Mental health stigmas persist for everyone, but studies show the effects can be especially harmful for men and boys experiencing symptoms of #mentalhealth conditions. Learn about this public health issue and help us raise #awareness about the current state of men’s mental health.
Statistically, men are less likely to seek help for mental health conditions.
Suicide risk is highest for men over the age of 65. Depression has been normalized as a sign of aging rather than viewed as something to treat and prevent.
There is help—for women, men, adults and children.
If you or someone you know needs help, call our access-to-care line at 256.705.6444 for Huntsville or 256.255.1020 for Cullman to schedule an appointment and connect to our services.
WellStone is a 501(c)3 nonprofit accepting Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and self-pay. WellStone turns no one away due to inability to pay.
If you or someone you know is in crisis now, call or text 9-8-8 or chat 988lifeline.orgto speak with a trained crisis counselor.
9-8-8 calls are routed to the nearest regional call center. For North Alabama, that call center is WellStone.
“It’s commendable to the city for taking these funds and really targeting them. Really challenging us to come up with specific plans that don’t duplicate each other, to make sure that we spend these dollars wisely and that they have the most impact on the community as possible,” said Jeremy Blair, Chief Executive Officer of WellStone.
Visit us Friday, June 2, for our Spring Hiring Event. We are hiring for LPNs, RNs, nurse practitioners, case managers, therapists, technicians, drivers, maintenance and more. Full-time, part-time and various shifts available. Entry-level and mid-level opportunities available.
We are North Alabama’s leading provider for mental healthcare and substance use treatment services.
Hiring managers will hold on-site interviews from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 4040 Memorial Pkwy SW, Huntsville, AL 35802 in Suite E (Community Room). Potential candidates should bring a resume. Managers may extend immediate job offers, pending positive background check results.
Applicants can apply for desired positions online, beforehand or at the event. View opportunities here.
WellStone is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Because of the commitment of our employees, donors and community leaders, WellStone served more than 11,000 individuals in the last fiscal year and delivered more than $3.15 million in uncompensated care.
WellStone CEO, Jeremy Blair & Employees, Turner Construction, and Nola|VanPeursem Architects | Ribbon Cutting, March 10, 2023
North Alabama’s leading mental healthcare provider hosts a repurposed pop-up park. On Friday, March 10, WellStone, in conjunction with Turner Construction, held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the installation on the organization’s south Huntsville campus.
Turner Construction Company, that originally constructed the park in partnership with Nola|VanPeursem Architects, recently moved the park from its downtown location to its new home at WellStone—just in time for warmer spring weather. The park provides an area of respite and an opportunity for employees to step outside as their schedules allow, supporting the very thing the organization’s mission is centered on – mental health.
According to research reported by Healthline in 2022, just a few minutes outside is proven to reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure and heart rate, increase vitamin D, improve sleep quality and duration, improve cognition and creativity, and improve relationships.
“It’s a great concept,” said Jeremy Blair, WellStone CEO. “It’s a fun feature to have on campus and we’ve already seen employees outside enjoying the park. We’re glad we had the space for it and thank Turner for thinking of us.”
For the past 10 years, Downtown Huntsville, Inc. (DHI) has facilitated the installation of pop-up parks throughout the area. Sponsored by local businesses, these miniature parks have converted parking spaces into places for visitors to sit, swing, and play. DHI leadership recently decided to remove the parks from the city’s center. Some companies, like Turner, have chosen to repurpose the parks by donating them to other organizations. WellStone’s new pop-up park is located in a greenspace area behind the main building. It features four swings and two benches.
Visit us Friday, Feb. 10, for our Winter Hiring Event. We are hiring for LPNs, RNs, case managers, therapists, medical assistants and more. Full-time, part-time and various shifts available. Entry-level and mid-level opportunities available.
We are North Alabama’s leading provider for mental healthcare and substance use treatment services.
Hiring managers will hold on-site interviews from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 4040 Memorial Pkwy SW, Huntsville, AL 35802 in Suite E (Community Room). Potential candidates should bring a resume. Managers may extend immediate job offers, pending positive background check results.
Applicants can apply for desired positions online, beforehand or at the event. View opportunities here.
WellStone is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Because of the commitment of our employees, donors and community leaders, WellStone served more than 11,000 individuals in the last fiscal year and delivered more than $3.15 million in uncompensated care.
