Centerstone’s Annual Report
Fiscal Year 2023
transformation hope growth
“If nothing ever changed , there would be no such things as butterflies.”
Centerstone is a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments for people of all ages. Services are available in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee through the operation of outpatient clinics, residential programs, school-based services, telehealth, and an inpatient hospital. Centerstone also offers specialized programs available nationwide for the military community, as well as services for children, including therapeutic foster care. Centerstone’s Institute provides guidance through research and technology, leveraging the best evidence-based practices for use across our communities. Centerstone’s Foundation secures philanthropic resources to support the work and mission of delivering care that changes people’s lives.
Letter from the CEO
I am always humbled when I pause and reflect on Centerstone’s many accomplishments, which are only made possible by the leadership and support from our boards of directors and our dedicated team of more than 3,800 staff members whose tremendous impact positively changes patient lives and extends into our greater communities. As the unprecedented demand for mental health resources continues to grow, our service areas are expanding to reach the ever-growing number of people who need mental health and substance use disorder support. I’m proud of our organization’s response to the cataclysmic changes affecting the behavioral health industry in recent years and our sustained high standards for delivering compassionate, quality care.
Over the past year, we have continued to break down barriers to care and reduce the stigma of mental health diagnoses and treatment. We know good treatment works, and Centerstone is leading the way in normalizing open, candid conversations about mental health and substance use disorder. This year we also celebrated the first anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and further developed strong relationships with policy decision-makers at the local, state, and federal level, advocating for policies that support increased access to care, behavioral health workforce development, and mental health parity. Regulators want the same things we want at Centerstone, which is the best for our communities, so we are grateful for the opportunity to work with them on solutions that benefit everyone.
Centerstone has also worked to support our teams to make work more manageable and to equip our staff with effective tools through initiatives like Centerstone’s Simulation Training Center and the use of artificial intelligence. We know these innovations help accelerate and enhance the science of care which leads to our patients getting better faster. In the coming year, we will continue to cast a wide net for the best talent to care for the increasing numbers of people needing mental health resources.
Over the years, Centerstone has enjoyed a strong reputation as a professional friend and neighbor in collaborative partnerships and joint ventures. We remain committed to our established relationships, like our relationship with Centerstone’s largest donor, the Cohen Veterans Network. We also look forward to forming new relationships in the coming year to extend our reach to patients and help strengthen communities in need.
To deliver care that changes people’s lives is our noble purpose. It’s what compels each Centerstone colleague to join our organization and provide excellent patient experiences. We’re bringing our momentum into the coming year to continue our life-changing work and we invite you to join us on our journey!
David C. Guth, Jr. | CEO
History of Centerstone
Important work like delivering care that changes people’s lives doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It requires time, resources, a fiercely dedicated workforce, and most importantly, strong relationships. Through this blend of essential ingredients, Centerstone has grown over its 60-plus year history to become one of the nation’s largest nonprofit behavioral health systems, providing care to more than 110,000 people across the country each year.
Centerstone’s history can be traced back to 1955 with the founding of our Behavioral Health Hospital & Addiction Center, which at that time was known as Manatee Glens. In the nearly seven decades since its founding, all of the organizations listed below, whose services span the full behavioral health continuum, have come together under one shared mission and vision. By coming together as one, Centerstone has maximized resources to expand access to critically important mental health care, thereby creating one of the most unique behavioral health organizations in the country.
Centerstone hasn’t grown without meticulous thought and consideration. Before we grow, before we look at expansion into new communities or developing new service lines, we always ask ourselves, “how can we take care of our current clients, our staff, and our communities?” That is and always has been our primary focus. We grow to better serve those in our communities who need us!
Highlights & Accomplishments
Centerstone services reach people in communities across the country and encompass a robust continuum of mental health and substance use disorder treatments. The selection of accomplishments below are just a small sample of our many achievements over the last year. We invite you to read more about our fiscal year 2023 accomplishments by reviewing the community impact reports for each of our distinct regions. These reports will give you a full scope of what Centerstone does and how our team positively influences thousands of lives each year.
Opened six new supportive housing locations totaling 48 new beds, and bringing the total number of adult residential beds to more than 1,000 across our system.
Expanded Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for substance use services in all clinic and school-based locations in Tennessee, providing 9,766 screenings for alcohol and substance use disorders.
Served 357 children through Centerstone’s therapeutic foster care program in Indiana and Tennessee, with 129 new admissions, 46 adoptions, and 67 family reunifications.
