NEWS & NOTES

Congratulations, Erin Walker, for winning the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare’s 2018-19 Margo Award for Exceptional Performance in MSW Clinical Practicum! Erin has been a WRAP (Working to Recognize Alternative Possibilities) intern at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. WRAP is a Bert Nash school-based mental health program, which is a partnership with Lawrence Public Schools and Eudora Schools. Way to go, Erin! We’re proud of you!

Diane Werner has been doing case management work at the Bert Nash Center for 22 years. And no two days have been the same. Which is one of the many things she has liked about the job.“ There’s no typical day,” Werner said. “It varies from day to day. It’s never dull.” Werner’s last day at Bert Nash is June 18. She’s moving on to become a residential housing specialist for HOPE House (a housing program for people who are recovering from addiction) and working with the Lawrence

When Susan Murphy, a Bert Nash peer support specialist, talks about her client, who chose to be identified by her initials KT, she couldn’t be prouder. “The progress she has made, it makes it all worthwhile, to see the results, to see her happy,” Murphy said. As a peer support specialist, Murphy provides support and shares her personal recovery story with others, like KT, who have a mental illness and are working on their own recovery. KT has been a Bert Nash client for many

Beth Ankerholz may be a short-timer — her last day at the Bert Nash Center will be Aug. 2. But she sure can’t be accused of mailing it in. Even as Ankerholz gets closer to that final day, she continues to work just as hard as she has done for the past 30 years. She does whatever is required to meet the needs of the Center. “I don’t know how to be any other way,” said the Bert Nash IT director. “I just can’t do it. It’s not me. There’s too much to do.” Ankerholz will retire af

The Golden Years – those years after retirement when a person is supposed to be enjoying life – aren’t always so golden. In fact, they can be pretty dark. To be honest, those so-called “golden years” sometimes become the most boring time of life. There is a reason why youth is known to be a blessing. When you are young, you are perhaps more energetic, more lively, more desired, and easily conversed with. It is the time when people often think about starting a new life with a