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.

Posted in News | No Comments »

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.

Posted in News | No Comments »

A record number of more than 560 supporters took part in the 2010 NAMI Kansas Walk at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, earlier this year. The 2-mile walk, themed ‘Changing Minds … One Step at a Time,’ featured the largest attendance in the seven-year history of the Kansas event and raised more than $107,000, including a $1,500 donation from Cenpatico, in support of NAMI programs and advocacy efforts in Kansas.

Cenpatico’s Deb Burnham and Jeanie Kimball assisted with the kickoff luncheon and other activities for this year’s walk. “The NAMI Kansas Walk is a truly eye-opening event that raises awareness for the stigma surrounding mental health”, said Deb Burnham, Network Manager. “I’m thrilled to be a part of this effort to educate the public about behavioral health issues.”

Mark Your Calendar: The 2011 NAMI Kansas Walk will take place on Saturday, May 7, 2011 back at Washburn University in Topeka.

More than 560 people took part in the 2010 NAMI Kansas Walk to help raise awareness about mental illness  at Washburn University in Topeka earlier this year. Photo Courtesy of Amy Arnett-German.

Posted in News | No Comments »

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Ad Council are sponsoring a video contest as part of the ‘What a Difference a Friend Makes’ campaign.

The video contest, – which begins Thursday, July 15 and continues through Sunday, August 15 – is seeking out an engaging, short video that will help generate an online buzz for ‘What a Difference a Friend Makes’. The campaign aims to help educate individuals, friends, families and communities on the importance of supporting our friends who are living with a mental illness. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov or www.adcouncil.org.

Contest submissions will need to demonstrate a creative and fun way to help a friend during a tough time in their life. The video stories may be based on real-life experiences or fictional situations. The contest does not require that the identities of those involved in any videos be revealed.

The contest’s first-place winner, which will be announced on September 15, will receive an all-expenses paid trip for two to the annual Voice Awards gala on Wednesday, October 13 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Calif., where the winning video will be showcased. Prizes, such as Flip cameras, will also be awarded to the contest’s runners-up.

Posted in News | No Comments »

AUSTIN, Texas — (July 1, 2010) — Cenpatico announced today the hiring of Angela Perri to the newly created position of Vice President of Business Development.

Perri, an experienced communications professional, with particular emphasis in marketing, health IT strategy, product development and operations management, will lead Cenpatico’s Business Development department.  Perri will be responsible for developing new market initiatives, analyzing business opportunities, and driving the sales process to expand Cenpatico’s lines of business.  She will also oversee all marketing, website, and government/public relations initiatives for the organization.  Perri will report to Sam Donaldson, PhD, Cenpatico’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“We are thrilled to have Ms. Perri join Cenpatico,” Donaldson said. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in multiple managed care environments that will be invaluable as we seek out new business opportunities and grow our organization.”

Perri has 19 years of experience leading business development and marketing initiatives, most recently as Vice President of eHealth Business Strategy and Development for Amerigroup Corporation.  Perri also previously served as the Senior Project Manager for Pacificare Behavioral Health and Senior Program Consultant for Cigna Behavioral Health, Inc.

Perri earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1991 from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Va., and a Master of Business Administration degree with a focus in Healthcare Administration in 2009 from Colorado Technical University in Colorado Springs, Colo.  She holds a JURAN® Six Sigma Black Belt Certification and is the writer and author of the Write Your Vision blog and website.

Posted in News | No Comments »

AUSTIN, TEXAS – (June 4, 2010) – Cenpatico today announced their award for Full Managed Behavioral Health Care Organization (MBHO) accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

Accreditation by NCQA is an industry standard of excellence.  The accreditation process is based on a comprehensive review of all service areas within an MBHO including quality improvement, clinical programs, credentialing, service and appointment accessibility, culturally appropriate care, customer service, provider network management and utilization review.

“We are very pleased to have received full accreditation from NCQA,” said Sam Donaldson, CEO and President of Cenpatico.  “This award is the culmination of hard work on the part of employees throughout the company, and evidences our ongoing commitment to providing high quality care and support for recovery to consumers.”

About Cenpatico

Cenpatico is a Managed Behavioral Healthcare Organization focusing on mental health and substance abuse benefits. Cenpatico offers health plans and state agencies a continuum of services for individuals at risk of, or suffering from, mental, addictive or other behavioral health disorders. Cenpatico has been in business since 1994 and is one of the nation’s most experienced behavioral health companies in managing behavioral health benefits for individuals enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Cenpatico provides managed behavioral healthcare in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. For more information, please visit Cenpatico www.cenpatico.com or Cenpatico Arizona www.cenpaticoaz.com.

For more information about NCQA, please visit www.ncqa.org.

Posted in News | No Comments »

The Texas Chapter of the Foster Care Alumni of America (FCAA) will host TOGETHER 2010: The Third Annual Foster Care Alumni Family Reunion at the Texas State Capitol Building on Saturday, May 22. Integrated Mental Health Services (IMHS)* is serving as a sponsor of the three-hour event, which is scheduled to begin at noon on the front lawn of the capitol building.

Saturday’s reunion affords foster care graduates a chance to rekindle relationships with their foster families and to educate the public about their past experiences with, and the current culture of, the foster care program in Texas.

