VOL. 6, ISSUE 1 March 2013

the Bert Nash CommunityN E W S L E T T E R

200MAINE STREET � LAWRENCE, KS 66044 � (785) 843-9192 � www.bertnash.orgSince 1950, the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center has advanced the mental health of the Douglas Countycommunity through comprehensive behavioral services responsive to evolving need and changing environments.

INSIDETHIS ISSUE

Since the Newtown, Conn., shoot-ing in December, the importanceof mental health care has been

part of the public conversation.In a Q&A with Bert Nash CEODavid

Johnson, he talked about the impact ofNewtown onmental health issues.

Q: One issue locally that is gettingmore attention since Newtown is thein-school program WRAP (Working toRecognize Alternative Possibilities).Funding the program, however, hasbeen a major challenge. What can bedone?A: The simple answer is if we added

16 positions, we could get aWRAPpresence in all of the schools of thecounty, and we could do that for a mil-lion bucks. That’s the easy answer.The difficult answer is the challenge

with the program is everybody knowsit’s a good idea, and everybody thinkssomebody else should pay for it. So thereal challenge is getting people to saythis is our problem, as opposed to thisis important and it’s your problem.But there’s certainly beenmore dis-

cussion in the community about theWRAP program since Newtown, get-ting the funding restored and figuringout how to do that.

Q: How did WRAP get started?A:We started the program in the

mid ’90s because schools were makingreferrals to us, but the kids weren’tshowing up for their appointments.That’s when we realized we have to bewhere they are if we are going to help

them.Q: How does mental health care

continue to be part of the public con-versation?A:We’re going to do our part to keep

the conversation going. But we can’t doit ourselves. We’ve got this model nowwhere we get people to tell their storiesand the kind of impact mental healthcare has had on their lives. That’s whatit takes.It is people talking about the impact

goodmental health services has had ontheir lives, or what the loss of serviceshas meant. That’s ultimately what willsustain the conversation about the im-portance of mental health services.While the conversation is getting

people’s attention now, these are thesame things I’ve said in the past when Ifelt like a voice crying in the wilder-ness. So it will take more than us, butwe’re certainly willing to see that peo-ple have an avenue and feel more com-fortable about telling their stories.

Q: What was your reaction to theannouncements — in response to theNewtown shooting — by the governorand the president, which addressedthe importance of mental health care?A: Those are not two political people

you would normally think of in thesame sort of discussion. The governoris talking about a new initiative, and hereally wouldn’t have been doing that ifit hadn’t been for Newtown.What thegovernor is doing is good, but the mainbenefit is there is discussion.There’s not a lot of money behind the

president’s proposal, but there cer-tainly is conversation and increasedrecognition that we can’t ignore thekinds of cuts that mental health hastaken in recent years.

Newtown shooting puts spotlightonWRAP, mental health issues

David Johnson,Bert Nash CEO, spoke ata legislative forum Jan. 10, sponsored bythe Lawrence-Douglas County HealthDepartment,Douglas CountyVisitingNursesAssociation and Bert Nash.

Page 2Photos from recentevents at Bert Nash

Page 3Tom Bates retires fromBert Nash

Page 4A mother’s letter toPresident Obama

GoverningBoard of DirectorsBarbara BallardFrank DeSalvoReed DillonSteve GlassDon Grosdidier, ChairSue HackDavid JohnsonMaurice JoyCindy MaudeKen McGovernBob MorseDoug StephensElizabeth Sheils

Endowment TrusteesBill BeedlesBeverly BillingsBrad BurnsideSteve GlassDon GrosdidierCarol HattonKelvin Heck, ChairDavid JohnsonMichael McGrewAlice Ann JohnstonRachel MongerJill PersingerLinda RobinsonGary SollarsBeth StellaMikeTreanorJudyWright

Investment CommitteeChris AndersonBill Beedles, ChairCarolyn SheltonChuckWarnerKellyWelch

BERT NASH CENTER200 Maine StreetLawrence, KS 66044(785) 843-9192bertnash.org

PAGE 2 THE BERT NASH COMMUNITY

Charlie Kuszmaul,Bert Nash coordinator ofWRAP (Working to RecognizeAlternativePossibilities), talks about the in-school program at a Discover Bert Nash session Jan. 24.TheWRAP program targets students who are dealing with behavioral and emotional issues.Discover Bert Nash is a one-hour educational and informational program about the serv-ices offered by Bert Nash.To sign up for a Discover Bert Nash session, contact Cindy Hartat 785-830-1701 or chart@bertnash.org.

