Bert Nash will celebrate birthday; it’s the dedicated staff who make the Center what it is

Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center will turn 64 on Saturday. The Bert Nash Mental Health Clinic, as it was originally called, opened on July 5, 1950. Two years after the death of Bert Nash, the renowned University of Kansas psychologist, community organizers created the clinic as a “living memorial” to the man whom Dr. Karl Menninger called “my most distinguished student.” Bert Nash had devoted his career to improving the lives of children and families through educational, guidance and welfare services. He died unexpectedly from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1947. He was only 48. Today, the Center serves more than 5,000 Douglas County residents every year. Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center is a tribute to the agency’s visionary namesake. The Center also recently finished fifth in the best place to work category of the Lawrence Journal-World’s Best of Lawrence voting. KU was voted the best place to work, followed by Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Pennington & Company, which does fundraising for fraternities and sororities, and the Lawrence School District. Those of us who work at the Bert Nash Center are proud of its history, its dedicated staff, and the people we are privileged to serve:

“Bert Nash is a great place to work, because of our mission to the people of Douglas County. I love working with people who have the same values as I do. I work with people who accept me for who I am and not the way I look. We all have a great sense of humor and that is important when we deal with the things we deal with. I know I can count on my coworkers if I need a shoulder to lean on. Overall, the people of Bert Nash are awesome. I enjoy coming to work everyday!” — Joshua Reese, clinical case manager/therapist

“This is the most supportive, friendly environment I have ever worked in. I even left for a few months and came back; I missed working here so much! We get to change people’s lives and have fun with our coworkers and clients in the process. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than Bert Nash.” — Korrie Snell, Benefits and Entitlements Team case manager

“My favorite thing about working for Bert Nash is the constant and amazing support that I not only get from my supervisor, but all staff. It makes what can be a difficult job much easier.” — Amanda Cushing,Child and Family Services case manager

“I like working at the Center because we’re very much community oriented, whether it be with our coworkers, our clients or within Douglas County. We all support each other. It’s a very encouraging environment. We all try to check in on each other, which is something I haven’t seen at other places. We all genuinely care about our coworkers and try to make the work environment as pleasant as possible.” — Julie Berndsen, Child and Family Services waiver facilitator

"Being a new employee at a large agency is always difficult. I feel that my fellow Bert Nash team members and employees made the transition easy because of their friendliness, willingness to answer questions, and general interest in getting to know me on a personal level. I feel very supported and encouraged by my supervisors and team members and am excited to invest in such a wonderful agency.” — Chloe Moushey, adult outpatient program therapist

“I started working at Bert Nash in the 1990s as an attendant care worker in Child and Family Services and I knew then I was hooked. After I received my master’s degree in social work, I lived out of state and worked in other community mental health centers and none of them were like Bert Nash. I always knew I had to get back here.

Since I returned in 2006, Bert Nash has been there through the adoption of our three children and through my son’s surgery. There’s no place I’d rather be.” — Amy Warren, health home coordinator

Not only has the Bert Nash Center helped me with my own mental health issues, but many other members of my family have also been helped by Bert Nash. Also, there’s my connection with being part of the Shontz Family. I heard a lot growing up about Bert Nash from my grandmother, Nancy Shontz, who was a city commissioner.

During her time as a commissioner she was very vocal about how important Bert Nash was, and is, to our community. Her and my grandfather, a retired KU psychologist, were always advocates for the importance of mental health services. After she passed away, my grandfather generously donated their house to Bert Nash as a transitional living facility for some of the adult clients. After a few years, the house no longer served Bert Nash’s needs, so they sold it and used the money to set up the Nancy Shontz Educational Series, as training for the clinicians here. I love working at Bert Nash, it is a very comfortable, unique place to work where I feel I can truly be myself. Being a young employee, I didn’t expect to be treated with such respect and trust. Since my first day I’ve consistently been treated like a smart, competent person, which is not something I have always received from my past employers. I’m glad Bert Nash is here to help people of the Douglas County community. I know from reading client surveys that our clients feel we are a sanctuary for them, a safe place away from the judgment and stigma of the world. I’m so thankful we are here for those people. I know when I was going through my own mental health struggles how much that would have meant to me.” — Lydia Shontz, administrative assistant

"Bert Nash is the best organization I have ever worked for. Our work is both challenging and rewarding, and our workplace culture helps propel us through the ups and downs. Our positive workplace culture boils down to the fact that we are very accepting and supportive of each other, so it’s a place where we can feel free to be ourselves. I would add that I’m proud of how our organization remains stable while consistently staying ahead of the curve on emerging trends in mental health.” — Chris Ford, Community Support Services team leader