And then the rise, again. With thoughts from WellStone CCO Josaylon Henry.
Res·o·lu·tion /ˌrezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/ — A firm decision to do or not do something.
On January 1, goal-setting takes on a new persona. She’s #glamorous and #trendy. Maybe it’s that “everybody’s doing it” feeling, or the idea of a fresh start, but it’s an annual opportunity to make a change with motivation and hope standing tall in our corner.
We set one resolution (or five), each of us with the same optimism: “This year will be better.”
Inevitably, many of those goals lose their luster. But that doesn’t mean you throw in the towel. A few thoughts on this from WellStone’s Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) Josaylon Henry:
The same things that were important yesterday, are still important today.
“It’s about what’s important to the individual. What they want more of. In order to have a better outcome for themselves,” says Henry. “Recognize that it was important enough to you to begin with. So you can just get back into it,” she continues.
We need the same things we have always needed.
If we’re focusing on goals to support our mental health (and around here, we always are), recognize the importance of not re-inventing the wheel. It’s less about creative goal-setting and more about consistent goal-keeping.
“Go outside, get enough sleep, eat nutritious foods, exercise, stay hydrated, choose gratitude (not toxic positivity), practice mindfulness (e.g. stillness, meditation, reflection), cultivate meaningful relationships, do things that make you laugh, and have compassion for yourself,” says every mental-health-focused article… ever.
The reality is, the human experience hasn’t changed.
“I mean yeah, that’s it,” says Josaylon Henry. She affirms that there’s really nothing special to add to the list.
Among the most important for Henry… “Definitely drink more water,” she says. “Although I’m not doing a very good job of that today,” she laughs and picks up the full water bottle from her desk.
It’s hard to keep going.
Find the “New Year effect” any time of year.
Find that “everybody’s doing it” feeling or the momentum of a “fresh start” again. If you’ve already stopped trying to reach your goals, Henry shares these tips.
Find your own fresh start. “If you need a new ‘start’ date, look at birthdays, anniversaries, the beginning of the month. Any time you feel there is a need or desire within. Just do it,” encourages Henry.
Find or create a space where “everybody’s doing it.” “People like challenges, encouragement, and inspiration from others. If they partner with someone that has the same type of goals/resolutions, it keeps them accountable and can help them on their journey,” she says.
Can you think of others with similar goals? What about someone you could convince to join you in goal-setting (and keeping) for a better month, better year and better life?
What a year it’s been! For WellStone, our clients, and the state of mental healthcare in North Alabama.
Serving thousands of people, regardless of ability to pay, for decades.
WellStone served more than 11,000 children, adolescents, and adults over the past year, and provided more than $3.1 million in uncompensated care. For more than 50 years, the organization has provided programs and services to meet the mental healthcare needs of individuals in our community, whether their conditions are mild or severe; temporary or chronic.
Working toward better and better access to care, with absolute persistence.
WellStone is working hard to ensure that everyone in our service area has access to quality mental healthcare. Anytime. Anywhere.
“That’s really what we’ve been working toward since I came on board as CEO,” said Jeremy Blair, who joined WellStone as Chief Clinical Officer in 2011, and became chief executive officer in 2017.
Ensuring that gaps in the mental healthcare continuum are filled.
“The most urgent gaps to fill have revolved around crisis care,” Blair added, “which is why we’ve made so many additions in this area over the past 18 months.”
Thanks to extraordinary support from state and local leaders, individual and corporate donors, community advocates, and our dedicated staff, WellStone is making that happen. WellStone has recently implemented three new programs directly related to crisis care:
9-8-8 Crisis Care Line In North Alabama, individuals who call this 3-digit emergency hotline are connected to WellStone’s crisis-trained counselors who can respond, immediately and directly, to their mental health emergencies.
Co-Responders Program WellStone’s master’s level therapists ride with Huntsville police officers, providing best possible outcomes for mental health-related calls.
WellStone Emergency Services (WES) WellStone opened a new facility for North Alabama’s first 24/7 inpatient care center for adults in mental health and/or substance use crisis. Clients can stay in temporary or longer-term units. (You can still support this transformational new project through WellStone’s “Be the Rock” capital campaign.)
These programs are critical in achieving a complete continuum of care for individuals in distress. They are especially significant for those struggling with access, whether the obstacles relate to finances, transportation or something else.
