It is hard to believe, but here we are in the eleventh month of 2009 and the busy holiday season is about to be upon us.  Before we become engrossed in all of the festivities, let us each take a moment to reflect on the important work that we are a part of at Cenpatico.

November is Children’s Mental Health Month and a time of Thanksgiving.  Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to express my thanks to all of our providers, caregivers and dedicated behavioral health staff to making the world a better place for the over one million children who are our members. It is important to remember that everything we do from the time we read our first email of the day, process a claim, run a report, take a phone call or attend a meeting, we are engaged in a process with the goal of providing needed services to vulnerable people, many of them children.

While our industry is taking a hit in the media as of late, it is my belief that we can be very proud of the work that we are doing.  Our time, energy and the majority of our resources are spent ensuring that members access good care and making sure that our providers are paid appropriately for doing so.  We know that services and supports for our members is what facilitates recovery and that behavioral health issues need not be life-limiting.

I am particularly grateful at this time for our providers who are the closest to our members and carry out some of the most important work imaginable.  I experienced this in a very personal way in the last month when a dear friend of almost 30 years and Cenpatico provider in our Kansas market, died unexpectedly.  At his memorial service the room was packed with people whose lives were changed by this dear man.  Most touching were the numbers of young people who came forward to pay tribute to a clinician who they felt literally saved their lives by listening, providing counsel and direction and most important, by inspiring hope.  They told of a man who went above and beyond the therapy session to intervene with caseworkers, teachers, employers to advocate for them.   The impact of his work was not celebrated on a daily basis and he did not seek recognition for it.  However, his legacy lives on in the thousands of lives he impacted through his work.   It is my hope that we can all feel that we are a part of such work as well.  So thank you all, for your dedication and hard work for our members.  Throughout the county people are better off today because of you.

Marsha McMann MSW

Director of Foster Care STAR Health

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