NEWS & NOTES

I began my career standing at the bars of the Des Moines City Jail, interviewing people to see if they qualified for release on their own recognizance or release with treatment services. Since then, I have visited jails and prisons in multiple states. I know we have a major problem with mass incarceration in our country. If you have a serious mental illness in America, you are 10 times more likely to be in prison or jail than in a hospital. How can I support expanding the Dou

Lawrence Chapman was one of the Van Go student artists who worked on the mural at Bert Nash. It took all of eight weeks to complete the design and painting of the mural on the second floor of the Bert Nash Center. That was 14 years ago. But the impact the mural has on children and families who visit the second floor of the Center lives on. “It’s great to hear it’s still having an impact,” said Lawrence Chapman, who was one of the student artists who worked on the project. “It

Everyone could use some TLC. For people who struggle with depression, that is especially true. In this case, TLC stands for Therapeutic Lifestyle Change, rather than tender loving care. Preliminary research suggests that Therapeutic Lifestyle Change is an effective treatment for depression. Bert Nash offers a TLC group that meets every Tuesday. It’s an open group, so a client can join at any point. “The group is very diverse,” said a client who attends the TLC group. “There

Mental Health First Aid is life-changing and can be life-saving. I took the course at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center five years ago when I was a health reporter for a television station and newspaper. I wanted to be better educated about mental health because I interviewed people who suffered mental disorders, attempted suicide, and had lost loved ones who died by suicide. I wanted to make sure I was asking the right questions and sending the appropriate messages th

School's out, and that means its time for the Bert Nash Summer Program. The program, called Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds, will run from June 7th to July 28th and will involve about 75 kids. It’s a lifesaver for parents who struggle to fill their children’s time with fun and interesting activities during the summer holidays, and it can teach them important life skills. "We have a lot of kids this year," said Rhonda Stubbs, who oversees the program and leads the group for eleme