Growing each day to support access to quality care for all.
“We are up to nearly 500 employees,” said Blair. “Each one is here to meet the mental health needs of our community, whether that individual has traditional insurance, Medicaid, or nothing at all. Everyone in our community deserves to have their mental healthcare needs tended to, and we want people to know that we are here for them.”
And we’re just getting started.
While WellStone has made huge strides over the past year, the organization is not done yet. Expect to hear more about mobile crisis units, primary healthcare visits, inpatient psychiatric care for pediatrics, and residential treatment programs in the year ahead.
“The social worker in me sees things from a systems-perspective. And as a systemic solution? This hits all the marks,” says Paula Steele, Director of WellStone Emergency Services. “WellStone Emergency Services, or simply WES, is a new and holistic way to address mental health and substance use crises.”
New to North Alabama’s clinical landscape, this 24/7/365 center for mental health and substance use emergencies delivers a layered, compassionate solution to individuals in crisis. View WES Overview.
The 25,000 sq. ft. facility is located at 4020 Memorial Parkway SW, next to WellStone’s main Huntsville Campus. WES is staffed by an experienced team that includes a psychiatrist, intake assistants, therapists, care managers, certified peer support specialists, LPNs, RNs, CRNPs and more. These professionals are trained, individually and as part of the team, to support each client.
Experts have long agreed that people who are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis need intentional assistance. An individual who visits WES will see a psychiatrist within a few hours. Beforehand, they’re being seen by other mental health professionals, not just waiting around. The recovery process begins the moment they walk in the door.
Steele describes the approach of care delivered by WES staff: “You’re a part of the team. You’re pulling up a chair to the roundtable and you’re having equal input as to what’s going on in your life. Also,” she continues, “you get the feeling that our staff is just a group of fellow human beings; we’re here to help you. Almost like you are getting your own professional team and cheering squad in one.”
“When you walk in the door, you feel this positive energy,” says Steele. WES provides a calm environment and natural lighting, designed from the ground up with clients in mind.
Prior to the development of an emergency care program, there wasn’t an appropriate option within the mental healthcare continuum for individuals in crisis, whether that crisis be suicidal ideation; an overuse or misuse of drugs or alcohol; or extremely adverse effects from a mental health condition due to an individual’s lack of access to their regularly prescribed medication.
“For someone in crisis, there were only two options: you were either going to go to jail or you were going to go to the emergency room,” says Steele. “And it just wasn’t working.”
For years, emergency rooms and area jails have experienced overcrowding. Too often, these individuals went without receiving appropriate, clinical help. There had to be a better way.
WES may be new, but it’s been years in the making. The mental health continuum of emergency care has long been lacking. Eight years ago, Jeremy Blair, WellStone CEO, began to share his vision for better crisis care in North Alabama.
“There were seven years of advocacy, talking to legislators, policymakers, government officials and local partners leading up to the funding for WES.” says Steele.
Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Kim Boswell stated at the center’s ribbon-cutting ceremony in September, “Jeremy was one of the first to step up to develop crisis services. Actually, he started the conversation before the department did. So, when the first RFP [Request for Proposal] for crisis services came out [from the state of Alabama], Jeremy was ready.”
WellStone was one of three centers in the state to receive initial funding for a crisis care center, with the other two being in Mobile and Montgomery. Now, two more centers are scheduled to open in the state within the next year.
“There’s not people with mental health and people who don’t have mental health. We all have mental health needs,” says Steele. “There’s only so much any of us can cope with,” she continues. And when we’re thrown more than we can handle beyond our ability to cope, then we’re in crisis. And that can happen to any of us.”
And “mental health is just as important as physical health,” asserted State Rep. Nathaniel Ledbetter at the facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We are coming from a perspective of recovery and a message of hope. We want individuals to come in and feel like they have, first, made a good decision. We want people to understand that this crisis is just a moment in time, and we are part of their team and support network to help them through this time and empower them to find hope in their situation,” says Steele.
Also on the horizon: A pediatric wing, which will be located adjacent to the main center. Scheduled for completion fall 2024. There are currently no inpatient beds for pediatrics in Madison County.