Expanded access to mental health services in Jeffersonville, Indiana through the opening of a new outpatient office, which includes touchdown space for school-based staff. Centerstone now serves students in more than 850 schools throughout the country, including more than 250 schools in Indiana.
Expanded crisis diversion services by opening a new Stride Center location in Columbus, Indiana, offering 24/7 access to recovery coaches, peer support specialists, therapists, and nurses who help support guests during times of mental health or substance use crisis.
Awarded a $6.5 million contract from the Lee County Board of Commissioners to establish the Wellness Intervention for Substance Abuse Harms Abatement (WISH) Program which bolsters local efforts to prevent overdoses and provide substance use disorder treatment in Florida.
Secured $3 million in capital funding from the State of Florida to continue renovations and establish a Community Resource Center that will provide shelter for unhoused individuals and people who need mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
Completed a $3 million renovation of Centerstone’s Behavioral Health Hospital & Addiction Center in Bradenton, Florida, made possible through the generosity from the Bishop Parker Foundation and William G. & Marie Selby Foundation. The renovations resulted in expansion of the 24/7 Access Center, new patient rooms and nurses’ station on the psychiatric unit of the hospital as well as the creation of private rooms and additional meeting space on the hospital’s addiction unit.
Centerstone received multiple federal Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) awards worth $28,000,000 to support coordinated comprehensive behavioral health care services for the next four years.
Opened a new 24-hour Crisis Stabilization in Carterville, Illinois that provides a supportive stabilizing environment for adults experiencing a mental health crisis or difficulty managing mental health symptoms.
Designated as a Care Coordination and Support Organization (CCSO) for youth ages infant – 21 years by The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Now operating in a total of nine counties in southern and central Illinois, Centerstone’s CCSO provides an array of services focused on improving outcomes for youth and families within the Illinois community behavioral health service system.
Centerstone’s Foundation hosted 10 special events including the Reclaiming Lives Luncheon, a 3-day Bocce Tournament, and Centerstone’s 20th Annual Life;Story 5k/10k raising $322,680 to support patient care at Centerstone.
Created a Patient Safety Organization (PSO) that is certified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Centerstone’s PSO ensures the organization adopts proactive clinical risk management practices, analyzes and acts on data related to patient safety, and assess physical and psychological safety culture. Out of the 111 PSOs across the United States, Centerstone’s is the only entity that exclusively focuses on behavioral health.
Patient Stories
The moment Centerstone patients make the decision to seek support, their journey to healing begins. Much like the butterfly, patients can transform their lives and the lives of those around them by taking steps to self-discovery in a safe, compassionate space. Through these stories and in their own words, patients share their experiences, outcomes, and the work they have done to move forward. We encourage you to pull up a chair and listen to these inspiring stories of hope and healing.
Alissan’s Story:
Alissan experienced a brutal attack that left her in a coma. She turned to alcohol as a way to cope with that traumatic experience, but quickly realized it was not helping her in the way she wanted it to. After being referred to Centerstone, Alissan entered a long-term treatment program and is now well on her way to recovery.
Babs’ Story:
Babs’ entire life was consumed by her addiction to alcohol. After losing everything, she enrolled in intensive detox and residential treatment at Centerstone. After treatment, Centerstone staff encouraged and reassured her that she was ready for the next step and helped her get a job. Now, several years later, she owns a thriving business and has achieved so much. And she credits it all to her recovery.
Michelle & Jennifer’s Story:
Michelle and Jennifer had considered fostering children in their home, and connected with Centerstone to foster five children. A Centerstone case manager came alongside them and equipped them to navigate the foster care journey, and they eventually adopted all five children. Michelle said, “From the moment our first two children showed up at our house, I couldn’t imagine a life where they weren’t there with us.”
More Patient Stories
Visit centerstone.org/stories to hear more from out patients.
One Year of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
This year we celebrated the first anniversary of the launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and what a year it has been. Centerstone is proud to be a part of this life saving resource by operating two national 988 call centers, responding to callers in their time of need. In the coming year, our goal is to continue spreading the word of the 988 Lifeline and its life-saving resources.
Becky Stoll | Senior Vice President of Crisis Services
July 2023 marked the one-year anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of state and federal legislators, mental health professionals, telecommunications authorities, and advocacy groups all across the country, the 988 Lifeline is available nationwide for individuals experiencing challenges related to mental health, substance use, or suicidal crisis. Anyone needing support can call, chat, or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to speak with a trained crisis professional 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year.
