:
News & Events :
March 4, 2010
Highlands CSB Suffers Loss of Key Volunteer
Staff of Highlands Community Services Board are mourning the loss of a key volunteer who led one of its mental health programs for more than 25 years. Joan Horsch, who died in a tour bus accident February 22, was the prime mover behind the Church Social Club, a joint program of six local churches and HCS.
The Social Club provides an evening meal and entertainment once a month to persons in the community who have mental illness but do not participate in the CSB’s regular day support services. In 1983, Horsch helped design the program, which met initially at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. She later expanded the program to five other churches: Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church, Christ the King Catholic Church, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Pleasant View United Methodist Church and Abingdon United Methodist Church.
Volunteers at each of the churches plan the meals, arrange transportation, organize the activities and attend every meeting to welcome members and assure they have an enjoyable evening. Horsch was fully involved until her death.
“Joan Horsch demonstrated the true spirit of altruism, putting the well-being of her club members above herself,” said Jeff Fox, HCS Executive Director. “Members, staff and volunteers will forever remember her passion and commitment to the program.”
Shocked by her death, staff members recalled her service. “Joan worked with each of the churches, orienting new volunteers and making sure that each group of volunteers shared an equal role in the program,” said Carolyn Peterson, Director of Recovery Care Coordination Services. “Whereas some volunteers were eager to ‘do for’ their guests, Joan explained that it was important to encourage self-reliance in club members, to get their own coffee, fill their own plates, all the same things they would do at home.”
Social Club activities varied from magic shows, summer picnics, musical performances, bingo games, and group sings. At Christmas time, there was always a visit from Santa with gifts carefully selected to meet a member’s individual needs.
In 1997, Horsch told the Washington County News that the volunteers in the program were actually the greatest beneficiaries. “It’s the closest thing to grace that we can experience, getting to know and learn from these wonderful people, whose lives have been so impacted by mental illness. There is something uniquely nice and loveable about all of them. You get a certain satisfaction knowing you have helped them.”
Penny Jay, an HCS Care Coordinator who worked closely with Horsch, said she will miss “her leadership style, her energy and her hopefulness.” Marsha Wilson, Unit Manager for the Bridge Care Coodination program, said, “She was never without a smile and a kind comment about each member’s strengths, which is our most important value in helping our consumers toward recovery.”
Club member Harold Fishburn said of Horsch, “Everyone will remember her as a great person. She felt no ill will toward anyone. She was great to get along with and understood others’ way of life.”
For years, financial support for the Social Club’s activities has come from the Rotary Club of Washington County. Jill Smeltzer, a Rotary member and Social Club volunteer, said, “Joan touched so many lives in so many circles in Abingdon that I know her spirit will continue through those projects and connections. The Social Club was one of those programs that she so fully embraced. Joan was always so organized and such a joy to work with.”
Memorial contributions to the Church Social Club can be sent in Joan Horsch’s name to the Rotary Club of Washington County, P.O. Box 334, Abingdon, VA 24212.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 4, 2009
Carolyn Peterson, CPRP, Director of Highlands Community Support Services, has been named a US Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association Fellow for 2009. The USPRA Fellowship was designed to honor individuals who have reached a level of distinction in the professional practice of psychiatric rehabilitation and advancement of the field through his/her involvement in the Association, service-based programs, advocacy and other areas. Ms. Peterson, who has been employed at HCS for 20 years, will be a guest of honor at the June 29th USPRA’s annual conference in Norfolk, Virginia.
Jeffrey Fox, Executive Director of HCS said, “One of our own has achieved a professional status few rarely do. Carolyn was selected by the U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association to receive this honor due to her level of distinction in the professional practice of psychiatric rehabilitation and advancement of the field through her involvement in the Association.
We congratulate her on this esteemed honor and recognition by her peers. We are thankful for her continued commitment and service to Highlands and the population she has so earnestly advocated for over the years.”
A resident of Washington County, Virginia, Peterson is married to Carl Clarke, Jr., a columnist for the Washington County News, who affectionately refers to his wife in his columns as “sweetness.”
Carolyn Peterson, USPRA Fellow for '09
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
March 14, 2009
Quintina Yates, QMHP and Thomas Cantwell, MD appear at Barter
Quintina Yates, Care Coordinator and Thomas Cantwell, Psychiatrist for Highlands Center for Behavioral Health appeared at the Barter Theater Sunday evening, March 14, 2009. They were invited to a panel discussion following the production of the play, “Four Places.” The play depicted difficult decisions adult children face when dealing with aging parents. Examples included maintaining the parents’ dignity and respect despite potential harmful behaviors on the parents’ part, juggling between their own careers and the growing needs of their parents, and end of life decisions.
Yates and Cantwell as well as members of the cast responded to questions from the audience, often related to their own experiences as caregivers. A major theme revolved around the tendency in society to ignore the problems of aging. This leads to a break-down in communication and lack of preparation on the part of both caregivers and aging parents to deal with difficult decisions before they become catastrophic. Yates and Cantwell described the services of Highlands Community Services and advised interested persons to call for information about aging and to request services early before things start breaking down. Yates is working with a committee at Highlands to design expanded services to meet the specific needs of aging persons and their caregivers. For more information, Yates can be reached at 276-619-5314.
back to the top