ISSUE NINETEEN | CENTERSTONE.ORG
A PU BL IC AT IO N OF CEN T ER S TO N E
ON THE
RIGHT TRACK
Health Home Client and Proud Papa
Ruben Sanchez-Santana
Centerstone Career Connect | Therapeutic Foster Care | Reclaiming Lives with Cheryl Strayed
ISSUE NINETEEN COVER FEATURE 2 | On the Right Track Meet Health Home Client Ruben Sanchez-Santana
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS 7 | What Is a Health Home? 8 | Physician Spotlight: Daniel S. Javier, MD
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9 | Centerstone Therapeutic Foster Care 10 | Career Connect Provides Employment-Focused Services 1 1 | Therapist Michael Samis: From Carnegie Hall to Centerstone twitter.com/centerstone
IN THE COMMUNITY 12 | Dr. Richard Shelton Named Centerstone Research Institute CEO 13 | Philanthropy in Action 14 | News and Notes
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16 | Reclaiming Lives Luncheon Features Bestselling Author Cheryl Strayed
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Editor in Chief Robert N. Vero, EdD Managing Editor David Schrader Contributing Editors Elliot Pinsly Ramona Rhodes Natalie Stone Zain Syed Contributing Writers Jeney Slusser Mandi Ryan Graphic Design Michael Rivera Centerstone of Tennessee Board of Directors R. Parker Griffith, Chair Jim Sweeten, Vice Chair Dana Oman, Secretary Mark Faulkner, Immediate Past Chair Janet Ayers Kelly Crockett Crook Father Fred Dettwiller Dr. Vincent W. Durnan, Jr. Albert Menefee III Father Bill Midgett Dr. Carmen Reagan Steve Saliba Kate Satz Joan Sivley Sperry Bell Simmons Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate Dr. Robert N. Vero, CEO
ABOUT CENTERSTONE Centerstone is a not-for-profit health care organization dedicated to delivering care that changes people’s lives. We are a nationally recognized leader, providing mental health and substance use treatment, related crisis care, education and support to people of all ages in communities in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and offer individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities life skills development, employment and housing services in Illinois and Kentucky. Nationally, we offer specialized care for service members, Veterans and their loved ones, and develop employee assistance programs for businesses of all sizes. Our research institute improves behavioral health care through research, evaluation and technology, and our foundation secures philanthropic resources to support our work. For more information about Centerstone, please call 888.291.4357 or visit www.centerstone.org 5,500-0617
From the Editor in Chief Greetings! Thank you for picking up Centerstone’s Reclaiming Lives magazine. We appreciate your interest in and support of our commitment to delivering care that changes people’s lives. Anyone following headlines in the United States today is aware of debates over health care funding and reform. We believe, in order to really transform health care costs, we have to transform the way we deliver health care. That’s why Centerstone is passionate about staying focused on wholeperson health. Data and experience show that, without access to the right care, one in five Americans with a mental health disorder are more likely to use costly emergency rooms for a condition that spirals out of control. Further, losing mental health coverage compromises a person’s overall health and wellbeing. In this issue, Centerstone client Ruben Sanchez-Santana is a shining example of how integrated whole-person care leads to improved, cost-saving outcomes. Our team of providers worked together to help him manage depression, lose more than 80 pounds, reduce hospitalizations and become a more self-sufficient citizen. I love what his nurse practitioner says: “Ruben is doing very well and is committed to being the healthiest version of himself.” Now that’s transformation! You’ll read about other inspiring life-changers in these pages, from Centerstone foster parents to one of our therapists who shifted from a successful career as a symphony musician to treat survivors of trauma. These stories of lives reclaimed are music to my ears, and I know you’ll enjoy them as well.