Between July 2022 and May 2023, 988 crisis professionals across the country answered more than 4.5 million calls, texts, and chats from Americans in distress. During this time, the average speed to answer across all contact methods profoundly decreased from 140 seconds to just 35 seconds. And with the help of 988 Lifeline professionals like those at Centerstone, the national response rates for text messages and online chats has increased from the low teens to over 90%, with the response rates for phone calls also seeing a small increase as well. The 988 Lifeline is increasingly available for more people each day, resulting in thousands of lives saved.
Centerstone has proactively expanded its crisis call center to meet the growing demand for 988 Lifeline callers. Our crisis counselors answering these calls, texts, and online chats take time to listen and determine the best course of action to help callers or individuals that callers are concerned about. This past year Centerstone also became one of just four organizations across the nation working to strengthen access to suicide prevention and crisis services through the 988 Lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth aged 25 and under, a population we know is at risk for mental health related challenges. Over the duration of this last fiscal year, Centerstone answered 116, 371 calls, online chats, and text messages from people across the country who contacted the 988 Lifeline for support.
While the demand and call volume is growing, there is still work to be done to educate the American public about the 988 Lifeline. An April 2023 study from Pew Research Center revealed only 13% of American adults are aware of the 988 Lifeline and the resources it provides. Clearly, there is more work to be done to increase awareness about this valuable resource and Centerstone is up to the challenge! If the numbers form this past year have shown us anything, it is that the life-saving work being accomplished through the 988 Lifeline matters!
National Policy
Centerstone has continued its work at the Federal level advocating for policy solutions that advance the best science of mental health care, including policy solutions to ensure more individuals and families have access to the services they need when they most need them. Through our federal advocacy, we have increased funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the continuum of crisis services that supports 988, advanced a game changing clinical model – known as the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) program, and worked hand in hand with congressional offices to make improvements to the 2018 SUPPORT Act, a massive opioid bill geared toward addressing the opioid crisis, which is slated to be reauthorized by the end of 2023.
Over the last year, Centerstone has hosted several sitting members of U.S. Congress and their staff at our facilities – so we can show firsthand how we are delivering care that changes people’s lives. Additionally, we have started to host Centerstone Hill Days in Washington DC, in which our leaders meet in person with their elected members and their staff to educate lawmakers about our services as well as to hear from the congressional leaders what their concerns are. Through our cumulative national policy efforts, we have continued to position Centerstone as a trusted subject matter expert for both lawmakers and federal agencies that support the health and wellbeing of our nation.
Lauren Conaboy | Vice President of National Policy
By the Numbers
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As our nation emerges from the effects of the pandemic, there are still several financial challenges to navigate for many organizations. Workforce shortages, economic uncertainty, and inflationary pressures are just a few reasons why Centerstone has worked harder to sustain our financial health. Over the course of fiscal year 2023, Centerstone received reimbursement rate increases, which helped increase revenues by 8% when compared to our previous fiscal year. While these rate increases are encouraging, it is important that we continue to make bold decisions that will defend us from the economic volatility that continues to exist.
Carol Bean | Chief Financial Officer
Centerstone’s Military Services
In our efforts to support military service members, veterans, and their families, Centerstone’s Military Services has seen significant improvements in patient outcomes and access to care by reducing patient wait times for appointments. In the past year, we have continued to strengthen partnerships with military-related organizations to provide resources and treatment through a nationwide network of providers. And we will continue our work to reduce the stigma around mental health treatment for those who have bravely served.
Dr. Blas Villalobos | CEO, Military Services
The devoted team with Centerstone’s Military Services understands the unique experiences of those affiliated with the United States Armed Forces. These individuals work each day to diminish the many barriers to care and provide specialized, culturally-competent mental health services to treat conditions commonly faced by service members and their families.
Challenges and Support
It’s no secret that members of the military community face unique challenges. More than 100,000 current and former military service members have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since 2002. Alarmingly, data suggests that more than 50% of those who suffer combat trauma do not receive adequate treatment. In addition to PTSD, current and former service members and their families struggle with other mental health issues including anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, relationship problems, employment stress, and challenges readjusting to life after military service. We know that many members of our military will not get the treatment they need to address these mental health conditions and thrive. And that’s why Centerstone’s Military Services works each day to provide veterans and their families the services that change lives and often times, save them.
Services and Partnerships
Centersone’s Military Services are available nationally through our network of more than 1,500 clinical providers, as well as in Centerstone clinics. We offer traditional therapy, peer support services, and other forms of support through partnerships with the Cohen Veterans Network, Wounded Warrior Project, and Stop Soldier Suicide. All of this work is done to support active duty service members, reservists, National Guard, veterans, and their families across the country and around the globe. Our counselors, therapists, and other providers are well-versed in military culture and competency, meaning they are trained on how the military functions, cultural aspects of the military, and how to address common problems that are faced by military community members.
