ISSUE
12
September 2023
All Center News
Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center of St. Clair County Inc.
505 South Eighth Street • East St. Louis, IL 62201
Joseph Harper
Executive Director
Jonnie Barkley
Executive Secretary
(618) 482-7330
Brian Stewart
Chief Operating Officer
(618) 482-7630
Dr. Lawrence Casey
Medical Director
(618) 482-7630
Mary Jackson
Quality Assurance
(618) 482-7337
Shakira Dorsey
Human Resources Director
(618) 482-7381
LT Nash
Building Manager
(618) 482-7633
David McCosky
Inventory Specialist
(618) 261-7010
Rachel Ball
Records
(618) 482-7626
Mary Neufeld-Wall
Tele-Health Manager
(618) 482-2574
Rita Byrd
Therapy & Transition
(618) 482-7617
Rena Vantreece
Child & Adolescent
(618) 482-7613
Daryl Rice
Dir. SMARTS/ARTS
Methadone Services
(618) 261-7041
Gia Moore
Parenting for Success
(618) 482-7354
Keonna Pittman
Food & Nutrition
(618) 261-7039
Kelly Clemons
Housing Program
(618) 261-7616
Mike Nichols
Crisis Manager
(618) 261-7023
Carla Ellis
Assistant Program Manager
(618) 482-8401
Karen Jamison
Residential Services
(618) 274-6422
Aubrey Yates
Fathers & Families
(618) 482-7348
Knowledge Is Power
This newsletter’s purpose is to share information about The Center’s people and activities, in each department and by each employee, in order to highlight the contributions made by all in helping The Center reach its goals.
The Center’s Internet address is: cbhc1.org
You can also check us out on Facebook.
Front Desk
(618) 482-7330
Hours of Operation
8:00am – 5:00pm
Memo from Management
Construction of the CBHC Living Room will begin in the next few weeks. Living rooms provide a place for individuals suffering from a mental health crisis to visit and receive care instead of being placed in the ER.
Center staff are meeting with the ESTL Police Department and to determine how we may collaborate on service needs in the community.
CBHC has numerous employment positions available. If you know anyone who would be a good fit for The Center, check out our current positions on Indeed.
September’s Employee of the Month
Rachel Ball, is the Employee of the Month for September 2023.
Ms. Ball was nominated because of the outstanding work she did helping a client in dire need.
Rachel has also done an exceptional job when the nurse was out. Ms. Ball stepped up and filled in. In fact, she did triple duty, helping to train the new nurse while never missing a beat with her usual duties in her department.
Ms. Ball has always stepped in and assisted wherever she is needed. She is truly an asset to The Center.
Her work ethic and pleasant personality are always genuinely appreciated
Thank You!!
A big thank you to Keonna, Chris, and Girtha for the tasty chili we all enjoyed on Friday.
Not only did the kitchen team provide us with a wonderful treat on Friday, they are there for us every day making sure our consumers and staff have magnificent meals to enjoy.
Get in the News
Each month’s newsletter can be found at: Cbhc1.org/Newsletter.
Questions, comments, or content suggestions can be sent to: Newsletter@Cbhc1.org.
Important Dates
The cutoff for newsletter content suggestions is the last weekday of the preceding month.
Going forward, the newsletter will be published on the second Monday of every month.
Recovery Conference
Our 2023 recovery conference was a HUGE SUCCESS. Most of those in attendance had only wonderfully positive things to say.
We’d like to send out a huge and heartfelt thank you to each and every member of the CBHC family who made the event an excellent experience!
Recovery in the LGBT Community
Community wellness came through in the clutch to make this workshop wonderful. This phenomenal workshop and talk taught what recovery feels like in the LGBT community, and how to help and member of the LGBT community during recovery.
Wellness from the Ground Up
This wonderful workshop was taught by Cindy Matthew. We learned how to keep trauma from interfering with your recovery and wellness. Cindy even provided actionable steps everyone in attendance could use to improve their wellness while in recovery.
Keynote From Chaz Frankie
Chaz gave a wonderful and captivating keynote speech where the audience learned how to use self-care while recovering. His talk also covered why recovery is important and how to incorporate recovery into your daily routines
Relapse Prevention
Our very own Daryll Rice captivated the audience as he taught relapse prevention and how to develop a Relapse Prevention Plan. The objective was to teach individuals in the early stages of their recovery how to identify potential triggers that lead to relapse.
