mental illness in locating permanent or transitional housing and has funding available to help with the costs. These staff are co-located at the Center and in the community with other homeless services.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
provides screening and coordination with inpatient facilities such as Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities for children and all public and private hospitals.

PREVENTION, EDUCATION & OUTREACH

Our services include education, consultation and outreach services to promote wellness and early detection of mental health concerns warranting professional help. Presentations on a variety of mental health topics can be arranged through the Community Development Office by calling (785) 843-9192 or sending e-mail to lgrieb@bertnash.org

LINKS

Bert Nash Center Website Links to Mental Health Information and Services