Robert N. Vero, EdD Chief Executive Officer
COVER FEATURE
On the
RIGHT TRACK
Losing weight and gaining better control of emotions has this husband and father moving forward with a smile on his face. 2
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enterstone’s commitment several years ago to provide “whole-person” integrated behavioral and physical health care has proven to be well-timed. With all of our clinic locations in Tennessee now accredited as Health Homes, where services for both mind and body can be coordinated and clearly measured, the organization is in lockstep with rising industry standards for more comprehensive, results-driven, valuebased care. In Clarksville, Ruben Sanchez-Santana is a shining example of that successful Health Home approach. Walking into his local Centerstone clinic with wife Diana and son Raymond, he appears happy, healthy and relaxed. He’s friendly with his Health Home team of providers—a community support specialist, wellness coach, therapist, nurse practitioner, primary care staff and others—who all attest to the positive changes they’ve seen in him. This is a different story from the man who first showed up at Centerstone in 2013 nearly 80 pounds heavier and wrestling with anxiety and depression. Ruben was pre-diabetic with hypertension, hypothyroidism and hyperlipidemia. Those physical health realities were compounded by a bipolar disorder
diagnosis as well as a history of substance use and repeated suicide attempts that often required hospitalization. Although Sanchez-Santana had already come a long way from his troubled upbringing in Puerto Rico, there was still much hope and healing to discover on his journey. A ROUGH START “I had a bad childhood. I was physically, mentally and verbally abused by my dad, and the family circle was not supportive,” Ruben says in Spanish. (He speaks conversational English but prefers to share such personal details in his native language). “My mother helped me, but my dad also physically beat her.” He remembers growing up in the town of San Lorenzo without friends or toys, rarely going outside to play or even watching television to pass the time. By age eight, amidst the chaos of his family environment, he was depressed and already making attempts to end his own life. This is when he first received mental health treatment. When Ruben was nine, his father passed away. Then a new tragedy struck. At 11 years old, he was sexually abused by a woman who’d been entrusted to look after him. continues on page 4
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help and “ There’s freedom here. ”
In due time, Sanchez-Santana says, “I decided to go to the street. I got involved with drugs and alcohol, and I spent time in jail. I did that for a long time— drinking, selling drugs, using drugs. That was my life for about six years.” While he admits that some men in Hispanic culture would rather appear macho and deny a need for any help with addiction or related problems, Ruben made a conscious decision to move to the United States to escape that way of thinking and living. Surprisingly, all those miles away, his lifeline would come from a new friend who had grown up not far from his hometown. LOVE AND FAMILY Sanchez-Santana first moved to North Carolina, and like a lot of people, enjoyed spending free time on the internet, particularly Facebook. Searching the site one day for friends back in Puerto Rico, Ruben came across a woman living in Tennessee who had his same last name and was raised near San Lorenzo as well. “I decided to send her a message,” he recalls. “We started chatting, and the conversations went well. I visited her in Clarksville, then moved there a year and a half later.” 4
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Ruben and Diana soon married and eventually welcomed their son Raymond. They both have children from previous relationships, and Ruben is a loving stepfather to Diana’s other two kids. While the new romance had brought them great joy, the man whose youth was so overshadowed by abuse and addiction still struggled with the confusion and pain of those memories. Ruben says times remained when, “I felt hopeless and thought no one cared about me, like I was not important to anyone. After all those thoughts I’d want to take my life.” Fortunately, Diana was there to step in and connect her husband with Centerstone, where she had also received health services. Ruben was willing to get ongoing professional help, no longer feeling good about his reactions to triggers of painful memories as he became more irritable and agitated with his wife—trending toward a family pattern he certainly didn’t want to repeat. And while the therapy sessions have been crucial in opening him up to talk about things he hadn’t discussed before, the added benefit of integrated physical care management for Sanchez-Santana in relation to his mental health treatment has been a game changer—a life changer in fact.
“There’s help and freedom here,” he says. “The level of support made me cry. I’d never had that.” THE HEALTH HOME TEAM Dr. Karen Rhea, Centerstone Tennessee's Chief Medical Officer, is a champion of the Health Home model that is transforming Ruben’s approach to life.
Ruben with Valerie Klein, Centerstone Wellness Coordinator
“It is crucial that we work at the interface between physical health conditions and psychiatric disorders because this single point is where we get the largest gains for the patient,” she says. “When someone is dealing with multiple issues, the symptoms often compound one another. If you can make improvements to all of these health issues at once, the patient experiences a transformation in their life that supports continued engagement and further health improvements.” Valerie Klein, Wellness Coordinator at Centerstone in Clarksville, first enrolled Sanchez-Santana into Health Home services. She was there for Ruben’s initial health screening to check any risks of chronic conditions. Confirming his extra weight and heightened cholesterol and blood pressure levels, she helped Ruben obtain a gym membership through his insurance company. He now visits the gym twice a day, doing cardiovascular exercise on the treadmill, bicycle and stair climber each morning followed by weight lifting in the afternoon. Valerie also regularly provides nutrition education and smoking cessation check-ins with her client. Addressing his physical care from every angle has clearly influenced his mental health.
Unity Medical Clinic’s Kristi Gilley checks Ruben’s blood pressure.
Therapist Brian Kjelvik meets with Ruben.
