Michele's Recovery Journey

Michele is a resilient mother celebrating sustained recovery. As a client of Horizon's Project Link Program, she has found tremendous confidence and strength in her recovery journey with help from her team at Horizon Behavioral Health. 

In a recent podcast episode, Michele bravely shared her personal journey with listeners in hopes that her experiences might help other expecting mothers who may be struggling with addiction. She shares, "It's a lifelong battle because it was so easy to just do it before. But . . . with my little one, she is . . . what drives me to keep doing what I'm doing."

"Even though I've had my bad days, and days of struggle . . . there have been times when I see my little one's smile and it's like a weight is lifted." Michele says that her daughter, Oakley, is in a lot of ways her hero.

"When she was born, I was isolated. I was in a new environment. I was a newly single mother of an infant. I knew how bad my mental health can get." But Michele didn't reach out for help right away, which she expresses later that she wishes she would have if she could go back and do things differently. 

"After a couple weeks, I realized I cannot afford to be a mother like this. I cannot afford to spiral down even more. And that's when I finally got a hold of a couple of people, and they referred me to Horizon. And they've just been, oh my goodness, amazing. They are my biggest cheerleaders. I couldn't do it without them."

"For her [Oakley], I was going to take all that was wrong and make it right."

After everything she has been through, Michele is motivated to help the next woman, by encouraging them to reach out and not to be embarrassed or ashamed to speak up and say that you need help. "My advice is nothing is impossible. The word itself says 'I'm possible'. Remember that if you feel trapped or have no hope. You think this is how life is going to be forever, that it's never going to get better. But it does. It really does."

"If you don't know where to start or if you're scared of the unknown or the challenges you might face, just reach out. There is somebody somewhere that can guide you to that next step. They can be that pillow that can soften the blows that life is going to throw at you." 

"What I'm loving about being a mom is the fact that I'm always going to remember how she . . . and I have this bond, and it is so special. That is going to follow me from yesterday, today, tomorrow - until the end."

"I can't do it all myself but . . . I need to do what's best for me to be the mom I want to be."

New Mobile Crisis Team is Ready to Answer Your Call

Traditionally, when a person was experiencing a mental health crisis, their best option to get connected to immediate help by dialing 911. Then, either a police officer would be dispatched to them to conduct a wellness check, or the person would be directed to EMS or hospital services. While this could be helpful for the person experiencing a mental health crisis, it was not the ideal solution to meeting that person's needs effectively, safely, or quickly. This system of care also pulled law enforcement and first responders away from addressing other imperative needs in our community. The new Mobile Crisis Response program offers an effective alternative by connecting the person with trained mental health professionals in the safety of their own home.

Mobile Crisis Response is able to respond to calls received by the 988 hotline and respond in real-time with teams of two who are specifically trained to assess and provide assistance to people experiencing mental health crisis by meeting them wherever they are.

"We want them to feel like they are empowered - not in fear of being arrested or hospitalized," said Jason Hendricks, a Horizon Mobile Response Clinician. "Being a mobile crisis responder is an opportunity to do something that is very meaningful to me. It is an opportunity to help someone on the worst day of their lives. I get to help them prevent the worst thoughts and be there to support them.”

By working in pairs, the responders are able to render assistance while maintaining safety, quality assurance, and also complement each other's strengths and weaknesses to give the person experiencing a mental health crisis the best care possible. If the person consents, the responders can even get the person set up with an appointment then and there for admission into Horizon's programs and a virtual same-day assessment.

Currently, the program has two Mobile Response Clinicians who respond during the day, Monday-Friday, and two Peer Recovery Specialists who help provide people who have experienced a mental health crisis with follow-up services. The program aims to provide 24/7 response in the near future by hiring additional clinicians. There is also currently no charge for a person to receive mobile crisis services or to get in-touch by calling or texting the 988 hotline.

"We know not every situation will be successful, but we hope we can make a difference and support our first responders in the process. We can work with the person and develop a safety plan and ask a lot more questions. If we can find a way to provide relief to a person in crisis, then we have accomplished our goal.”

“I’m thankful that mobile crisis is responding to calls," said Michele Bauman, the Mobile Crisis Program Coordinator. "The positive responses that we have already gotten just speaks to the need in our community."

Horizon Staff Presents At National Conference 

In mid-March, Horizon staff were invited to present two presentations at the Joint Meeting on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery, a national conference that brings together experts from around the country to address the number one public health issue facing young people today: alcohol and other drugs.

Joe Girandola and Jennifer Smith Ramey presented on: How Do Homeless Youth Respond to Services?: A Multi-Method Program Evaluation. Siobhan Dwyer and Jennifer Smith Ramey also presented: Rural School and Community Partnerships: Increasing Pathways to Youth Focused Approaches. Together, the team highlighted key successes and results from Horizon's programs supporting adolescents and their families in Central Virginia. Both presentations were full and had a standing room only audience.

"Siobhan and Joe represented Horizon extremely well in their presentations and their engagement in general at the conference," said Jennifer Smith Ramey, Director of Grants and Programs at Horizon. "We are grateful for this opportunity, and it affirmed the effectiveness of the evidence-based practices utilized by Horizon's treatment teams."