WellStone has received more than $1 million from the community to support the new center for WES. Please give to our “Be the Rock” Capital Campaign, and help us build a strong foundation of compassion, connection and community for those in mental health and substance use crisis. If you would like to consider a gift toward our capital campaign or learn more about our new crisis center and the individuals it serves, contact Director of Development, Karen Petersen, at karen.petersen@wellstone.com.
Together, we can build better mental healthcare in our community.
First published: Nov. 14, 2022 | Last Updated: Oct. 26, 2023
Three Things to Know About: 988, Co-Responders & WES
It’s an emergency, but it’s a mental health or substance use emergency. Do you go to the emergency room? Do you call 9-1-1? Do you schedule a counseling appointment six weeks out? These are some of the thoughts that might be racing through your mind.
Mental health experts* say you should have three things in a mental health emergency: someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go.
In Madison County — as of this year — all three of these services are available to you, 24/7, regardless of resources, through WellStone.
In a mental health emergency, there is someone to call.
Call or text 9-8-8 or chat 988lifeline.org to speak with a trained crisis counselor in your area.
Launched in July, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national hotline connecting individuals in mental health emergencies to regional call centers. For callers in North Alabama, that call center is based at WellStone in Madison County.
With the launch of 9-8-8, there is now a designated, easy-to-remember number to call in a mental health emergency—available to every community. “With the goal of connecting people in mental health crisis with mental health services,” says NAMI.
In a mental health emergency, there is someone to respond.
When a situation requires intervention, WellStone’s masters-level therapists respond with Huntsville police officers from the crisis intervention team (CIT).
The key role of the mental health professional is to help assess and de-escalate the situation, and link the individual to appropriate services. Additionally, many HPD officers choose 40 hours of in-depth crisis intervention training, and all new officers must undergo at least 8 hours of basic training in the area. This partnership is called the co-responders program.
Huntsville is leading the way in mental health crisis care by collaborating to provide a team response to mental health related emergencies that includes mental health professionals.
In a mental health emergency, there is somewhere to go.
WellStone Emergency Services, or WES, opened its doors in fall 2022 as North Alabama’s first 24/7 emergency mental healthcare center. Individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use emergency can access quality care from a team of compassionate mental healthcare professionals.
Located at 4020 Memorial Parkway, beside WellStone’s main campus, WES provides an alternative to the hospital emergency department. It’s also an opportunity to develop a plan of care moving forward — without a referral elsewhere.
With all three components of mental health crisis care in place, WellStone plays a key role in ensuring that individuals in mental health and substance use crises find access to mental healthcare services.
State and local leaders, collaborating agencies, corporate donors, and individuals have made this great work possible in North Alabama through their funding and support. If you would like to donate toward accessible mental health crisis care, click below.
If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health or substance use emergency, call 9-8-8 or visit WellStone Emergency Services today.
*Experts from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). View blog article.
Pictured left to right: Nicole Mauk, Chief Financial Officer; Jeremy Blair, Chief Executive Officer; Josaylon Henry, Chief Clinical Officer; Chris Van Dyke, Chief Operating Officer
National Bosses Day celebrates the contributions of leaders who support, equip, and empower their people. Take an inside look at WellStone’s executive leadership through the lens of recent interviews with our communications department:
“Because WellStone is public mental health, I always thought I was supposed to be here for those who need help the most. I stay to build a better system,” says Chris Van Dyke, Chief Operating Officer.
Van Dyke, one of four members of executive leadership at WellStone, exemplifies commitment, sincerity, and behind-the-scenes service.
“There are so many people here who are willing to go the extra mile to help,” he says. “Those people inspire me and I want to support that quality in our staff. That ‘extra mile’ quality. And I want to help those people see the impact they’re making on the world.”
Josaylon Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, shares similar sentiments. “I really feel like this is my passion. It’s where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing. It is fulfilling to be able to be a part of such a huge organization that’s purpose is slated in helping others recover, thrive, and be their best selves.”
She adds, “Our WellStone employees are the backbone of the organization. They really are an intricate part of this big ship moving forward and doing what we need to do in our community.”
“I think they’re amazing,” agrees CEO Jeremy Blair. “They take on the task and the work that very few are brave enough to do.”
Blair is proud of the work WellStone has accomplished in the community, and recognizes that so much of that crucial, ongoing work is preventative care, an extremely important part of the larger mental healthcare picture.
