Entering 2026 Stronger, Focused, and United

I’m excited to share an update on where the Bert Nash Center stands and where we are headed. The past year asked a great deal of our team, our board, and our community. 2025 brought uncertainty, change, and moments that stretched us, but it also reaffirmed why this work matters so deeply. Thanks to your dedicated support and that of other donors, volunteers, and partners, people in crisis continued to find care, families found stability, and our agency was able to continue providing essential services in our community.

I’m happy to share that we closed 2025 in a stronger position than when we began it, with improved financial stability and greater consistency across our teams. That progress didn’t happen by accident. It took real work and, in some cases, real sacrifice from our teams. We made some hard but necessary choices about where to focus our energy and resources. We were able to strengthen core services and stay grounded in what matters most: being there for people when they need us and providing the highest-quality, accessible behavioral health care.

At the same time, it is important that we are thoughtful about our next steps and evaluate options for our continued evolution.  We must continue to grow in ways that are responsible and centered on the people we serve.

I encourage you to read the article about our newly released strategic plan that will guide our path forward with a framework of transparency, accountability, and continuous quality improvement.

We are also continuing to modernize how care is delivered. For instance, recent grant support from the Rice Foundation and the Beach Family Foundation will allow us to reduce administrative burdens for clinicians, expand our use of technology, and launch a long-awaited patient portal.  The patient portal will be a critical tool in making it easier for clients and families to access care, manage appointments, and stay connected to their treatment team.

Every day, our work is changing lives.  In 2025, Bert Nash served more than 6,170 individuals and delivered over 164,400 services. Those numbers represent real people, real families, and real moments of healing.  We are proud of that important work, and we are moving forward with gratitude and a renewed commitment to building a sustainable future. All of this is rooted in a strong team and a caring community.

Thank you for your trust in us, your belief in this work, and for standing with us—especially when we needed it most.

Kirsten Watkins, Psy. D., LP

Chief Executive Officer