News & Notes

The Center lost a dear friend last week. Bob Nash was so proud of the staff and the outstanding work of the Center and would frequently say he knew his father would be touched that his name and legacy have continued on for so many years. We will sincerely miss Bob’s presence at our events and hold Barbara and his family in our hearts and thoughts.

For as long as anyone can remember, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and law enforcement have had a working relationship. Since the early 2000s, that relationship has changed. For the better. “I see it as a partnership,” said Amber Rhoden of the Lawrence Police Department. “We want to understand what they do, and they want to understand what we do and why we do it. Everybody is like let’s break down the walls and move forward.” Douglas County Sheriff Ken McGovern has

When inmates with a history of mental illness are released from the Douglas County Jail, they don’t have to go back into the world without help. Or without a plan. The reentry program at the jail includes a staff person from the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center who works with inmates who have mental health issues before they are released, so they are better prepared to transition back into society. “It’s basically like case management,” said Sharon Zehr, who oversees

As a therapist, Heather Davis hears a lot of different stories, and they’re all unique. But there’s a common theme: Trauma. “Trauma is so common,” said Davis, an Adult Services therapist at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. “It’s rare to have someone come in who doesn’t have some degree of trauma.” Davis described trauma as any traumatic incident, from a car accident to being a victim of a violent act. “Trauma impacts all of us,” she said. “There are different levels

Frances Rico believes it is important to practice what she preaches. Rico, who during the school year is a mental health clinician at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, spends her summers working with youth to help them understand the connection between physical health and mental health. Rico is a member of the WRAP (Working to Recognize Alternative Possibilities) team at Bert Nash, a collaborative program with the Lawrence School District that places a master’s-level cl

During the past three years, more than 1,600 people have attended a Discover Bert Nash event — a community outreach program that highlights stories about people whose lives have been changed through services they received at the mental health center. At each of the more than 100 Discover Bert Nash events that have been held, one of the recovery stories that is shared involves WRAP (Working to Recognize Alternative Possibilities), a program that places a mental health clinicia

For a long time, Sean Sullivan was missing something in his life. Hope. He found it at the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. “I really owe it to Bert Nash for giving me that hope,” he said. “If it weren’t for Bert Nash, I don’t know where I would be.” Sullivan grew up knowing he was different; he just didn’t know why. “I always felt sort of socially isolated and like I didn’t belong,” he said. “I was kind of awkward growing up and not accepted by my peers. So I always

David Johnson, CEO at the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center in Lawrence, remembers the first time Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins toured the Center and heard stories about people whose lives had been changed because of the services they received. Rep. Lynn Jenkins was presented with a National Council Behavioral Health Champion Award on Dec. 14. The 2nd District congresswoman has been instrumental in the introduction and championing of the Mental Health First Aid Act and se

The Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority have received an award of $75,000 from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation for continuation of the Community Support Services HOME Tenant Based Rental Assistance program. The Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority will administer the funds. The Community Support Services HOME Tenant Based Rental Assistance program – a collaboration between the Bert Nash Center, the Lawrence-

When Bill Welch interviewed for a job at the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, he discovered a problem. He had applied for the wrong job. But, as fate would have it, it turned out to be exactly the right job. “I came in and interviewed and after five or 10 minutes I realized this was not a peer mentoring job,” Welch said. “There is a big difference between being a peer mentor and a peer support specialist. I didn’t know that until I was in the interview.” Welch had pr

Eunice Ruttinger, Adult Services Director at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, who will retire September 4th, 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

When it comes to affordable housing, it definitely takes a village. The Lawrence-Douglas CountyHousing Authority knows that betterthan most. “We’re all in this together,” said Shannon Oury, housing authority executive director. The city of Lawrence is among those partnering with the housing authority to reduce homelessness in the community. On August 4th, commissioners approved $100,000 in the 2016 budget for the housing authority’s voucher-based transitional housing program.