Impact and Outreach
Over the past year, Centestone’s Military Services served 6,567 active duty military personnel, veterans, and their families. You can learn more about our lifesaving work by visiting our website.
Centerstone’s Institute
Over the past year, the team within Centerstone’s Institute has been laser focused on a number of initiatives that support staff and patients alike. Clinical education, for example, has long been a primary focus, but this year we have dedicated many hours to researching, planning, and designing clinical education modules that support our Simulation Training Center. We have worked diligently to find what questions are most important to our organization and where we can meet those gaps with quality information through research and evaluation. We’ve considered the best ways to implement training delivery so that it’s user friendly for our staff members, and we’ve also worked to determine our clinicians’ comfort level regarding the use of evidence-based practices in care.
During the last fiscal year, Centerstone also earned certification as a Patient Safety Organization (PSO). We accelerated our certification process and completed it in eight months as opposed to the usual 12 – 18 months for most organizations. There are currently only 111 PSOs in the United States, but because Centerstone’s is the only PSO to focus solely on behavioral health, we are uniquely positioned to lead patient safety in the behavioral health space. This development significantly expands the availability of many exciting opportunities for our organization.
Other areas of focus for the team within Centerstone’s Institute include culture-building initiatives, preventing professional burnout through scientific research and resource building, advancing measurement-informed care, and evaluating a selection of clinical services. It is an exciting time for Centerstone’s Institute and we are looking forward to continued growth in our next fiscal year.
Ashley Newton | CEO of Centerstone’s Institute
Centerstone’s Simulation Training Center
Our commitment to clinical education has expanded through the continued development of our Simulation Training (SIM) Center. Centerstone’s Institute designs and delivers trainings for our clinical staff through simulation technology to advance clinical competency and accessibility to training information. It then evaluates these educational offerings to ensure that Centerstone offers the most relevant education and best practices to ensure our patients get better faster.
The SIM Center uses live patient actors to reflect real world situations staff may experience in their daily work, and staff feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We are implementing an artificial intelligence platform so staff can access trainings easier in their own time and we can offer it to a greater number of our workforce. The SIM Center currently offers 16 custom-built trainings on evidence-based practices. To date, nearly 800 Centerstone staff members have participated in these trainings.
Centerstone’s Patient Safety Organization
Centerstone’s Patient Safety Organization (PSO) ensures the organization adopts proactive clinical risk management practices, analyzes and acts on data related to patient safety, and assesses physical and psychological safety culture. The PSO provides safe and confidential spaces for Centerstone to study adverse patient reports, and can help staff understand the context around what happened, and examine system-level changes that can be made to reduce errors.
Centerstone’s PSO is certified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) whose mission is to bridge research and practice to make healthcare safer, equitable, accessible, and affordable. Currently, there are 111 PSOs across the United States, and Centerstone is proud to be the only entity that exclusively focuses on behavioral health.
Our Board Members
Jamie Arnett
Board Member, Tennessee
Dr. Carolyn Audet
Secretary, Institute
Bruce Barrick
Vice Chair, Foundation
Dr. Jennifer Bencie
Board Member, Florida
Shay Binkley
Board Member, Tennessee
Rev. Dr. Deborah Blanks
Board Member, Military
Bonnie Brackett
Board Member, Illinois
Lee Brackett
Immediate Past Chair, America
BG (Ret) Scott Brower
Board Member, Military
Nelson Burns
Board Member, Institute
Ann Campbell
Vice Chair, Military | Board Member, Florida
Lisa Campbell
Board Member, Institute
Kelly Crockett
Chair, Tennessee
Terrye Davidson
Vice Chair, Indiana
Laurie Dickerson
Board Member, Indiana
Molly Dodge
Board Member, Indiana
Hannah Dudney
Board Member, Tennessee
Dr. Ronda Dunn
Board Member, Illinois
Devan Dwenger
Board Member, Indiana
Jonette Eagles
Board Member, Illinois
Matt Ellis
Board Member, Military
Mike Enos
Immediate Past Chair, Military
Reed Farley
Chair, Military | Board Member, America
Mark Faulkner
Vice Chair, Tennessee | Board Member, Institute
