Cenpatico Blog

Cenpatico President and Chief Executive Officer Sam Donaldson joined acting NAMI-Austin President Cathy Weaver to talk about Saturday’s 2010 NAMI Austin Walk on FOX 7’s Good Day Austin morning program on Thursday.

The 2010 NAMI Austin Walk begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Auditorium Shores, where walkers will take to the streets to reduce the stigma of mental illness and raise awareness for people and families affected by mental illness.

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Cenpatico, Superior HealthPlan and the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Austin (NAMI) are set to take a collective step to reduce the stigma of mental illness and raise awareness for people and families affected by mental illness with the NAMI Austin Walk on Saturday.  Cenpatico and Superior HealthPlan are proud to be the Presenting Sponsors for this year’s walk.

The event, a 5K (3.1-mile) walk, is NAMI-Austin’s largest annual fundraiser and will send hundreds of walkers on a route that begins and ends at Auditorium Shores – located at the corner of W. Riverside and 1st St. across from RunTex – with a midway point of the State Capitol Building.

As of Thursday, all registered walkers and teams raised a combined total of more than $153,000 for NAMI-Austin. The joint Cenpatico-Superior HealthPlan team and its 160 registered walkers have raised more than $8,300. Click here to view the Cenpatico-Superior Team Page.

Registration for the event begins at 8 a.m. with the walk scheduled for a 9 a.m. start at Auditorium Shores.

The 2010 NAMI Austin Walk is also a pet-friendly event. Walkers are asked to keep their pets on a leash. Water bowls will be provided at the Walk site and in front of the Capitol.

A Yoga Warm-Up with Caroline McCarter of YogaRX and a live musical performance by Lonnie and The Texas Connection will kick-off Saturday’s activities from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Team photos will also be taken during that time courtesy of Jorge Reyes Photography.

Other activities of the NAMI Austin Walk include face painting and balloon animals and a special exhibit from AstraZeneca, “The Bipolar Journey.”

Walkers are encouraged to carpool or take public transportation. Capital Metro bus routes 5, 10, 30, L and M will provide service to the Walk site. Free parking will be available for NAMI Walkers at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road, at the corner of Barton Springs Road and S. 1st St.; and City Hall Garage, 301 W. 2^nd St., where the parking garage entrance is located on Lavaca between Cesar Chaves and 2nd St.

For more information on the NAMI Austin Walk, click here. For more information on NAMI-Austin, click here.

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Ari Salcedo, Foster Care Trainer at Cenpatico, was recently commended for her involvement with the Quinceañera /Sweet Sixteen party hosted by the the Foster Care Parent Association- El Paso Chapter.  Annually, the Foster Care Parent Association throws this party for foster care children in El Paso who are turning 15 and 16 years of age. This celebration is an important rite of passage and introduces these young men and women to society in El Paso. The event took place this year at El Campanario Ballroom on Friday, August 20. The association raised money and asked for donations in the community throughout the year preceding this event. Local agencies donate formal wear, photography and other items to help celebrate these children coming of age.

Salcedo was heavily involved in the planning meetings and fund raising events in the community. At the Quinceañera /Sweet Sixteen party, Salcedo announced the name of each young girl and young boy , introducing them to the crowd. She spoke of about the responsibility and importance of being an adolescent. She stressed why this celebration is important and how these young men and women have choices in life- choices for an education, finding your dream job, and reaching as high as possible…but that it is up to the individual.

“I felt honored to be asked by Foster Care Parent Association to assist with this event, the association has been very supportive and constantly looking to Cenpatico for trainings,” said Salcedo.

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Advocates with an aim to raise awareness for those affected by Depression are gearing up for the walk of a lifetime. Beginning Saturday, Aug. 14, a handful of volunteers will depart St. Louis, Mo., to take part in The Walk to Washington, D.C. for Depression Awareness.

The event, an 835-mile, 50-day walk to our nation’s capitol, will help raise awareness for those affected by depression. Volunteer walkers will attempt to gather 1,000,000 signatures on a petition for greater access, research and treatment for those with depression. In addition to the petition, volunteers will host rallies and utilize different ways to help educate people and raise depression awareness.

To sign the petition, sign on as a virtual walker or learn more information about The Walk to Washington, DC, for Depression Awareness, logon to www.walktowashington.org.

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Octavia Browder, Contract Implementation Manager at Cenpatico, recently attended the National Urban League (NUL) Centennial Conference in Washington, D.C. on July 28 through July 31 on behalf of Centene, Cenpatico’s parent company.  Centene was a sponsor of this year’s conference, which had over 90,000 attendees, and also hosted a booth at the NUL career fair to recruit candidates for the organization and its subsidiaries.

This was Octavia’s first visit to Washington, D.C., and she was excited to serve as a conference volunteer for Centene.  President Barack Obama was a featured speaker at the Plenary Session.  Immediately before the President took the stage, Centene CEO Michael Neidorff spoke about the company and the services offered by Centene.

“I had the opportunity to, not only hear, but see two very influential speakers and I got the chance to learn about Centene’s national presence and meet with volunteers from our offices in Washington, Ohio, and St. Louis”, said Octavia.  “I was thrilled to be chosen as a volunteer, as this was a remarkable experience for all that attended.”

Each year, the NUL Conference brings together an extraordinary group of the nation’s leading business, community, and political figures.  Empowerment Time: Past, Present & Future was this year’s conference theme and it signifies the progress and promise of the National Urban League movement.

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