“In the beginning, Ruben’s mood was often depressed,” says Klein. “He would come to every visit either agitated, snappy or visibly upset. Now, most visits he has a smile on his face and is more talkative, happy to share his results with anyone who will listen.” Among those listening is Ruben’s therapist, Brian Kjelvik, who meets with him to work on ways of dealing with everyday stress and depression. continues on page 6
Nurse Practitioner Zoe Panizzi and Ruben discuss medication. CENTERSTONE.ORG
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“We look for positive outlets,” says Kjelvik. “He’s interested in exercise and the gym so, as a treatment team, we encourage him in that. We work on going outside the house instead of staying locked inside the bedroom. Ruben has a puppy now along with his children, so he gets outside to play with all of them. He also attends all of his children’s events and is being more supportive of his family.” Zoe Panizzi, Nurse Practitioner, prescribes medication to Sanchez-Santana for anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder treatment. She meets with him every two or three months and even ran into Ruben in action at the gym once. “He has been very committed to following the treatment team’s recommendations regarding nutrition, exercise, self-care and therapy,” she says. “I feel he is doing very well and is dedicated to being the healthiest version of himself.” MOVING FORWARD Today, Ruben Sanchez-Santana has lowered his weight, cholesterol and blood pressure and raised his hopes for the future. In a life that has seen close to 25 hospitalizations for suicidal ideation and attempts, he has been successful in reducing his need for hospitalization over the past several years. He regularly visits his primary care physician at Unity Medical Clinic (located inside Centerstone) and stays on a healthy eating program with support from Valerie Klein. Through therapy, he has learned to talk more openly about his emotions and in turn be more caring and compassionate toward others. With joy, he tells of recently helping a stranded motorist fix a flat tire (Ruben is a mechanic by trade) and of his focus on moving forward, surviving every single day to help his family. “He’s a good dad, but he spoils the kids,” his wife says with a smile. “Every time my kids need something, he’s there for them. He’s always concerned about them.” About Diana he says, “Thanks to her, I’m here. I want to keep loving her, fixing my life and helping people.” In fact, Ruben is already helping the providers who serve him by participating in a quarterly meeting with Centerstone and Unity Medical Clinic staff to review outcomes of the Health Home model. He expresses any concerns or suggestions he feels are relevant to his treatment and the improved health of other clients. “Centerstone is a good place to get help,” he concludes, speaking to others who may be in need of integrated health care. “Be ready and want to change. You have to want to change.” a 6
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What Is a Health Home? by Mandi Ryan
Navigating our health care system can sometimes feel like being bounced around in a bumper car. You’re bombarded by appointments, tests, suggestions and prescriptions from multiple providers in every direction. A doctor treating you on your right may not know what the one on your left is doing, while some other issue could be barreling toward you from the front. This disjointed environment can be frustrating. And if no one takes a broad look at your total wellbeing to understand how your conditions, providers, medications and medical advice fit together, it also can compromise your health. That challenge in health care today led to the creation of Health Homes, a relatively new concept. What are health homes and how are they meant to work? For starters, a Health Home isn’t actually a home, like a nursing home or group home. Health Homes are usually found at doctors’ offices or clinics and are defined by their value-based, team approach to care coordination. Health Homes offer a comprehensive, integrated approach to care. Upon enrollment, you are assigned a care coordinator who helps take a complete look at any medical conditions you may have – from depression to asthma to heart disease to arthritis – and how you are managing and treating them. This ensures that your health concerns are addressed in harmony, and that treatment – or lack of treatment – for one issue isn’t jeopardizing your ability to manage another. A Health Home team works with you one-onone to help ensure you’re healthy and provide resources needed to improve your quality of life. A personalized care plan is developed based on feedback from your medical and behavioral health care providers. You are linked to appropriate resources to answer any questions and help you schedule and arrange transportation to appointments. Equally important, your Health Home provider is
available to listen and ensure you receive the appropriate follow-up care with your doctors and other health care professionals. At Centerstone, we’ve helped numerous clients improve their overall health and wellbeing through a Health Home approach, achieving goals such as weight loss, better cholesterol and improved emotional health. Among our recipients of integrated care, for example, 84 percent of those with high blood pressure saw lower readings in 12 months. Recipients also reported a 56 percent improvement in anxiety levels and a 53 percent improvement in general health. Participants in Centerstone’s Health Home model of coordinated care give the approach a 98 percent approval rating! Receiving health care doesn’t have to feel like riding bumper cars. In Tennessee, contact us at 877-834-9848 for more information on our Health Home services for TennCare members. a Mandi Ryan, MSN, RN, is Director of Health Care Innovation for Centerstone. CENTERSTONE.ORG
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PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT
Daniel S. Javier, MD
Dr. Daniel S. Javier is a psychiatrist at Centerstone’s Harriet Cohn Center in Clarksville, Tennessee. He provides evaluation services and medication management to help adults and older adults with affective, psychotic and cognitive symptoms and associated behavioral issues. He graduated from Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation at Far Eastern University in Manila, Philippines, and completed his residency in psychiatry at the State University of New York in Long Island. Dr. Javier also completed a Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship in the same university and is board certified in adult and geriatric psychiatry.