“No matter what age, it is never too late to make a family memory, and by doing this reunion, we, as a community, are giving these foster care youth an opportunity they may have lost during their childhood,” said Ashley Gallardo, an IMHS Consumer Advocate. Gallardo is not only an employee for IMHS, but she is also a foster care alumnus and chair member of the FCAA. “Being outdoors with your family, playing games, listening to music, sitting on the grass with your mom or dad, these small things are momentous to some, and everyone deserves the chance to experience that.” The Third Annual Foster Care Alumni Family Reunion provides such an experience for foster children and the families that raised them.

Scheduled to be in attendance for the reunion are a host committee of state representatives and senators, including: Representatives Joe Deshotel, Mike Hamilton, Eddie Rodriguez and Patrick Rose and Senators Jane Nelson, Steve Ogden, Tommy Williams and Judith Zaffirini.

Included among the event’s festivities are a potluck meal, a musical performance by Austin-based Tornahdo and testimonials from various foster care alumni, including Gallardo.

“We’re humbled to offer our performance to raise awareness for the Foster Care Alumni of America and to get the word out about the plentiful resources and opportunities they offer for foster children,” said Kelvin Baron, IMHS Provider Web Administrator and Tornahdo’s lead guitarist.

The mission of the FCAA is “to connect the alumni community and to transform foster care policy and practice, ensuring opportunity for people in and from foster care.”

For more information on TOGETHER 2010: The Third Annual Texas Foster Care Alumni Family Reunion, logon to www.fostercarealumni.org/TXchapter or contact Ashley Gallardo at 512-775-4598. To make a contribution to the FCAA, contact Amy Sheldon at 1-888-258-6640.

* — Throughout the State of Texas, Cenpatico does business as Integrated Mental Health Services (IMHS).

Posted in News | No Comments »

The Women’s Foundation of Greater Kansas City (WFGKC) has honored Cenpatico Network Manager Deb Burnham for her work in the community in its 2010 publication, A Celebration of Women. The annual commemorative journal has honored more than 2,000 of Kansas City’s women and girls from all walks of life since the publication was established in 1993.

Burnham, a co-chair for the development of the journal, has been involved with WFGKC for two years, and she will be chairing the journal committee in 2011. Through A Celebration of Women, the Kansas City community has been introduced to many remarkable women and girls and the enormously varied ways they affect their families, friends, community and professions.

“I was surprised and honored by my family and friends to be included in the 2010 commemorative journal,” Burnham said. “To be recognized by them for the volunteer and community work I have done is truly heartwarming.  They are my inspiration and make my life complete.”

Burnham was officially recognized by the WFGKC during a ceremony at the 2010 commemorative journal’s unveiling at the New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park on May 10.

The mission of the WFGKC is to raise, invest and grant funds to promote equity and opportunity for women and girls in the greater Kansas City area.  Additionally, monies raised through these tributes have enabled the foundation to educate women and girls about philanthropy and to play a leadership role in the challenges and opportunities facing women and girls in the community. Since its creation in 1991, the Women’s Foundation has made 200 grants totaling more than $1.8 million to projects benefiting the women and girls of the community.

Posted in News | No Comments »

Cenpatico will continue its pursuit of raising awareness for mental health when it takes part in the 2010 NAMIWalk in Milwaukee, Wis. on Saturday.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will host five NAMIWalks throughout Wisconsin this weekend, and Cenpatico has sponsored a Walk Team for the NAMI Greater Milwaukee event.

“This is an important way to bring attention to those afflicted with mental illness and to fight the stigma associated with it,” said Provider Relations Specialist Kristel L. Johns, who will be among the Cenpatico contingent at the event.

The three-mile benefit walk will begin at 10 a.m. at Veteran’s Park at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center – 1010 N Lincoln Memorial Drive.

The honorary chairman of the Greater Milwaukee NAMIWalk is Greg Jennings, an all-pro wide receiver with the Green Bay Packers who will chair the event alongside his wife, Nicole.

Refreshments, music and other forms of entertainment will follow the walk.

Registration for the event is free of charge. For more information on the Greater Milwaukee 2010 NAMIWalk, logon to www.nami.org/namiwalks10/grm.

Posted in News | No Comments »

Next time you find yourself among a crowd, take a moment to survey the scene and think about this simple, yet startling fact from the National Institute of Mental Health – In any given year, one-fourth of adults in the U.S. suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder.

In short, mental illness is everywhere, and chances are great that it has recently impacted you or someone close to you. That is why this May, Cenpatico, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and many other organizations throughout the nation are celebrating National Mental Health Month.

This month, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is encouraging everyone to seek out events in their respective communities throughout the country to raise awareness of mental illness.

Mental Health America (MHA), which began recognizing ‘May is Mental Health Month’ back in 1949, encourages Americans to be proactive about maintaining mental health with its “Live Your Life Well” campaign. “Live your Life Well” is a national public education campaign designed to help people handle the stresses of daily life and, in doing so, enhance the individual’s and family’s overall quality of life. The campaign includes various mental health-related fact sheets in addition to “10 research-based, straight-forward tools and ways to apply them in every day life.”

In addition to advocacy groups, governors, mayors and other local, state and federal officials are joining the push to raise additional awareness and support for the mentally ill this month.

“Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall physical health and emotional well-being, and caring for your mind as well as your body is good for your overall health and vital for success in personal life, at work and at school,” New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said in his proclamation of May 2010 as Mental Health Month in his state.

Through fund-raising, volunteering and other avenues available to you, Cenpatico encourages everyone to help our nation raise awareness of mental illness this May.

Posted in News | No Comments »