Jeremy Blair, Chief Executive Officer
“They [WellStone employees] deserve a lot of credit for what they do,” Blair adds. “I always say, ‘Prevention doesn’t make headlines.’ We have a lot of employees every day who are preventing a lot of tragedies that they and our community might not even be aware of.”
He pauses in reflection, and then continues, “It’s somewhat hard to imagine Huntsville without WellStone.”
Nicole Mauk, Chief Financial Officer at WellStone, agrees. “It’s exciting to see how much WellStone has grown over the past several years. Being planted within a smaller community is really special because you can more directly see the impact WellStone is making on individuals and families,” says Mauk.
Nicole Mauk, Chief Financial Officer
Mauk, an organized, resourceful and energetic leader, credits her team for making this impact possible. “Even when we are confronted with a challenge, the team knows how to handle and support each other to get the task done,” states Mauk.
About our growing WellStone team: “They’re essential. There would be no work, no mission, without our employees.”
In addition to sincere commitment and dedication to our community, all four leaders display humility, along with a sense of humor. While they are extraordinary mental healthcare professionals, they are also, at the end of the day, normal people, like you and me.
“I bet it would shock people to know that I was in an improv drama group in college for a couple of years. We traveled around the country,” says Blair.
The CEO loves his family, outdoor activities, and a daily cup of coffee.
As the oldest child, and a self-proclaimed overachiever, Blair took on responsibility and leadership positions long before becoming CEO of WellStone.
In high school, he played football, basketball, and soccer, as quarterback, point guard, and goalie, respectively.
“All the high-pressure positions… see a pattern?” he laughs.
CCO Josaylon Henry had an early run at leadership during high school as well, serving as pontoon leader in ROTC. “Oh, and I also ran track, but I was not good at it,” she adds with a smile.
But she’s always been good at coordinating. “I think birthday parties are my thing.” Henry loves event planning.
When she’s not planning parties, she’s putting together a top-notch outfit. Although she won’t say so herself, just ask anyone at WellStone: Josaylon Henry is a real-life fashion plate. The CCO even had a hand in picking out colors, furniture, and flooring in WellStone’s main campus building, and the new mental healthcare center, WellStone Emergency Services.
Josaylon Henry, Chief Clinical Officer
Whether it’s planning an event, an outfit, or a color scheme, Henry does it flawlessly. And we are all better off from her commitment, sincerity, compassion, and leadership.
“She just has it all,” remarks one WellStone staff member. “She is ‘goals’ – the person to be.”
The CCO says one of the most enjoyable things she’s ever done is zipline over Niagara Falls. “That was pretty darn cool,” Henry recalls.
Van Dyke also stays busy. Off the job, Van Dyke can be found behind-the-scenes, working audio, video, and lighting at his local Church.
Chris Van Dyke, Chief Operating Officer
“I am very involved,” says Van Dyke. “I have done that for a long time. I even consult sometimes with other churches and theater groups.”
Like Blair and Henry, Van Dyke is juggling multiple things inside and outside of the office. When he is not serving, Van Dyke is usually reading historical fiction or playing a round of tennis.
“I just enjoy swinging a racket. I’m trying to learn pickleball, but I don’t like it as much as tennis. I mean, I’m playing it, but it’s not tennis,” he says.
In contrast to Blair’s daily cup of Joe, Van Dyke fuels his days with Diet Mountain Dew.
About coffee: “I don’t even like the smell. I don’t like anything about coffee. I mean – who would? It’s bitter. It’s, ugh,” he shudders at the thought, and laughs.
But for CFO Nicole Mauk, sharing the breakroom coffee pot is essential to the workday – and a simple daily joy. “Especially when there’s cookies in the breakroom,” she adds with a smile.
Outside of work, Mauk enjoys “hikes” with her 8 lb. pomeranian named Spudley.
“I’d like to say I hike, but really they’re walks,” says Mauk. “Walks through nature… okay, really just the paved greenways around my neighborhood.”
All four also talk about their families during the interview, and each carries a calm and present demeanor as they go about their important work.
WellStone is grateful for their service.
—
Jeremy Blair, CEO, joined WellStone in 2011.
Josaylon Henry, CCO, has been affiliated with WellStone for over 22 years.
Chris Van Dyke, COO, has been with the organization for more than 25 years.
Nicole Mauk, CFO, has been with WellStone for 3 years.