What is the most significant advancement you’ve witnessed in mental health?
My first year of residency in psychiatry (1988) was the year that the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), Prozac (fluoxetine) was introduced. It was also during the time of my four-year residency that, the first of the so-called second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) Clozaril (clozapine) came out and became the gold standard for the treatment of schizophrenia. I feel blessed to have practiced psychiatry in the last 29 years—during the rapid growth of psychopharmacology and increasing options for our refractory depressed, manic and psychotic patients. What future advances in the delivery of care excite you the most?
Though there is a current dichotomy in the provision of care in terms of medication management vs. psychosocial and psychotherapeutic aspects of care, I feel optimistic about the direction the mental health field is taking toward successful coordination of these modalities 8
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as we continue to move toward integrated care systems. What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I took the Polar Plunge in the freezing waters of Antarctica. What do you think you would have done if you hadn't chosen this line of work?
When I was still in high school, my interest was in foreign affairs. I wanted to become a diplomat. At that time, the president of the United States was Jimmy Carter and there was still a Soviet Union led by Leonid Brezhnev. My ideal but naïve goal was to have the opportunity to bridge the gap between the two leaders and the two nations. What are pieces of advice that you’ve found useful over the years?
1. Everything happens for a reason. Everything happens for a good reason. And if you want to take it a spiritual step further, everything happens for a God reason. 2. Miguel Ruiz, a Mexican philosopher who wrote The Four Agreements, encourages that you: "Don’t take anything
personally. Nothing that other people say or do is because of you. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you do not become a victim of needless suffering." 3. Lesson from my Mom: When you lose someone dear to you, allow yourself to grieve, but remember to also eventually celebrate the life of your departed loved one. What's on your bucket list?
I have an ongoing bucket list involving world travel. This has allowed me to get a broader view of the world, an appreciation for life's blessings and more insight into the uniqueness of other cultures. My journey has taken me to the Great Wall in Beijing, the Parthenon in Athens, the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City and the icebergs in Antarctica. These landmarks have been awe-inspiring but they also brought me to meeting people from all walks of life and learning more about each other. The common thread of friendship and mutual respect for sure puts the icing (not the iceberg) on the cake. a
SPOTLIGHT ON
Centerstone Therapeutic Foster Care
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It brings joy to my heart when I can help a child and show them what love is.”
—Brittany, Centerstone foster parent
Centerstone provides Therapeutic Foster Care and adoption services for children and teenagers throughout Tennessee. We are regularly looking for loving foster parents willing to open their hearts and homes to children in need. Our Children The foster children we serve are often between 12 and 18 years old, or sibling groups of all ages. Placements can be short or long term as needed. Some children need foster parents while working toward reunification with their families of origin, others need an encouraging home environment while working toward independent living. Centerstone also assists with adoption when that becomes a child’s permanent goal. Treating Trauma via Integrated Services Many foster children and teens have experienced trauma early in life such as physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect. Those experiences can impair their self-esteem, ability to trust and willingness to build relationships. Centerstone is a national leader in treating trauma through integrated physical and mental health services in Therapeutic Foster Care. We help you and your child work through emotional and behavioral struggles while focusing on all aspects of the child’s life including physical, educational, social, spiritual and mental wellbeing.