Patricia Fischer
Vice Chair, Illinois
Rhonda Friend
Board Member, Indiana
Rev. James Golden
Immediate Past Chair, Florida | Board Member, Foundation
Parker Griffith
Board Member, Foundation
David Guth
CEO, America | Board Member, Illinois | Board Member, Institute | Board Member, Military
Claire Haltom
Secretary, Military
Dr. Kevin Hamilton
Board Member, Foundation | Board Member, Tennessee
Sharon Harlin
Secretary, Indiana
CSM (Ret) Marvin Hill
Board Member, Military
Sara Huggins
Board Member, America
Tom Johnson
Board Member, Illinois
Kim Kaytor
Board Member, Illinois
Susan Kidder
Board Member, Illinois
Timothy Knowles
Chair, Foundation | Secretary, Florida
Suzanne Koesel
CEO, Indiana
Phil Krebs
Vice Chair, America
Melissa Larkin-Skinner
CEO, Florida
Douglas Leonard
Immediate Past Chair, Indiana
COL (Ret) Jon Lopey
Board Member, Military
Dr. Patricia Lucas
Secretary, America
COL (Ret) Tom Mahler
Board Member, Foundation | Board Member, Institute | Board Member, Military
Geoff McKim
Chair, Indiana
Dr. David J. Melby
Board Member, Illinois | Board Member, Institute
Stephani Meyer
Secretary, Illinois
Ben Middleton
CEO, Tennessee
Jonathan Morphett
Immediate Past Chair, Institute
BG (Ret) Eden Murrie
Board Member, Military
Jeff Nahley
Board Member, Military
Scott Neu
Board Member, Tennessee
David Newgent
Board Member, Indiana
Ashley Newton
CEO, Institute
Dr. Jill Obremskey
Secretary, Tennessee
Dana Oman
Immediate Past Chair, Tennessee
Wes Pass
Board Member, Military
Pastor Robert Phillips
Chair, Illinois
Raymond Pilon
Board Member, Florida
Nedda Pollack
Board Member, Institute
Ramona Rhodes
President, Foundation
Waverly Robinson
Board Member, Illinois
A. John Rose
Vice Chair, Institute
Kate Satz
Board Member, Tennessee
Chris Schickling
Board Member, Military Services
Brad Smith
Board Member, Foundation
J. Reneae Staley
Board Member, Indiana
James Sweeten
Chair, America
Colleen Thayer
Chair, Florida
Anne Tyree
CEO, Illinois
Dr. Raghu Upender
Chair, Institute
Dr. Robert Vero
Board Member, Institute
Dr. Blas Villalobos
CEO, Military
John Voigt
Secretary, Foundation
Lisa Waber
Board Member, Indiana
Lorenzo Waiters
Board Member, Florida
Jack Wallace
Immediate Past Chair, Foundation
Chris Was
Board Member, Military
Robert Wheeler
Board Member, Military
Mary Wilson
Board Member, Tennessee
Laura Weinland Young
Board Member, Indiana
Amy Wrightson
Vice Chair, Florida
Carol Zwick
Immediate Past Chair, Illinois | Board Member, Foundation
Our Donors
As a charitable organization, Centerstone relies on philanthropic donations to help us deliver on our mission and enhance patient care. Many thanks to all – our boards, donors, volunteers and staff – for their passion and commitment to helping provide life-changing and life-saving care to people in our communities. Thanks to your efforts and support through Centerstone’s endowment, special events and annual giving programs, together, we are delivering care that changes people’s lives.
We celebrate our donors and funders who provided support to Centerstone in fiscal year 2023, and made gifts from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. We are deeply grateful for these philanthropic leaders and their significant impact in people’s lives! Thank you!
Make a gift to Centerstone today
To support mental health and substance use treatment in communities across the country, please consider making a gift to Centerstone by visiting centerstone.org/give.
We greatly appreciate each gift given in support of Centerstone, and have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this listing. Please notify Centerstone’s Foundation office of any inaccuracies or omissions by contacting us at foundation@centerstone.org or toll-free at 877-277-9820. Also, if you have any questions or would like to be added or removed from our mailing lists, please contact us. Thank you.
Team Photo Gallery
Centerstone’s expert team is at the heart of our mission of delivering care that changes people’s lives. From speeches and presentations to ribbon-cuttings and special events, our teams were active in their communities ensuring people in need could connect with our services. We’re so proud of all of our team members who make hard work just a little bit easier!
About the Design
“How does one become a butterfly ? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”
Each summer, caterpillars build magnificent cocoons to begin a radical transformation into colorful butterflies. Similar to the transformative journeys that caterpillars experience, a person’s journey to mental wellbeing or recovery from substance use disorder is all about hope, growth, and transformation. People from all walks of life come to Centerstone to start their transformation and we help them to get through to the other side. We are a catalyst for growth so that our patients can emerge as strong, beautiful butterflies.