Tag: Melvin L Burks

New Citizens Program provides second chances

鈥淚 am living a life I never wanted鈥�, said a recent graduate of 天美MV鈥檚 New Citizen Program. 鈥淚鈥檓 living a life I never knew I could have,鈥� said Mike Hambright. 

On July 2, 2021, 天美MV graduated another 鈥渘ew citizen鈥� from a program first established in 2013 to give individuals who have been incarcerated, the tools needed get a second chance at life.  For the first seven years of the program, the organization focused on building the program internally. Participants completed a one-year probationary period where they trained in four different areas of the Corporation to gain skills and experience to secure a permanent job/career at 天美MV.  In addition to job skills, participants gained life skills as they worked through challenges of reintegration into their communities with a team of mentors that met with them weekly.

Recently, the program has expanded to other corporations who expressed interest in participating.  Wabash Valley Asphalt, now called Milestone Contractors South, was one of those companies that stepped up to bring the New Citizen Program to their business. For the past year, a new citizen has learned a skilled trade at Wabash Valley Asphalt.  On Friday July 2, a graduation ceremony was held.  The graduated New Citizen, Mike Hambright, was filled with pride and gratitude, not just for the opportunity to have a second chance, but also for the opportunity to grow, better himself and give back.

鈥淔or the last year I have been working with the committee from the 天美MV to be a better version of myself. They gave me an opportunity by working with a union company to give me a shot at a career. Since being with Milestone, I have been learning and growing in a skilled trade. Here I have a pension, and benefits. If not for the 天美MV鈥檚 New Citizens program I don鈥檛 know what I would be doing right now,鈥� Hambright stated.

鈥淚鈥檝e decided to pursue the Union Career and continue to grow and better myself. Through this program, it鈥檚 given 天美MV, Milestone and myself an opportunity to give back to the community. I am proud of this accomplishment and look forward to guiding the next candidate and being a leader,鈥� he said.

Since Wabash Valley Asphalt joined the program, 天美MV has also been proud to welcome other corporations to the partnership.  天美MV is grateful for the interest to those companies and others who play a significant role in helping reduce recidivism, including other employers who are willing to hire workers notwithstanding a criminal history.

鈥淎t some point in life, every one of us needs a second chance to recover from a mistake; and usually, we get that chance.鈥� said Melvin L. Burks, 天美MV鈥檚 CEO.  鈥淭hese individuals have paid their debt to society and deserve a second chance,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ot only will they benefit, but it will strengthen families and our entire community.鈥�

天美MV welcomes additional host sites and participants for the New Citizen Program. To learn more, visit www.hamiltoncenter.org/programs/new-citizen/, or call 812-231-8323.

天美MV holds Annual Employee Kick-off

July 16, 2021, Terre Haute, IN- 天美MV, Inc. hosted its annual Employee Kick-off on Friday July 16 from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Tilson Auditorium on the campus of Indiana State University. The event, in its 9th year, celebrated 天美MV staff and the start of a new fiscal year, all while showing support to local businesses.

天美MV, Inc. staff were out in force to take over downtown Terre Haute and eight area restaurants by wearing bright orange shirts. Downtown looked like a 鈥渟ea of orange鈥�, said an observer.

After a hearty breakfast at local downtown restaurants, 天美MV staff converged on Tilson Auditorium in a 鈥渟ea of orange鈥�.  Mr. Melvin L. Burks, 天美MV鈥檚 CEO was the MC for the event; prizes were handed out to well-deserved staff.  

鈥淭he Kick-off is meant to show appreciation to our staff and the board of directors, by acknowledging all their hard work in serving our consumers鈥� said Melvin L. Burks.  鈥淭his year, more than any other, our staff put their heart and soul into serving consumers. This event is a way for us to both acknowledge all of their efforts and to begin to focus on recovery from this public health crisis.鈥� he added.