Training and Support Our foster parents complete a free comprehensive training course. They learn about the complex challenges facing children in state custody so they can better respond to each child’s needs while providing a safe and supportive home. Each child is assigned a Centerstone case manager who comes to the home regularly to ensure children and foster parents receive the essential care and support they need. If more specialized care is needed, we will help provide or coordinate other services such as outpatient counseling. Foster Parents Centerstone foster parents meet the following requirements: • At least 25 years of age • Can be married or unmarried • United States citizenship • Pass medical evaluation, background check • Have room for a child in your home and personal life • Have patience and a desire to help children who need extra care and support a We’re looking for loving families in most Tennessee counties. Contact us at: 1.844.936.7837 fostercare@centerstone.org centerstone.org/fostercare CENTERSTONE.ORG
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Centerstone Receives $4.5 Million Grant for Workforce Reentry Initiative Centerstone Career Connect to provide crime-deterring education, training, employment services and coordination of behavioral health treatment for 500+ young adults exiting justice systems
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As our city continues to grow, we embrace this opportunity to help our young adult residents thrive.” —Nashville Mayor Megan Barry
Centerstone was recently awarded a three-year, $4.5 million grant to implement a U.S. Department of Labor Reentry Demonstration Project for Young Adults. The project goals include preventing and reducing crime in high-risk areas of Middle Tennessee and Southern Illinois by enhancing workforce reentry strategies for 563 people, ages 18 to 24, who have been involved with the juvenile or adult justice systems. Through Centerstone Career Connect, participants receive employment, education and training options and are provided mental health and substance use treatment and other supportive services as needed. Utilizing a Career Pathways approach, participants will learn new work skills, obtain certifications or degrees and develop opportunities for lifelong careers. “We’re excited to serve and motivate people to discover skills best suited for their bright future,” said Centerstone Career Connect Project Director Phyllis Viltz. “Establishing and maintaining a positive life trajectory for these individuals in turn begins to lower crime rates and help employers. Everybody wins.” Centerstone Career Connect will serve 403 people across 17 census tracts in and around downtown Nashville, Tennessee, and 160 additional participants in East St. Louis and Carbondale, Illinois. Specific target goals include improved education and job skills, increased employment, sustained work, successful credentialing, decreased substance use (60 percent), reduction of mental health symptoms (50 percent) and reduced recidivism (25 percent). Referrals may come from courts, probation or parole officers, attorneys, schools and more. Collaborative partners include local employers, police departments and mayor offices. “As our city continues to grow, we embrace this opportunity to help our young adult residents thrive,” said Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. “These efforts to assist in developing productive, responsible, healthy citizens are a key step toward less poverty, a stronger workforce and a greater Nashville community.” a
For more details about Centerstone Career Connect in Tennessee, including specific coverage areas: 615.714.9240 careerconnect.tn@centerstone.org centerstone.org/careerconnect
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From Carnegie Hall to Centerstone Music enthusiasts may recognize Centerstone therapist Michael Samis. After years as an acclaimed cellist with the Nashville Symphony, he pursued social work and has joined our staff at the Davidson County clinic in Madison. Between meetings with clients, we asked Michael how one gets from Carnegie Hall to Centerstone. How did you become a symphony musician? My mother was a violinist with the Cincinnati Symphony for over 45 years. I had a violin in my hands very young, then switched to cello at 13. I was on a single track my whole childhood—coping with the difficulties of growing up by practicing for hours on end. I went to the Cleveland Institute of Music for undergraduate and worked with the first cellist in the Cleveland Orchestra. In 1999 I won a cello position with the Nashville Symphony. What are your favorite music career moments? (1) Making my CD—rediscovering, performing and recording a lost cello concerto from the 1800s, (2) Playing as soloist with the Chattanooga Symphony for the 150th anniversary of the oldest Jewish temple in the South, (3) Great memories as part of the Nashville Symphony—playing Carnegie Hall and opening the Schermerhorn Symphony Center among them. Why shift from musician to therapist? Psychology and sociology were always interests—I took those as electives during music school. During my 13 years with the Nashville Symphony, for which I am very grateful, I wanted more and more to pursue my vision as a psychotherapist, without giving up music. The values and tenets of Social Work align with my own, particularly the obligation to serve society’s most vulnerable populations. What was your path to Centerstone? During my master’s program internships, I worked as a counselor for people addicted to opioids. Then I was a therapist intern at Nashville CARES. There it became clear I love working with survivors of trauma and abuse. My therapeutic relationships and connections with clients—just being a small part of their resilience and change—is most meaningful to me.