Members of Leadership Lawrence went through the Mental Health FirstAid class in Janu-ary. In 2008,Bert Nash was one of seven pilot programs in the nation that began offeringMental Health FirstAid, a 12-hour training course designed to give people key skills to helpsomeone who is experiencing a mental health crisis.The program builds mental health lit-eracy — helping people identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness.To learnmore about the program,call 785-843-9192 or email talktobert@bertnash.org.

THE BERT NASH COMMUNITY PAGE 3

To the dismay of coyotes andprairie dogs across WesternKansas, Tom Bates has retired.

The longtime adult services teamleader/therapist at Bert Nash hasspent 30 years concentrating his workon serving various communitiesacross Kansas.Now he’s ready to concentrate on

the outdoors and pursuing his passionfor shooting sports and his love of theprairies of the Midwest. “Being outthere in the vastness of the prairies isbreathtaking,” Bates says with achuckle.Bates has long been lured outside by

the promise of sun on his face and anadventure to be had. Bates grew up ina small town in north-central Kansas.His love of chasing varmints wasreared when he was a boy and wouldshoot squirrels and rabbits to helpfeed his family.“Rural Kansas is my first love,” Bates

says with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. “We spend so muchtime inside behind desks and computers. Sometimes youjust need to get outside, get some fresh air and unwind.”According to Bates, he never intended to be a psycholo-

gist. His track record supports that claim.“Well, I kind of stumbled into psychology,” he admits. “I

guess I was pretty good at it, and a friend suggested I studyit. The classes were interesting for me and I took it fromthere.”In 1982 Bates accepted a job at the Bert Nash Community

Mental Health Center and began to focus his work on familytherapy, which gravitated to adult services where he re-mained for the next 30 years. Bates has been witness to themany benefits of psychotherapy, but says he thinks the realbenefits are simple.

“Most people don’t have anyone theycan talk to who will give them their un-divided attention,” Bates says. “Toomany conversations are comprised oftwo people waiting for the other to stoptalking so they can have their say. Peo-ple have the capacity to resolve manyproblems through the simple act ofsharing their thoughts and feelings, ifsomeone is actually listening and un-derstanding them.”After 30 years at Bert Nash, Bates has

left a wake of positive contributions.“I think his lasting contribution will

be the walk-in program (see below) hehelped develop and implement,” saysEunice Ruttinger, adult services directorat Bert Nash. “Tom came up with theidea and he has served as the front doorfor adult services since its implementa-tion.”Bates’ idea was to make accessing

Bert Nash’s services easier. In years past,an appointment would have to be set, then

a consultation to determine services would occur. With thewalk-in program, anyone can come to the center, completesome paperwork and be seen by a therapist who can best de-termine his or her needs. Most often, that person was Bates.“The number of people he has directed to the correct service

is great,” Ruttinger says. “It has to be in the thousands.”David Johnson, Bert Nash CEO, knows the reach of Bates’

work.“When I took over at Bert Nash we had to sign up for vari-

ous services,” Johnson explains. “One lady who was helpingus, when she learned why I hadmoved to town, exclaimed,‘Tom Bates saved mymarriage.’ The lady standing next to herlooked up and said, ‘Tom Bates savedmymarriage, too.’ Iknew then we had someone special here.”

— Derek Helms

Tom Bates leaves lasting legacyE M P L O Y E E S P O T L I G H T

Tom Bates, longtime Bert Nash therapist, re-tired after 30 years.

