News & Notes

If you would have asked me 15 years ago what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would have been dumbfounded. I likely would have made something up to escape the conversation. Throughout high school I experienced debilitating social anxiety. Social anxiety so crippling that it often had me questioning my self-worth and confidence. There would be days I would go without saying a single word. I would isolate, sit in the far back of the room, be the first to leave school while othe

I do this work because I feel called to it. I’d love to tell you that I always knew I would be a therapist, but that simply isn’t true. In fact, as a child and adolescent, I never imagined myself doing anything very impactful with my life. Instead, it was a combination of powerful life experiences (both good and bad) that led me to this work. I grew up in a working-class family in South County St. Louis. As with most, my family maintained a fair amount of dysfunction and untr

What was your mental health journey that brought you to Bert Nash? I actually started seeing a therapist back when I was in eighth grade because I had depression on top of typical teenage angst that I had a hard time dealing with. I also started getting medication for depression from Bert Nash at that time that went on for maybe a year or two. However, it wasn’t until I was 22 that I believe I was in dire need of Bert Nash’s services. I got pregnant at the age 16 and gave bir

Dear Colleagues, As part of the Douglas County Emergency Management plan, Bert Nash is developing a rotation of Master Level Clinicians to be available as a support resource to Medical Healthcare Providers who are working frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we’ve seen in other communities across the Nation and Worldwide, we are preparing for a surge of people who will need medical care related to COVID-19. There are predictions this surge will take place in Douglas Co

Douglas County is deeply honored to receive the Pioneer Award from its longtime partner Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. Commissioners and administrative staff are committed to helping those who struggle with mental illness and substance abuse in our community. Through community partnerships — such as our partnership with Bert Nash — we can truly make a significant difference in supporting our most vulnerable community members. In recent years, Douglas County has lea

I think I knew I wanted a career in mental health after taking abnormal psychology for a general education requirement during undergrad at KU. At that time, I was a biology major, but I quickly switched to psychology and I loved it. I felt the content of my classes was much more accessible, I didn’t need to have a periodic table or microscope. I could learn about a diagnosis or concept and then I could observe examples play out in real life as I walked around campus. I had a

Growing up as a young girl in the ’70s, I had friends who were experiencing trauma at home. I didn’t know how to help them then, except to listen and offer hugs. Some of my friends in high school were suicidal. I came out as gay in 1986 at 16 years old, to my high school, in a letter to the school paper. I experienced bullying and suicidal ideation myself. I took a psychology class in high school, and from that point onward I knew I wanted to help people who were struggling w

As you know, things continue to change day by day and even hour by hour. We have modified our services to adapt to this challenge, but remain committed to meet the mental health needs of our community during this crisis. I want to thank the entire Bert Nash Center team for the tremendous work that they are doing in helping us with our initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am so impressed and grateful for the tremendous work they are doing whether in the office or remot

In some instances, drama can have a negative connotation. That certainly isn’t the case with what Barrett Scroggs does. He uses drama to encourage creative growth and mental health. Scroggs, a graduate student at Kansas State University, uses drama therapy every week when working with high school and middle school students in the secondary therapeutic classroom at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center in Lawrence. The classroom, a partnership between Bert Nash and USD 497

Schools are in the business of educating students. But a student’s mental well-being can interfere with that learning process. A lot of things in their personal lives can spill into their educational life -- for instance, if they are finding it hard to keep up with the curriculum, no matter the age, and they don’t have access to the books they need, as well as tap into free educational assistance online. Again, this doesn’t cover the root of the problem and kids need to know

In July, the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center will celebrate its 70th birthday. The Bert Nash Center opened on July 5, 1950. University of Kansas psychiatrist Sigmund Gundle was the first director. The Center is named for Dr. Bert Nash, a renowned children’s psychologist. As a student at Washburn University, one of his professors was Dr. Karl Menniger, one of the most influential psychiatrists of his time. When Bert Nash died unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage in 19

Our community partner, Heartland Community Health Center, has set up a screening tent at the south entrance in front of the Community Health Facility, 200 Maine St. This was done primarily to screen individuals coming to appointments for services at Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health on the first floor. Heartland also offered to screen all individuals coming into the building. This is voluntary and Bert Nash clients can decline to participate. Should they agree, they will