Rebuilding Together With You

Bert Nash Center
3 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 11 minutes ago

Bert Nash has been your community mental health center (CMHC) since it was founded in 1950 in memory of Dr. Bert Nash. Over the past 75 years, we’ve weathered many storms, but none alone. It has always been our community, our dedicated team members, and our committed partners and supporters who have helped us emerge stronger.

When I stepped into the role of Interim CEO in June, I shared with our team that the road ahead will be long, but it is one worth walking together. Every day, our friends, neighbors, and loved ones turn to the Bert Nash Center in moments of darkness. And every day, our team shows up offering care, compassion, and connection. This work is essential. It is life-saving.

As we face significant financial challenges, our mission remains unchanged. We are acting swiftly and strategically to address those challenges head-on so we can continue serving Douglas County for generations to come.

Over the last month we’ve identified solutions and are being proactive to make necessary changes. Here are a few examples:

We completed our 2025 budget and have already begun planning for 2026.
We’ve taken steps to improve our billing processes including confirming insurance coverage earlier and helping clients understand their costs up front.
We are partnering with Silo Recovery to reach out to clients with unpaid balances and resolve those bills.
We made the difficult decision to cancel our contract with Cigna. This affected approximately 121 clients, and we are working directly with those individuals to ensure they continue to access our care or help connect them to other local providers.
We’ve thoroughly reviewed contracts and services, scaling back or eliminating where possible to reduce costs without compromising care.
We are working with SSC CPAs + Advisors to identify areas for improvement and establish long-term financial planning.
We continue to engage with state, county and city leaders to identify solutions that recognize the true cost of delivering mental health care.
We are tapping into Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) technical assistance to improve care quality and operational efficiency.
And, later this month, we’ll enter union negotiations, which is an important part of our continued commitment to support and collaborate with our staff.

At the same time, our team continues to show up every single day.

Our internal teams are supporting each other, collaborating across departments, and keeping clients at the center of everything we do.
All of our outpatient teams are keeping waitlists low, offering same-day intakes and quick access to all our services.
Our crisis services staff - including the Mobile Response Team (MRT) and everyone at the Treatment & Recovery Center (TRC) - are helping community members in crisis around the clock. During the summer months of May through July, the TRC responded to 1,011 crisis episodes, providing direct care to over 552 individuals. On average during these summer months, the TRC addressed 337 crisis episodes per month; an increase of over 5% from the same timeframe in 2024.
Many of our WRAP (Wellness, Resources, Access, and Prevention) therapists are expanding to a year-round schedule to provide continuous support to students across all four school districts, ensuring care doesn't pause when school is out.

While our team is stretched thin – the result of positions that were eliminated earlier this year and the high number of unfilled positions we have - they are also going above and beyond to ensure essential services continue every day. Despite all of the challenges, their commitment remains strong. We also feel your support. From donors providing additional gifts, to partners offering in-kind services, to individuals spreading the word about the importance of mental health care in Douglas County – your belief in us fuels our work. We know we can’t do this alone.

Like many of the Bert Nash staff, I came to work at a CMHC because I believe in this work and the value of a CMHC. I believe everyone deserves access to mental health services, but not just any services; the highest quality services. I came here to do that and am still committed to that mission. My family, friends, and neighbors are a part of this community, and we all benefit when people can access care, get support, and find hope close to home.

There is much work ahead, but I believe in the future we are building. I believe in this team. And I believe in this community.

With gratitude,