Heritage Behavioral Health Center

Thank you NAMI Illinois for an incredible experience at this year's NAMI Statewide Conference! We had Mary Garrison as well as Molly Tenuto and Chris Neal presenting at two conference sessions. We were also glad we could bring along some more Heritage team members to learn, connect, and grow in their careers!

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) empowers you to help those in need. You are invited to our FREE MHFA Training taking place on November 3rd, 2026. This course will teach you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health concerns or substance use. You will be able to learn the skills you need to provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use crisis and connect them to appropriate care. The course will run from 8:30am to 5:00pm at St. Mary’s Hospital, 1800 E Lake Shore Dr. Decatur, IL 62521. If you would like to sign up for this course, you must register by October 27th. For more information, follow the link below or email: [email protected]

Learn More Here: https://www.heritagenet.org/mentalhealthfirstaid

Congratulations to Michelle Akeman, this month's Employee Spotlight!

Q: How long have you been with the company?
A: I have been with the company for 7 months.

Q: What is your favorite part of working at HBHC?
A: My favorite part of working at HBHC is meeting people I wouldn't normally have gotten the chance to meet without this job.

Q: What's one thing people don't know about you that they would be surprised to find out?
A: People are surprised to find out that I am a professionally trained test track driver. Trained to drift and drive at high rates of speed.

Q: What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
A: I would advise my younger self to look deeper for the lessons. Everything that happens in life comes with a lesson. The quicker we learn that lesson, the easier we are able to move on from the situation.

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
A: If I could have any super power I would wish to fly.

Q: What are your goals for the next few months/years?
A: Goals for the next few months/years is to continue to grow and follow where God leads me.

Q: What’s one thing that surprised you about your current role?
A: One thing that surprised me in my current role is how resilient people are. I knew they were, but man, they really are.

Q: What are some of your favorite music genres/artists to listen to?
A: I like most all music but I prefer anything inspirational with a good beat.

Q: What, if anything, are you currently watching? Or reading?
A: I don't watch much TV, but I do enjoy reading. Mostly psychological thrillers.

Q: What’s one thing on your bucket list?
A: #1 on my bucket list is Ireland, but more specifically the Trinity College Library in Dublin.

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was most well known for being the Prime Minister of the UK. Even though from the outside he had a long and successful life, things weren't all smooth for him. He suffered from neglect from both parents when he was young, causing him melancholia and depression in his later years. This was also due to his father constantly pointing out his deficiencies, leading Winston to be permanently insecure. He would go between extreme hyperactivity, to depression, when he would have the realization that his accomplishments would not make up for the love he never received from his parents. This back and forth between these severe moods led professionals to believe he was Bi-Polar. His determination and resilience empowered him to deal with his inner turmoil
while he turned outwardly to his political career.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6243428/

Congratulations to all of our employees celebrating their work anniversaries this month! Thank you all and keep up the great work!

Thank you to all of our friends in DeWitt County who came out to our Community Stakeholder Meet and Greet at Cinco De Mayo in Clinton! We are working toward rolling out our CCBHC Access Point in DeWitt County and value the insight of the local community in this process. The Clinton Mayor, City of Clinton, IL Administrator, Warner Hospital and Health Services, Dewitt County EMS, Prairieland Service Coordination, Inc., Encore Services, Blue Ridge CUSD #18 superintendent, and the DeWitt County Community Mental Health Board were all in attendance. Thank you DeWitt County!