After grad school, I had training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Centerstone cares for some of the most traumatized yet resilient survivors in our community, so beginning my practice here is an honor and affords me the opportunity to do what I most want to. Describe a regular day for you at Centerstone. My job is almost all clinical, which I love. Mostly individual therapy, with a little group work and family work. There’s also a lot of “stuff ” that my colleagues and I do in community mental health that I call, “just trying to make things a little better for the client,” such as phone calls, letters and most important—advocacy. What’s most rewarding about working at Centerstone? The most rewarding thing about being a therapist is to help a person feel like a person—not a number, “case,” statistic, diagnosis or appointment. To help someone connect with their own values, dreams, abilities and strengths is the absolute best thing about this job. Are you still an active musician? Yes, and now that I’m a therapist, music has a very important role for me: self-care. It’s an outlet for all of the emotions that I collect throughout the day. a CENTERSTONE.ORG
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Dr. Richard Shelton Named Centerstone Research Institute CEO and Centerstone CMO Centerstone has named Richard C. Shelton, MD as Chief Executive Officer of Centerstone Research Institute and Chief Medical Officer of Centerstone. In these roles, Shelton, a researcher, educator and champion for those with mental illness, will advance the organization’s national clinical programs and lead its efforts to transform the delivery of care for those with mental health and substance use disorders. “Dr. Shelton is a longtime Centerstone friend and collaborator, and we have had the privilege of working with him on a number of research projects,” said David C. Guth Jr., CEO of Centerstone. “We are honored to welcome Dr. Shelton to our leadership team. His insight will be invaluable as we seek to advance the work of Centerstone Research Institute, continue to strengthen and expand our clinical programs and enhance how we care for people of all ages nationally.” At Centerstone, Shelton will be working to ensure the organization has a unified clinical model that uses the most modern, evidence-based practices that provide value to both clients and payers. He also will work to develop new technology, establish new partnerships and create tools and strategies to advance the adoption of evidence-based practices that enhance the practice of behavioral health care nationwide. A veteran researcher and educator, Shelton served on the faculty of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Vanderbilt University Medical Center for nearly three decades. He was the James G. Blakemore Research Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Psychiatry as well as a professor in the Departments of Psychology and Pharmacology. 12
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In 2012, he joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology at the University of Alabama (UAB) at Birmingham as the Charles Byron Ireland Professor, Vice Chair for Research and head of the Mood Disorders Research Program. He will maintain his UAB appointment as he joins Centerstone. An active researcher, Shelton’s work has focused on the development of new treatments for depression and bipolar disorder, including identifying potential new targets for treatment, prevention of serious mental illnesses, testing novel therapies and identifying biomarkers of both the disease and treatment response. To date, he has been a part of more than 100 funded research studies from the National Institutes of Health, other federal agencies, foundations and corporations. He also has provided original research, reports, reviews, commentaries and book chapters to more than 350 publications. Shelton has been recognized nationally not only for his research, but also his commitment to advancing the treatment and care for those with mental illness. In 1994 and 2012, he was awarded the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award for his service to persons with serious and persistence mental illness. He also received the Dorothea Dix Professional Service Award from the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Centers in 2007 in recognition of his impact on the state’s psychiatry practice. Shelton obtained his bachelor’s in biology from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, and attended medical school at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. He served as Chief Resident at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. After completing his residency, he served as a research fellow at the National Institutes of Mental Health Intramural Program in Washington, DC. a
PHILANTHROPY IN ACTION Ambassadors Circle ACEs Event Series
Employees Donate to Diaper Drive
Panelists and presenters included (from left) Mallori Cain of Hope Clinic for Women) and Ingrid Cockhren of ACE Nashville, as well as Centerstone's Jeremy Davaloz (Early Childhood Services) and Elizabeth Ball (Center for Clinical Excellence).
Shown here organizing Diaper Drive items are Centerstone’s Director of Advancement Jeney Slusser and Advancement Coordinator Rebecca Davis.
Centerstone's Ambassadors Circle joined with ACE Nashville to host the first of three events in the "Adverse Child Experiences (ACE): Building Strong Brains" Speakers Series. Presenters at the Lentz Public Health Center gathering discussed how toxic stress affects children during stages of critical early development (ages 0-5).
Centerstone Military Services Receives Hidden Heroes Grant The Elizabeth Dole Foundation announced Centerstone Military Services among the recipients of its Hidden Heroes grant, dedicated to supporting innovative programs making a direct impact in the lives of America’s military and veteran caregivers. “The Hidden Heroes grant will enable us to extend online support services to military services members, their loved ones and caregivers,” said Kent Crossley, Executive Director of Centerstone Military Services. “Estimates show 75 percent of those who suffer combat trauma don’t receive adequate treatment, creating the potential for long-term effects on them and those who share their lives. We’re grateful to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation for selecting Centerstone Military Services as a recipient of this grant.”
Centerstone employees recently participated in a Diaper Drive to benefit families aided by our Early Childhood Services. Diapers, baby wipes, pacifiers, rattles, lotion and more are being distributed to new families throughout Middle Tennessee.
Classroom Garden Funded by Centerstone Staff “Mini grant” funds provided by Centerstone staff members continue making a big difference for clients in need. Employee giving recently provided a classroom garden for students in Hamilton County, Tennessee plus sand therapy trays for 25 schools. Staff-generated funds also purchased ageappropriate clinical resources that further play therapy and character development skills. They even helped cover costs of promoting clinician and client self-care through alternativebased therapy School-Based Therapist (mindfulness, breathing Tonya Daniel exercises, relaxation techniques and yoga) from certified instructors during twice-monthly peer supervision. a
Want to receive monthly mental health tips and updates about Centerstone’s work in the community? Sign up for Hope and Healing, our new e-newsletter by contacting foundation@centerstone.org CENTERSTONE.ORG
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NEWS&NOTES Centerstone’s Jai Taylor, Wellness Coach (left), and Stephanie Cooper, Wellness Coordinator (right), meet with client Nora Wood at a local YMCA.