New Arrivals at Parenting for Success
Parenting for Success wants to give a big welcome to their new teammates and a big round of applause to a teammate who is rising through the ranks here at The Center.
Let’s hear it for (from left to right) Amara Jordan – Home Visitor, – Taylor Shy, New Coordinated Intake Worker – DeAundra Tunstall, Home Visitor!
We thank Gia and the lovely ladies of Parenting for Success for letting us know what’s going on with their team.
On behalf of all of The Center, we’d like to extend a warm, joyful welcome to the newest members of the CBHC family.
September’s Birthdays
Wishing a BIG happy birthday to all of those in the CBHC family!
Who’s New
Poet’s Corner
September’s poem was submitted by Kenya Hooper from the drop-in center. It was composed by Helen Keller.
It is truly inspirational to see such a beautiful, relatable poem was composed by someone who interacted with the world in a way completely foreign to all but a few throughout history.
In the Garden of the Lord
The word of God came unto me,
Sitting alone among the multitudes;
And my blind eyes were touched with light.
And there was laid upon my lips a flame of fire.
I laugh and shout for life is good,
Though my feet are set in silent ways.
In merry mood I leave the crowd
To walk in my garden. Ever as I walk
I gather fruits and flowers in my hands.
And with joyful heart I bless the sun
That kindles all the place with radiant life.
I run with playful winds that blow the scent
Of rose and jessamine in eddying whirls.
At last I come where tall lilies grow,
Lifting their faces like white saints to God.
While the lilies pray, I kneel upon the ground;
I have strayed into the holy temple of the Lord.
Crossword Puzzle
The first person who submits the most correct answers to the front desk newsletter@cbhc1.org will receive a ticket for a free lunch. Hard copies are available at the front desk.
August’s Crossword Puzzle Answer Key
Pet Connection
Meet Hayden Ellis'(Mobile Crisis Responder) clowder of cats: Nox, Smoreo, and Auggie.
They like to play in the sink and attack Hayden’s legs. They also like to climb Christmas trees and other things they shouldn’t touch.
These crazy kittens recently locked Hayden out of the house by knocking over a board and wedging it between the door and the wall. Thankfully, Hayden got in. It could have been a cat-astrophe!
Center Stage: Nutrition Services
Nutrition services, or more commonly referred to as our heroes in the kitchen. Keonna Pittman and Chris Rhodes know a hungry workplace is not a happy workplace. Whether you look forward to the chicken wings, Friday’s fish sandwich or you just realized you forgot lunch, our dynamic culinary team is always there with a tasty meal to make each day a little better.
But this terrific, tasty treat trio doesn’t just keep everyone fed for lunch and bail us out when we forget our lunch box at home. They cook all the meals for SMARTS and ARTS. Not to mention, they categorize and deliver the food to our residential programs.
Who could forget, the holiday and special occasion luncheons!
Keonna is the kitchen leader. Armed with a degree in culinary arts, serious skill in the kitchen, and a can-do attitude she plans menus, keeps the kitchen running smoothly, and the meals coming. Her favorite part of being the Kitchen Commander is interacting with many different members of the Comprehensive family each and every day.
Christopher Rhodes has been a rocksteady employee of The Center for 3 years. He makes sure our consumers stay over the weekends are well fed and ready for success. Preparing food is his passion. He knows enjoying a meal is a visual treat as well. It’s his goal to make every meal he serves look great and taste even better.
Girtha Anderson is the most tenured member of our kitchen heroes and has continually been someone we can all count on in the kitchen.
We extend a tremendous thank you to our Kitchen Crusaders for all they do for not only CBHC employees but also the consumers who are most in need.
And I don’t know about you, but I for one am already looking forward to the holiday feast.
Get in the News
Each month’s newsletter can be found at: Cbhc1.org/Newsletter.
Questions, comments, or content suggestions can be sent to: Newsletter@Cbhc1.org.
Important Dates
The cutoff for newsletter content suggestions is the last weekday of the following month.
Going forward, the newsletter will be published on the second Monday of every month.