It's get-acquainted-and-settle-in time for Dave Johnson.
Johnson, 49, is in the process of taking over as chief executive officer at the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. Since March 1, he has been working closely with outgoing CEO Sandra Shaw.
Transplanted to Lawrence from Des Moines, Iowa, Dave Johnson is Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center's new chief executive officer.
"She says we're joined at the hip," Johnson said with a laugh during a recent interview.
Shaw, who has run Bert Nash for more than 20 years, will officially relinquish the chief executive title Monday. She will remain on the payroll until the end of April and continue to assist as necessary, Johnson said.
So far, one thing has become clear to Johnson, he said. A steady flow of funds must be developed for certain preventive services Bert Nash provides.
One of those services is W.R.A.P., or Working to Recognize Alternative Possibilities. W.R.A.P. places mental health workers from Bert Nash in Baldwin and Lawrence schools to help youths have successful school experiences.
Another program is Multisystemic Therapy, a comprehensive service for youths referred to the program by the Douglas County District Court and Douglas County Youth Services.
"These are programs we have no funding streams for," Johnson said. "What we've done is kind of cobbled together some funding. Bert Nash has a lot of resources, but it isn't financially wealthy. We're going to have to strengthen our endowment to provide for these services."
To do that, Johnson said, more fund-raising activities are necessary. He also wants to make Bert Nash better recognized and provide a well-known permanent vehicle for accepting donations, he said.
Although Bert Nash, 200 Maine, provides some educational services to the community and has an internship program with Kansas University, Johnson said he wants to see more educational programs.
"I would like us to become a center for education for the community," he said. "We have a great building and facilities. We can offer training and educational opportunities in mental health that's needed in the community."
Since coming to Bert Nash, Johnson said that he has met with Karen Swisher, president of Haskell Indian Nations University, about working out arrangements for providing in-service training for staff in mental health.
Under Shaw, initial contacts were made with Haskell about Bert Nash staff receiving cultural competency training from Haskell representatives, Swisher said. She's glad to see steps toward a partnership continuing under Johnson.
"He seemed very excited about doing this and I also am very excited about it," Swisher said.
"I think we can work together," Johnson said. "That's just an example of what we might be able to do."
In December Johnson was unanimously selected by the Bert Nash Board of Directors as Shaw's replacement. He had been living in Des Moines, Iowa, since 1975 and was involved in managing mental health organizations for more than 20 years.
Johnson also was involved in mental health issues at the state level.
Though problems in funding and other areas need to be worked out between local mental health agencies and the state of Kansas, he said, he finds the attitude toward mental health to be better here than in Iowa. He said he is particularly impressed with the Lawrence community's attitude toward mental health issues.
"The atmosphere is one of partnership and moving ahead," he said. "Our goal is to be on the cutting edge of mental health at this center."
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