Centerstone awarded Regional Business of the Year by Carbondale Chamber

Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, was honored with the Regional Business of the Year award from the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce during its annual awards banquet on April 29 at the Southern Illinois University Student Center Ballrooms.

The award recognizes a Southern Illinois business that contributes significantly to the Carbondale community and the Southern Illinois region as a whole.

“Centerstone’s dedicated team of more than 3,800 professionals nationwide possess such immense talent, always working diligently through all circumstances to fulfil their noble purpose to deliver care that changes people’s lives. We have all faced numerous challenges in 2021, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, but no matter the situation, the Centerstone team continues to do everything in their power to deliver on their noble purpose and care for people and communities in need,” said William Lo, executive director of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce.

Centerstone Regional CEO John Markley accepted the award during the banquet.

“Centerstone is honored to be chosen as the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Regional Business of the Year,” Markley said. “This award is for all of our employees, clients and community partners. We have all worked together to deliver care that changes people’s lives.”

In 2021, Centerstone, throughout its Illinois operations, served 11,451 patients and provided 324,041 services. With locations in the Metro East and Southern Illinois, Centerstone employs 682 people.

Accomplishments of Centerstone in 2021 include:

• Shifting to telehealth creating enhanced access to care and new hybrids of care incorporating the best elements of in-person and virtual approaches
• Deploying new recruitment strategies, onboarding processes, and state-of-the-art training to attract new talent
• Increasing the number of services delivered in 2021 when compared to 2020
• Piloting new technologies and clinical approaches
• Leaning forward with assertive, actively anti-racist diversity and inclusion efforts
• Establishment of Employee Resource Groups, which has led to significant internal policy changes, including the celebration of Juneteenth as a paid company holiday, giving staff members time off to fully appreciate the day when all Americans became free
• Adding gap compensation for military service members who are called to duty, ensuring those heroes are able to maintain their normal degree of compensation while on deployment
• Launching One Hundred Champions, which connected with legislators and health staffers from both chambers of Congress and across the political spectrum resulting in the continued authorization of telehealth and introduction of bipartisan legislation
• Joining a coalition of colleagues and advocates in a landmark effort to designate a national three-digit dialing code (988) for mental health emergencies, scheduled to go live this year
• Jennifer Kesler, Residential Supervisor, honored with The Arc of Illinois’ Direct Services Professional (DSP) Award for her outstanding, dedicated, direct care service and support to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Began the process to expand services at Centerstone’s Fellowship House Campus to include residential substance use disorder care for women
• Attained a 123% increase in the number of clients receiving medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to achieve recovery from substance use disorders
• Three Centerstone staff members in Illinois among only 15 people selected to participate in the 2021 Southern Illinois Leadership Institute
• Implemented the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Model to further improve the integration of physical health care, crisis care, outpatient mental healthcare, and other health services