To the editor:

Bert Nash is a gem in our community, and I am proud to have volunteered there for the past six years. I have served on the board of directors for three years. Recently, I have observed the dedicated staff and management working tirelessly to deal with the staffing crisis created by the departure of six therapists. Management communicated the facts to the board with transparency. Since personnel issues cannot be discussed publicly, the entire picture cannot be conveyed; however, patience and support for Bert Nash would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime, as caring citizens of Douglas County, you may be asking yourselves “how can I help?” A few ways are as follows:

1) Educate yourself by attending Discover Bert Nash, a free one-hour tour held monthly at Bert Nash.

2) Sign up to attend Mental Health First Aid, an eight-hour course designed to educate the lay person about mental health.

3) Start a conversation about mental health with friends, neighbors or loved ones. Reducing stigma is one of Bert Nash’s greatest challenges.

4) Financial support is a never ending challenge. Donate if you can and encourage public officials to continue to support Bert Nash financially. Bert Nash must be able to pay its staff competitive salaries so it can retain them. As we have witnessed, there are other options available to staff.

Couldn’t we at least agree that we want the best health care for citizens of Douglas County? I would like to see us all work together and support Bert Nash. That is the real way to accomplish our goals.

Jane Fevurly,

Lawrence