Mental Health Centers & Clinics Of Tennessee

Thanks to Frontier Health I know how to keep it simple today, and I have the opportunity to give back what was freely given to me! I sought treatment for alcoholism and my co-occurring Bi-Polar disorder with Frontier Health in Johnson City, TN during the summer of 2012. There I was given the compassion I desperately needed, the education I could use to build a foundation, and the tools to create a life for myself I never thought possible. I was inspired by their program to get involved in the community and was hired a year later as a Residential Technician in the same women's program that saved my life. I regularly share my experience, strength, and hope with hundreds of women each year. I enjoy learning about the disease of addiction, researching and making 12-step literature available, as well as arranging community support for the clients in my facility. Today, I humbly serve as living proof that miracles do happen! It's extremely important that I do my part by helping to create an atmosphere of recovery and positive change in my work environment for our clients, as well as the community we serve. I think the most meaningful way that I give back is by continuing the fight to erase the addiction and mental illness stigma from people who suffer from a treatable disease. Setting a positive example, and helping people achieve their full potential by offering compassion, resources, and opportunities brings light and purpose to my own life. There is nothing more meaningful than giving, in whatever form that may be. I routinely share my personal recovery story whenever asked, because I believe that I can only keep what I have when I give it away. While I haven't been able to give money, for the last 3 years I have given my heart, time, experience, and love to a program that did the same for me. I look forward to many more years touching the lives of women seeking help in my area regardless of age, race, sexual identity/orientation, religion, financial status, criminal record, mental or physical disabilities, or any other barrier they might face elsewhere. Thanks for letting me share my story! To conclude, I feel this Mark Twain quote is very appropriate - “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” I'm grateful that I found out why. Clean, sober, and in recovery since July 4, 2012.

*Founded in 1957, Frontier Health is the region’s leading provider of behavioral health services, offering treatment for mental health, co-occurring, and substance abuse problems, recovery and vocational rehabilitation, and developmental and intellectual disabilities services.* - from the website frontierhealth.org

I am inspired to support by the unfaltering commitment Frontier Health has for the mentally ill in my community. Frontier Health is a local nonprofit that serves upper east TN and south west Virginia. When people come to Frontier for help, regardless of if they have insurance or the money to pay for the treatment they need. I specifically love that the Frontier Health staff go above and beyond every single time with every single person they serve.
I've had the great fortune of working for Frontier Health for several years and could tell thousands of stories of why I believe in the work we do. One in particular is when I went to a local First Assist clinic on a Saturday night with what I suspected was the flu and I saw a Frontier Health case manager sitting with an adult client and her children. The case manager didn’t know that I worked for Frontier Health (there are over 1000 employees spanning 14 counties and 2 states) but I watched as she took like out of her evening to help this client who was in obvious pain from a dental need. It was easy to see this was a woman with little resources and she was in need, and may not have had someone to help with her kids so she could see a doctor for help. The case manager played with the woman’s children, sang songs with these probably 4 and 2 year old kids; braided the little girl’s hair, and wiped juice off her younger brother’s face. This case manager was there with these kids when I left about 8PM.
It is dedication like this that has built the foundation of service Frontier Health provides for those in need. The staff fights every day to break the stigma of mental illness, offer compassion and help our community find hope.