AdultWalk-In InitialAssessment Hours:10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Monday-Friday.ChildrenWalk-In Ini-

tial Assessment Hours:9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Mon-days, Tuesdays, Thursdaysand Fridays10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

WednesdaysWhen you call Bert Nash

and ask for an appointment

to see a therapist you will bereferred to our Access Cen-ter. Access Center staff willrecommend you come to thecenter to complete an initialassessment.Please bring your insur-

ance card, verification ofhousehold income (W2 orlast three pay stubs), and thecost of any co-pays your in-surance requires.If your insurance is pro-

vided through a familymember please have thefamily member's Social Se-

curity number available.When you come in you willgo to the first-floor receptionof the Bert Nash Center at200Maine St. in Lawrence.You will meet with your

Access Center representativefor registration and then youwill meet with a therapist.Your therapist will deter-mine the next steps for yourtreatment and set up yournext appointment.

� For information,visit www.bertnash.orgor call 785-843-9192.

Walk-in assessmenthours offered

PAGE 4 THE BERT NASH COMMUNITY

Amother’s letter:(A copy of the following letter to President Obama was sent toBert Nash CEO David Johnson, along with a personal note saying,"The exceptional mental health facility that I mention is, of course,Bert Nash. I wish to express to you how deeply grateful my familyis for all the services provided that have made such an impact onour family. I have two children who are succeeding far beyond ex-pectations and Bert Nash is a pivotal part of that.…What you doat Bert Nash makes a big difference in people's lives.")

Dear Mr. President,As a mother, I grieve for the children, faculty and staff ofNewtown. I also grieve for the slain mother of the men-tally ill young man responsible for this tragedy. I knowwhat it is to be the mom of a child who is a threat tothemselves and others. It is a dark and isolated place noparent would wish to visit.Because my family lives in a city with an exceptionalmental health facility,my child is now a competent, pro-ductive young adult.However, so many of the programs that literally savedmy child’s life have dwindled or disappeared due to lackof funding.Many of our mentally ill are warehoused inprisons and homeless shelters. Some commit acts ofheinous violence.How many horrors must we witnessbefore we act?Let’s double funding to mental health and substanceabuse facilities.Let’s fund mental health education in schools and ourcommunities.Let’s do the right thing.

Jennifer Sherman, Baldwin

2013 PioneerAwardgoes to PaulTaylorPaul Taylor, chaplain for the Lawrence Police De-

partment and the Lawrence and Douglas County fireandmedical staffs, will be the recipient of the 2013 BertNash Center Pioneer Award.

The award will be pre-sented during BertNash’s annual PioneerCelebration on April 22.“Paul’s pioneering

spirit and commitmentto mental health has had

a lasting impact on our community,” said Pat RoachSmith, Bert Nash chief operations officer.Taylor has been a partner with Bert Nash since 2005,

when he, along with community mental health profes-sionals and Bert Nash staff, formed the Kansas All Haz-ards Behavioral Health (KAHBH) team in DouglasCounty.Taylor worked with Roach Smith to provide training

to the KAHBH team on topics such as meeting the be-havioral health needs of first responders, how to man-age people during a crime scene, and how to supportfamilies and first responders during and after deathnotifications.“He tirelessly supported the inclusion of the KAHBH

team in large and small local disasters and included theconcept of disaster mental health in discussions withlaw enforcement and fire andmedical leaders,” RoachSmith said. “He was instrumental in taking the impor-tance of behavioral health in disasters to the leaders indisaster response. Bert Nash’s ability to partner withlaw enforcement and fire andmedical was enhanced byPaul’s continual advocacy for the mental health of ourcommunity.”Taylor is also a pastor at the Mustard Seed Church in

Lawrence.

UPCOMINGCLASSESMay (Tuesdays)

7, 14, 21, 28 (4-7 p.m.)June (Mondays)

3, 10, 17, 24 (4-7 p.m.)September (Mondays)9, 16, 23, 30 (4-7 p.m.)October (Mondays)7, 14, 21, 28 (4-7 p.m.)

Bert Nash annualPioneer CelebrationMonday, April 225:30 p.m.at Maceli's

How to sign up: Visitwww.bertnash.orgor call 785-843-9192.