News & Notes

Together we can help the most vulnerable in our community. Our Homeless Outreach Team needs nonperishable food items, such as canned goods, peanut butter, protein bars, as well as camping gear, including sleeping bags, tents, and tarps to distribute to the homeless in our community. Drop-offs can be delivered to the bins outside the South Entrance of the Community Health Facility, 200 Maine St. Monetary donations can also be made at https://bertnash.org/donate//. Thank you fo

During these challenging times, Bert Nash Center is here for you, including by televideo and telephone. If you or someone you know needs support, call our trained staff at 785-843-9192. We will get through this together.

With each new coronavirus update comes more information about what people should do to protect their physical health. But what about people’s mental health? “There’s a lot of information out there; most of it is from a physical health standpoint,” said Emily Rhamy, team leader for the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy team. “Wash your hands, social distancing, all that is important. But people need to take care of their mental health as w

What led you to the mental health field? I decided to be a person that helped others while traveling in Europe after I graduated from the KU School of Business focusing on Marketing and Personnel Management. I decided not to go into business after landing a job for a bank manager position in Washington, DC. I didn’t think it focused enough on helping others. When I returned to Lawrence to visit with my friends, I responded to an ad on the wall of the post office in Lawrence.

Bert Nash CEO Patrick Schmitz, speaking at the 2019 Celebrate Bert Nash breakfast: When I came here over two years ago, I expected there would be changes and that I would be part of creating some of them. I would have never foreseen the significant number of professional and personal ones I would go through. At the Bert Nash Center, we’ve been involved in creating change in how we deliver services. I am happy to report we’ve made significant progress. This past year we Respon

When asked what he thought about the idea of talking about the subject of mental health and the agricultural community, Lowell Neitzel didn’t hesitate to respond. “I’ve been hoping for someone to help out us farmers,” he said. That’s exactly what Douglas County Commissioner Nancy Thellman has been hoping for as well. “As a county, we have been working really hard on mental health crisis work and trying to help people get through their rough times, but the farming community is

Describe your role at Bert Nash. My role at Bert Nash has evolved over the time that I have been here. Primarily, I am a waiver facilitator and in a nut-shell I help develop and maintain plans of care for clients on the SED (Serious Emotional Disturbance) waiver. That includes collaborating with families, treatment teams, MCOs (Managed Care Organizations), and community partners to identify goals and needed supports. However, my first position with Bert Nash was providing att

Mindy Downs has been doing social work for 25 years. She can’t imagine doing anything else. For those who do what Downs does, being a case manager is more than a job; it’s a calling. “This is what I feel like I’m supposed to be doing,” said Downs, who has been a case manager at the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center for 13 years. “It’s a meant-to-be thing.” According to the Case Management Society of America, “Case management is a collaborative process of assessment, pl

“We will be forever grateful for the community’s support, which paved the way for the construction of the Community Health Facility. I know I speak for all three agencies when I say what an honor it is to serve the residents of Douglas County. We all have our unique missions yet we all share the common goal of bettering the lives of our fellow citizens. Because of the community’s support, and because of the support of our local government, thousands upon thousands of lives ha

After Patrick Schmitz became CEO of the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center in the summer of 2017, he spent a lot of time out in the community, listening. Most of what he heard about the Center was positive. But if there was a common concern it had to do with the limited hours for intake assessments and access to services. Those two areas became a primary focus for the Bert Nash team. And they rose to the challenge. “As a Center, we’ve been working to remove the barriers

In planning and conversations leading up to building the Community Health Facility in 1999, leaders in Lawrence and Douglas County focused on a central location for three community health agencies to better coordinate care and public service. On the 20th anniversary of the building’s opening, members of the public are invited to see how that initial investment still serves the community’s health needs in various ways. The original occupants – Bert Nash Community Mental Health

Brad Cook, Bert Nash Community Support Services program manager, is the 2019 recipient of the Sandra Shaw Spirit Award. The award, named for the late Bert Nash CEO, is the highest honor a Bert Nash staff member can receive. Julie Berndsen, last year’s recipient, when making this year’s award presentation, said, “This person strives to bring everyone together to accomplish the Bert Nash mission.” Congratulations, Brad! You inspire all of us at Bert Nash!