News & Notes

When Don Grosdidier retires June 30, he will certainly have left his mark. Not only on the school district, which he has been part of for 28 years, but on the Eudora community, which he has been part of for much longer. More than brick-and-mortar projects, and there have been plenty of those during Grosdidier’s tenure, his proudest accomplishment will be the students who go on to lead healthy, happy and productive lives. One program that had a life-changing impact on students

It used to be, Jim Kytasaari had it all backward. He would treat loneliness with isolation. He would treat depression with a depressant. It was a vicious cycle. “There was no way out of it,” Kytasaari said. But there was a way out. And that way out led Kytasaari to the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. But, first, Kytasaari hit rock bottom. “I totally had a crash about six years ago,” Kytasaari said. “Everything fell apart.” Kytasaari was homeless at the time. He was

Rosemary Corbin likes running because it is good for her health, and not just her physical health. “It’s therapeutic for me,” said Corbin, who is supervisor of the Access Center at the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center; the staff of the Access Center conducts client intakes and assessments. “Whenever I start my running, I notice an improvement in my mood. When I’m working out, my sleep improves. I tend to make healthier choices; more so than when I’m not working out.”

Mariah can remember feeling very depressed when she was in grade school but it was not something she talked to anyone about. However, when she was 17, her depression was so severe she attempted suicide- twice. After her second attempt, she was hospitalized at Stormont Vail in Topeka. Following her hospital release, she was referred to the Bert Nash Center by her doctor. “My emotions were out of control and they overwhelmed me. I knew what was happening to me but I didn’t know

At the beginning of each Discover Bert Nash event, Steve Glass, chairman of the Bert Nash Governing Board of Directors, asks guests to introduce themselves and share if they have ties to the mental health center. At a May 13 Discover event — a community outreach program designed to inform people about the range of mental health services offered at Bert Nash — one guest said he had a very personal connection to the man for whom the Center is named. “I’ve had ties to Bert Nash

It’s been a rough five years, Since I became ill. Though time kept rolling, My life came to a standstill. The bills kept coming, There seemed to be no end. Until I came to Bert Nash, Where I found a good friend. I was talked to and asked, About things I might need. I didn’t have a real clue, So Heidi* took the lead. She looked and worked, Helping me find a place. To help me feel again, Like part of the human race. The time we spent looking, For a place I would fit. Filling ou

For nearly four decades, Lanell Finneran has been a teacher. It isn’t easy to walk away from something she loves. “It’s bittersweet because I love this job,” Finneran said. “Have there been moments of frustration? Absolutely. But that’s with every job. This is one of the most fulfilling jobs I could ever have. Progress sometimes is very slow. But when there is progress, it’s like a special gift that you get.” May 23 is Finneran’s last day as a special education teacher in the

When teaching movement as medicine, Mari Mahinay tells class members there is no time like the present. Literally. “That is the basis of movement as medicine,” she said. “It encourages people to be present in the moment and be aware of their body.” Mahinay is a nurse practitioner at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. She trained in movement therapy at the Institute of Body Psychotherapy in Switzerland. She teaches a movement as medicine group from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Mon

Bert Nash CEO David Johnson received a proclamation at Tuesday night’s City Commission meeting proclaiming May as Mental Health Month. Douglas County commissioners will also issue a Mental Health Month proclamation. Johnson thanked the city and the county for their support of Bert Nash and promoting good mental health. The text of the proclamation reads: “MENTAL HEALTH MONTH” Office of the Mayor Proclamation Lawrence, Kansas WHEREAS: The U.S. Surgeon General states that menta

A ribbon cutting for the opening of the new Outside for a Better Inside nature trail was held Friday, May 2. Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center will donate the property to the city for the new Sandra Shaw Community Health Park. The park, north of the mental health center, will be named for the late Bert Nash CEO. Shaw was executive director of the Bert Nash Center from 1979 until her retirement in 2001. She died in 2010, but her legacy lives on through the work of the C

David Johnson, Bert Nash CEO, along with Sgt. Trent McKinley, public affairs officer for the Lawrence Police Department, attended a Pinckney Neighborhood Association meeting May 19 to address issues that affect area residents. Concerns about crime and safety were raised in a March 15th letter to the editor and a subsequent news story. Association president Pat Gillespie Miller said the neighborhood group has a good working relationship with both Bert Nash and the Lawrence Pol

Outside for a Better Inside, along with Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and the city of Lawrence, invite you to the Outside for a Better Inside nature trail ribbon cutting and trail walk. The trail will be home to the future Sandra J. Shaw Community Health Park. Bert Nash will donate the land to the city of Lawrence later this spring. The park is named for the late Bert Nash CEO. The ribbon cutting and trail walk are scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, May 2, located west o