Rhonda Turner Recognized as a Distinguished Alumni

Earlier this year, the University of Lynchburg recognized Rhonda Fuller Turner '94 with the Distinguished Alumni Award.

The University of Lynchburg stated: "Rhonda has made such a positive impact on her community since she graduated from Lynchburg. As a champion for mental health, substance abuse recovery and health education, Rhonda has made a lasting difference in the lives of many."

Rhonda currently serves as an Outpatient Clinical Coordinator at Horizon as well as an adjunct professor of social work, a founder of the Coalition for HIV Awareness & Prevention of Central VA, and Director of the Youth Leadership and Development Academy. Congratulations, Rhonda!

Lydie Regis Selected as a Top 20 MST Clinician Worldwide

In February, Lydie Regis, a Multisystemic Therapy (MST) Clinician at Horizon, was recognized with an award for her adherence scores. This award is given to the top 1% of MST therapists worldwide. With over 2,000 MST clinicians worldwide, this means that she is honored among the top 20 MST therapists in the world. Congratulations, Lydie, on the award and thank you for your excellent work!

"My ultimate goal as an MST Clinician is to ensure that the families we serve receive the best experience possible in order that they may heal and thrive in complete wholeness. A healed family is a healed community," said Lydie Regis, LCSW.

Tony Powell Receives Coveted EMDR Credential

In July, Tony Powell, a Horizon Clinician serving individuals in the Bedford Family Treatment Docket, received the EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) trainer credential from the EMDR International Association. Tony is now one of only two known trainers with this credential in Central Virginia. This credential is difficult to obtain and requires a significant time commitment.

Tony has more than 20 years of experience providing a variety of services to individuals and families including Emergency Services in the clinic and hospital settings, mental health outpatient services, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment, as well as extensive clinical supervision of counselors providing intensive community-based services. 

Stephanie Iannuzzi Graduates From Year-Long Leadership Academy

Stephanie Iannuzzi, an Outpatient Peer Recovery Specialist, recently graduated from the 4th Annual DBHDS Recovery Leadership Academy (RLA).

Recovery Leadership Academy is an intensive leadership development program offered by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). The emerging leaders must meet rigorous requirements for acceptance into the program. The academy was a year-long training which culminated in a capstone project that was presented to DBHDS for their consideration and possible future implementation.

"It was an honor to be chosen for this training," said Stephanie Iannuzzi. "Along with being a year of hard work, I met an amazing group of people in the Peer Recovery profession around Virginia."

Horizon Awarded Federal Grant to Support Lynchburg Recovery Court

The Lynchburg Adult Drug Court program celebrates the recent announcement of a $2 million federal grant provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The awarded funds will be used to increase the capacity of the Lynchburg Adult Recovery Court (LARC) by adding a probation officer to supervise participants, funding for recovery housing, and a robust external evaluation.

Since its implementation in 2017, LARC has served 70 individuals by providing comprehensive treatment for those involved in the criminal justice system struggling with substance use addiction with a focus on equitable, accessible, and timely care. The LARC program has been operating at full capacity to meet community needs, but this new funding will allow the program to now serve 20 individuals per year for the next five years.

Rhonda Turner, Clinical Coordinator of Outpatient Services at Horizon Behavioral health comments, “The LARC team was at a crossroads on how to accept more participants with current staffing. It’s exciting to know that we will be able to offer treatment and recovery housing to more individuals who are suffering that become involved in the legal system.”

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our entire team and everyone that worked on this grant,” said Taylor Jones, Adult Recovery Court Program Director for the Lynchburg City Circuit Court. “This funding will allow us to expand in a way like never before—we can enhance supervision across the board and give more people in the criminal justice system access to resources to treat their substance use.”

Horizon Awarded State Grant to Expand Behavioral Health Docket in Lynchburg

Horizon Behavioral Health was recently awarded a grant of $100,200 in State funds by the Supreme Court of Virginia to support the expansion of the Lynchburg Behavioral Health Docket. The docket is designed for individuals with serious mental illness who are involved in the legal system to provide wrap-around treatment for mental illness, promote recovery, avoid further legal involvement, and lead healthy and productive lives in their community. Funds from the grant will establish a dedicated coordinator to support participant engagement and expand the capacity of the program serving the 24th District.

Since the establishment of the docket earlier this year, the program has surpassed it’s goal to serve 7 participants in the first year and now expects to serve 10 participants in the next two months. The docket's significant and rapid growth is a testament to the outstanding need to integrate behavioral health treatment as an alternative to incarceration without necessary mental health treatment. 

The Behavioral Health Docket is a collaborative initiative supported by the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Horizon Behavioral Health, the Lynchburg Judicial System Public Defenders Office, the Lynchburg Police Department, the Department of Community Corrections, Liberty University, and Centra Health. 

Together, we seek to provide an alternative pathway through the judicial system for individuals who are diagnosed with a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and whose crime or offense is tied to their mental illness while balancing the need for public safety. Horizon Behavioral Health is the primary treatment provider for the docket, utilizing two evidence-based models for providing care which include Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Illness Management Recovery (IMR).

“Horizon is proud to continue this collaborative effort to serve our community and establish innovative services,” said Melissa Lucy, Horizon CEO. “We are thankful for the continued support of the Supreme Court of Virginia and our community partners without whose collaboration this program would not be possible.”