Becky Stoll (left) and Dr. Jennifer Lockman (right) in Sydney, Australia, at the 3rd International Summit of Zero Suicide in Healthcare.
Centerstone Quality Care Coordinator Danielle Duke poses with members of the women’s parenting class at Maury County Jail.
Tennessean Features Health Home Client Centerstone client Nora Wood was featured in The Tennessean. The newspaper highlighted significant health improvements she has achieved since coordinating her behavioral and physical care. “I feel like I like myself a lot better than I used to,” Nora said. “I just feel good.”
Zero Suicide Summit in Australia Becky Stoll, Centerstone Vice President of Crisis & Disaster Management, and Dr. Jennifer Lockman, Centerstone Research 14
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Institute Program Evaluator, visited Sydney, Australia, for the 3rd International Summit of Zero Suicide in Healthcare. Presenting to health care professionals from 16 countries, they shared how Centerstone has successfully implemented the Zero Suicide model in the United States.
Early Childhood Services Helps Women Inmates Danielle Duke, Early Childhood Services Quality Care Coordinator, helped lead Centerstone’s first women’s parenting class in the Maury County Jail. The Inside/Out curriculum for mothers who are inmates helps reduce recidivism
Centerstone’s Mandi Ryan is shown here with Ellyn Wilbur (TAMHO) and Dr. Kellye Hudson (Helen Ross McNabb Center) at TAMHO annual conference.
rates by encouraging stronger connections with families and by teaching key parenting and communication skills.
Mandi Ryan Presents at TAMHO Conference Following the launch of Centerstone Health Link (a service providing whole-person coordinated health care), Mandi Ryan, Director of Health Care Innovation, led a presentation on Behavioral Health Integration at the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO) conference. The annual event’s theme was “Vision for the Future: Transition to Value-Based Care.”
Centerstone Peer Support Services clients arrive at War Memorial Auditorium where their artwork was displayed for Mental Health Day on the Hill.
(from left) Prevention Services team members Haley Stocker (Team Leader), Ian Skotte (Senior Media Specialist), Cierra Buckner—AKA “Spark” (Outreach Specialist) and Ashleigh Hall (Program Coordinator)
Chelsea Morgado (left) and Jeremy Davaloz (right) from Centerstone Early Childhood Services display one of 50 “Newborn Nests” being distributed to Middle Tennessee clients.
Clients Brighten Day on the Hill Peer Support Services at Centerstone provide a safe, supportive environment where clients gain confidence, build social skills, make new friends and engage in learning activities. Artwork from several Centerstone Peer Support Services clients was displayed at War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville for Mental Health Day on the Hill.
Centerstone Staff Run 5K for Mental Health Centerstone employees gathered early on a Saturday to take part in the 2017 National Alliance on
Centerstone staff gather beneath the "Reflection" statue in East Nashville’s Shelby Park during the NAMI Davidson County 5K event.
Mental Illness (NAMI) Davidson County 5K and Walk at Shelby Park in East Nashville. It was a beautiful morning of exercise, friendship, music, food and fun. All told, Centerstone raised more than $1,400 to support local community mental health efforts!
Early Childhood Services Team Packs Newborn Nests The Tennessee Department of Health asked Centerstone to help pilot a project evaluating the effectiveness of “Newborn Nests.” These cute cardboard boxes— already used in other countries— may improve safe sleep practices. Each box includes a mattress,
sheet, pacifier, night light, infant onesie, safe sleep flyer and more. Fifty nests will be distributed throughout Maury, Dickson, Hickman, Lewis, Lawrence, Giles and Coffee Counties.
