Member Profile: Cary Kuhlmann and Amy Anderson

Inclusive Counseling Care

The idea that everyone should have access to quality, affordable professional mental health counseling services and care is a core principle of The Samaritan Counseling Center, which was founded in 1997 as part of a plan by the First United Methodist Church of Montgomery. Since that time, the Center has served thousands of River Region individuals and families.

CARY KUHLMANN

The not-for-profit Samaritan Counseling Center of Montgomery is on a mission to aid all who are struggling with broken relationships, battling substance abuse and addiction or dealing with mental health issues. Executive Director Cary Kuhlmann is leading the charge and rallying his board and staff around their shared dedication to the Center’s goals.

Are you from Montgomery? I was born and raised in New Orleans. I came here in June 1997 as Executive Director of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.

How long have you worked with The

Samaritan Counseling Center? I joined the board in 2015 and became Executive Director in November 2016.

What is the Center’s primary mission and

what are its primary services? To provide faith-informed mental health services, educational programming and professional counseling to all in need in the River Region through a wellness-oriented philosophy emphasizing mind, body and spirit. Our counselors address the full spectrum of mental health issues.

What are your primary responsibilities and

duties? I oversee the general operations of the Center, working closely with our Clinical Director, Office Manager, Development and Marketing Manager and Revenue Cycle Manager.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of

your work? Working with an outstanding group of professionals and Board of Directors all of whom are committed to the success of the Center.

Has the Center achieved any recent

milestones or received recent honors? The Center was accredited recently by the Solihten (formerly Samaratin) Institute, a national organization of more than 40 faith-based mental health counseling centers across the country.

What are your interests outside of

work? Family, golf (lots of golf) and traveling (which includes golf).

Communicating as a Leader

Outstanding communication is a fundamental requirement for a leader’s positive influence.

As leaders, we must demonstrate resilience, empathy, transparency and digital fluency to ensure everyone has a voice in creating the future of work. But communication is also a necessary skill all leaders need. Need proof? Studies show that 75 percent of workers who voluntarily left their jobs did so because of their bosses and not the position itself. Studies also reveal that these employees leave bad bosses and bad managers almost always due to their poor communication skills.

One key to fixing the issue is understanding the vast diversity in communication styles. It’s essential that leaders invest the required time to identify key characteristics in others. Building understanding and acceptance of communication preferences that are different from our own is the path to communicating with, and ultimately, leading our team, more effectively.

Start by asking a few basic questions:

• Are your team members analytical, practical, rational or experimental in their communication style? • Do they focus on purpose, possibilities, process or people?

SPONSORED CONTENT Armed with the answers, try these simple steps to improving your communication skills:

• Be present. Remove distractions (phones and other devices). • Know and focus on your audience. • Hold some basic communications training for your team, including communication style assessments. • Listen more than you speak. Use body language and non-verbals to show you understand. • Always keep learning. Effective leaders embrace lifelong learning and self-improvement.

Professional development in crucial areas like effective communication will give you and your team the competitive edge you need to succeed. TROY Continuing Education and Outreach offers assessments that will help your team with self-awareness, and training programs that will help you thrive.

Laura Chambliss

Outreach Director Continuing Education and Outreach, Troy University

Continuing Education and Outreach

CUSTOMIZED TRAINING

TROY CE&O can customize training topics to your organization, and our diverse team of trainers will engage your team with innovative, highly effective in-person or live-virtual learning solutions.

Contact us for your organizational needs! 334-983-0005 continuinged@troy.edu

ONLINE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

We offer a wide range of online certifi cate programs aligned with industry recognized standards in accounting, human resource management, project management, technology and more.

VIRTUAL COACHING

Ready to grow? Whether you need coaching in leadership, professionalism, performance management, personal branding or career enhancement, our executive coaches can assist. Coaching sessions can be conducted virtually, at a time that is convenient for your schedule.

AMY ANDERSON

Doing More Good

In April 2002, RCA incorporated a nonprofit called RCA Foundation to help battle the rise of substance use. Certified with the Alabama Department of Mental Health, the Foundation is capable of serving Medicaid and indigent individuals suffering from addiction issues and concerns. Reclamation Center of Alabama is also starting a holistic program to strengthen its clients’ minds, bodies and spirits on their road to recovery. Amy Anderson started Reclamation Center of Alabama to help people win the fight against addiction. She knows her efforts are making great strides but also knows there’s still work to do.

When and why did you start Reclamation

Center of Alabama? It started in 2015 to help remove barriers to treatment like transportation, childcare and advocacy for individuals in rural areas who were seeking treatment for substance issues. My father suffered from addiction for many years, and I worked with him through his addiction and beyond. He has stumbled along the way, but he has maintained sobriety and prolonged his life as a result. It was really rewarding to see.

What are the Center’s mission and primary

services? Our mission is “Teaching individuals to reclaim the lives they once had through strength and recovery.” Our services include assessments/therapy (individual, group and family); skill building; mental health coordination/ case management; crisis, jail and hospital assessments. We make referrals for the following services with community partners: detox services and higher levels of care; MAT referrals; and medical, dental and hospital referrals. We have recently started concierge services that are paid out of pocket for individuals in prominent professional positions who would like for their treatment to remain confidential.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your

work? Seeing the happiness on someone’s face when they are given grace and understanding instead of judgement for their mistakes.

What would you like to see happen here in substance abuse and mental health care?

Since 2018, I have inquired about telehealth services for individuals in Alabama to reach more and teach more people how to recover from addiction concerns. I would like to see more out-of-the-box thinking on how providers operate with technology to reach more people consistently.

What are your interests outside of work?

I enjoy spending time with my husband. It means a lot because we are both business owners and entrepreneurs, so spending time together is always milestone.

rcofal.com