HMK Client Spotlight: Haven House Interview with Jessica Katzbeck, NCC, MS, Executive Director
What is the mission of Haven House and what services do you offer to our community? Our mission is to empower individuals to overcome barriers in their lives, provide them with support, and an opportunity to reach their full potential. Our vision is to create a stigma-free community in which those with barri- ers can thrive towards independence and accomplishment. We are an Out- patient Psychiatric Facility providing mental health treatment to more than 4,000 unique individuals per year. In addition to our outpatient services
we have 5 other programs that provide mental health services: Psychiatric Rehabilitative Service Program, Wellness Recovery Team, Mental Health and Aging Program, and THRIVE and STARTS Programs which provide re-entry services to individuals returning from jail. Has the evolution of how society views mental health impacted your work? Yes. Over the past several years, I believe societal views of mental health have changed dramatically. Mental health is losing the stigma slowly but surely. The media has been doing a good job of breaking down the previous views and stereotypes of individuals living with mental illness. Historically, individuals living with mental health struggles often avoided seeking treatment because of the shaming or embarrassment. We continue to find ways to remove barriers and expand services. Can you give a real-life example of how the work Haven House has directly impacted the life of an individual? Haven House is fortunate to have had a positive impact on many lives. For many, mental health treatment is forever, and ongoing treatment is a success. Many Individuals have maintained their mental health treatment in order to live a healthy life. We celebrate all successes, big and small. We have many individual success stories, but we try to focus more on the bigger successes: our retention rate, our reduced waiting list, staff retention, and overall community support. What are three best practices you can share on operating a successful non-profit? 1. Invest in your staff to the best of your ability. Without them, there is no non-profit. They are your greatest asset. 2. Be a part of the community you serve. The community can be pivotal in the success of a nonprofit. 3. Be flexible. No day is ever the same and always be ready for the unexpected. How do you support your Haven House team that brings to life your mission? We try to appreciate our staff in the best ways we can. With limited funds, we have to be creative. We try to be as supportive as possible, always be available, and lead by example. What do your volunteers/staff find most rewarding in working for/with Haven House? The clients. That is why we do what we do! Do you have any new programs or facilities that you are excited about? Haven House has just added a food pantry that we will be opening up for our clients, and in the next month or two, the community. We hope to utilize some of our clients to help stock shelves, pack bags, and maintain the space to promote working on their job skills. How can the community support Haven House? Donations. With the opening of the new food pantry, we are hoping to keep it stocked! Hygiene products, nonperishable food, socks, gloves, blankets, cleaning products, etc. We are going to work hard to keep the pantry stocked and ready to go. You can donate raffle items, attend our fundraisers, and spread the word on the good work we are doing!
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