Why is the Bert Nash Center important to you? – Catherine Shenoy

How did your involvement with the Bert Nash Center begin?

I first found Bert Nash in 1977 when we were having family problems, and I needed some help. As our children grew, we occasionally needed other resources at the Center.

Why is it important to you to support the Center financially?

My father was a psychiatrist in Lubbock, Texas, and thought that community mental health facilities were very important. He was a strong advocate for all community mental health centers and helped start several in West Texas. My mother is a drug and alcohol counselor. I worked in my father’s office growing up. I got to see closeup early in my life how mental health care can make a huge difference.

Our experience had been very positive at Bert Nash even when I didn’t have much money to pay. Now that we have more financial resources, I’d like to support Bert Nash so that everyone who needs psychological help, whether for short bumps in the road or for long-term chronic conditions, has a place to go. We need to eliminate the stigma for those getting mental health treatment. All of us need help at some time.

What would you say to others about why they should support the Bert Nash Center, especially during a pandemic?

In this time of isolation, people are suffering more than ever. They are more afraid than ever to reach out. Bert Nash has had a great response with telesessions and other safe consultations, but those things aren’t reaching everyone, and it is always more expensive to change delivery modes.