NEWS & NOTES

While training to become a Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor, I heard about an acronym they use in Hawaii -- “MAMA” = meaningful adult, meaningful activity. Among other protective factors, a youth having at least one meaningful adult and meaningful activity in their lives greatly increases their resiliency. Growing up, I had many meaningful adults and meaningful activities supporting the development of who I am today. A time that these MAMAs were especially helpful was

The homeless outreach team will tell you, because I mentioned it multiple times in my interview, I do what I do because I want to help people. I never knew exactly what I wanted to do. I had dreams that I knew would never come true but once I realized I wanted to help those in need, all it took was some searching and I was so under qualified but so lucky to be hired as a homeless outreach PATH case manager. I wish I had the length to explain why I do what I do, in depth. But

During this current crisis, 100 percent of my clients have asked about me and my family, wanting me to be safe, not certain “what they would do if something happened to me.” Clients have purchased masks and gloves for me, insisting that I be safe, no matter what. My people cry when I bring them a box of food, and they have NEVER asked or demanded I do so; they do not want me to be unsafe. When I meet with them via phone meetings or walk-and-talks, they are able to tell me in

I am deeply honored to be the recipient of the Bert Nash 2020 Lyn Smith Award. It means so very much to me to think that my friends and colleagues at Bert Nash find me worthy of this prestigious award. It was my great fortune to join the Bert Nash Endowment Board at a time of growth and innovation, at a time when resources were becoming more and more scarce. It was a time when we envisioned a new way of articulating and sharing the mental health needs in Douglas County. It wa

I am a peer support specialist, and as the name implies, I help others work on their own mental health symptoms and challenges. I myself have received services over the years from the amazing people at Bert Nash. As a peer support specialist, I share with others my experience, hope, and strengths, so that they too can be on a path to a strong recovery. At Bert Nash, we talk about restoring lives as a mission statement. For me, the providers at Bert Nash helped me move past th