Prevention Services Brings Comic Character to Life Centerstone’s Prevention Services team has brought a character from its popular series of original comic books to life! Look for “Spark” to appear live in action at youth events throughout Middle Tennessee educating teens, parents and educators about the social issues facing adolescents today. Enjoy the comics at whoyouwant2be.org. a CENTERSTONE.ORG
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© Photo by Joni Kabana
Reclaiming Lives Luncheon Features Bestselling Author Cheryl Strayed
CHERYL STRAYED
Natalie Grant performs
Centerstone recently hosted its third annual Reclaiming Lives Luncheon at Richland Country Club in Nashville. Cheryl Strayed, New York Times bestselling author of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, was the featured keynote speaker. This annual fundraising event benefits Centerstone clients across Tennessee while providing attendees with an afternoon of fun and friendship. Strayed’s popular memoir (adapted to a film starring Reese Witherspoon) chronicles her 1,100 mile West Coast solo hike toward self-discovery in the wake of personal loss, substance use and broken relationships— all issues that Centerstone helps tens of thousands with across Middle Tennessee each year. With insight and 16
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Lisa Hentrich, Ste Ross, Mimi Dohler, Kelly Wegner
humor, Cheryl shared stories from her book and other personal life experiences, helping spread a message of hope and healing to more than 250 people in attendance. Dr. Bob Vero, Chief Executive Officer of Centerstone Tennessee, welcomed guests to the event. Other speakers included the Reverend Canon Fred Dettwiller and Janet Ayers (Centerstone Tennessee board members) and R. Parker Griffith (Centerstone Tennessee board chair) as well as Lorie Duke and Troy Solarek who co-chaired the luncheon. Sperry Bell Simmons and Karen Bell Moore served as honorary chairs. The event also featured a special musical performance from 2017 GRAMMY Award nominee Natalie Grant. Her stirring song “Burn Bright” reminded listeners that,
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Cheryl Strayed, Troy Solarek
Jennifer Puryear, Beverly Little, Noel Pinson, Barbara Keith Payne, Dara Russell
Troy Solarek, Lorie Duke, Cheryl Strayed, Dr. Bob Vero, Jeney Slusser
Liz Vaughan, Eliza Brunson, Susan Weathersby
Kelly Crockett Crook, Kelly Wegner, Angie Gentry, Traci Hamilton, Sophie Ragir
“You were made to shine / You were made for life / You can rise up from the ashes (and) make something beautiful of all the broken pieces.� Presenting sponsors of the Reclaiming Lives Luncheon were FirstBank and The Ayers Foundation. Other sponsors included OGA, DVL Seigenthaler, DWC Construction, HCA/TriStar Health, Nashville Office Interiors and Dr. JJ Wendell. Attendee gift bag items were donated by FirstBank, Olive Vitality and Foodie Nash. Local boutiques fashionABLE, Dally Sisters, K. McCarthy, Riley Land and The Dotted Line offered shopping before and after the event.
David Guth, Janet Ayers
Tash Weddle, Michelle Mitchell, Karen Clark, Jeanie Rittenberry, Kristen Osborne, Emily Seivers
Lorie Duke, Mary Smith, Kate Satz, Dana Oman, Troy Solarek
Centerstone board members Kelly Crockett Crook, Jill Obremskey, Dana Oman, Kate Satz and Sperry Bell Simmons. a For more about this event, contact foundation@centerstone.org Presenting Sponsors:
Table sponsors included Julie Allen, Eliza Brunson, Lorie Duke, Jennifer Gray, Meredith Griffith, Karen Bell Moore, Dara Russell, Troy Solarek, Mary Wilson and CENTERSTONE.ORG
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Board Member Spotlight: Dana Oman Centerstone board members humbly donate time and resources toward our purpose of delivering care that changes people’s lives. We’d like to introduce some of them here, starting with Dana Oman who serves as Secretary for the Centerstone Tennessee board. She holds a master’s degree in Human Development and Counseling from Vanderbilt University and has taught elementary school in two Middle Tennessee counties. How did you learn about Centerstone?
As a teacher, I referred families to Dede Wallace Center (now Centerstone) if they needed counseling. I first volunteered for their “Eggshibition” fundraiser, then with Ginger Bread World, the Giving Card and at the Therapeutic Preschool. Why did you become a board member?
I’d served in many different volunteer roles with Centerstone. My husband and I spent time with CEO
Bob Vero at a patron’s party we hosted and, soon after, he asked if I’d serve on the board. Lee Ann Ingram also had something to do with it; I had attended a luncheon she hosted introducing people to Centerstone and our mission. What are you most passionate about among our line of services?
I’m still very passionate about all of our services for children and families, but my experience on the board has also introduced me to services for other populations. Mental illness touches so many people, and there is hope. My passion is making sure that hope in the form of care is available to everyone. Describe the “Rewarding Experiences for the Board” workgroup.
We plan special presentations to educate the board about specific Centerstone services and arrange site visits so board members can see our facilities, talk with staff and meet individuals we serve. I’m always inspired and deeply touched after these events. Centerstone staff are some of the most professional, passionate and caring people I’ve ever met. a