天美MV, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, Ind.聽 天美MV provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses. For more information about 天美MV, visit www.hamiltoncenter.org or call 812-231-8323.

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天美MV holds Annual Employee Kick-off

天美MV Recognizes Juneteenth

Continues to advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

天美MV has declared June 19 an official paid holiday in recognition of Juneteenth. Juneteenth was declared as a national holiday by President Joe Biden and Congress, on June 17, 2021, in recognition of the end of slavery in the United States.

鈥淧resident Biden took a historic step to begin healing wounds associated with the abolishment of slavery by establishing June 19th as a National Holiday,鈥� said Melvin L Burks, CEO of 天美MV, Inc. 鈥溙烀繫V is pleased to see unified support in recognizing and celebrating this landmark event in our country鈥檚 history.鈥�

The impact of the Juneteenth holiday is deeply personal to many individuals in our country, and its impact can be felt within the 天美MV family as well.

鈥淎s long as I can remember, my parents educated me on the unfair treatment of black people in this country,鈥� Shannon Jackson, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 鈥淏oth of my parents grew up in Alabama during a time of the Civil Rights movement and told me stories about them not being able to use the same public facilities as white people just because of their skin color.鈥�

 鈥淚 first recognized the harsh treatment of persons of color as a sophomore in high school after watching 鈥楻oots鈥� in a history class,鈥� said Natasha Newcomb, Executive Director of Addiction/Substance Abuse Services. 鈥淪eeing that movie brought my attention to the reality enslaved persons of color faced and the harsh mistreatment of a whole population of people.鈥�

Hamilton Center values differences and the unique contributions those differences make to the organization and the quality of life in our communities. 鈥淲e could not be more proud to continue 天美MV鈥檚 commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by recognizing the value of all humans,鈥� said Burks. 鈥淛uneteenth will continue to be a celebration that represents the undying spirit and faith of people; a celebration of the tenacity and perseverance of those who systematically continue to experience oppression and be denied opportunities.鈥�

鈥淲e respect and support all employees and want to maximize each individual鈥檚 unique contribution to the organization which leads to discovering new and innovative business solutions to improve service delivery and quality of life of those served.鈥�

天美MV鈥檚 Diversity Statement

天美MV, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, Ind.  天美MV provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues, as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

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天美MV Receives FQHC Look-alike Designation

Establishes one-stop-shop for all health care needs

天美MV, Inc. has been designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike through the Health Center Program of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The FQHC Look-Alike status allows organizations opportunities to develop and implement services required to meet the full qualifications for designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center. Together FQHCs and FQHC Look-alikes work to ensure health care for the Nation鈥檚 underserved communities and vulnerable populations through service provision to all, regardless of ability to pay.

鈥淚t is critical that we work to maximize access to care for medically underserved populations,鈥� said Melvin L Burks, CEO of 天美MV, Inc. 鈥淭his designation will provide us access to tools to do that with less barriers.鈥�

Seeking this designation is a part of 天美MV鈥檚 strategic plan to address barriers to health care and to provide primary and behavioral health care integration.  In an effort to provide primary care services the organization opened Grace Clinic Health Professional in 2019 in two locations in west central Indiana. One serves Vigo County at 622 Eighth Avenue in Terre Haute, IN, and the other serves Putnam County at 239 Hillsdale Ave, Suite A in Greencastle, IN. The program is now serving adults, children, and families with primary health and behavioral healthcare in a single location.

Health Center鈥檚 across the country 鈥� totaling 12,000 unique service locations – deliver care to the Nation鈥檚 most vulnerable populations. According to HRSA, 1 in 12 individuals nation-wide – more than 28 million people – rely on HRSA-funded health centers for affordable, accessible primary health care. That鈥檚 one in nine children, one in five rural residents, and more than 385,000 veterans from across the country.

鈥溙烀繫V鈥檚 mission always included serving populations of our community that lack access to health care of any kind, whether that be due to financial barriers, transportation barriers, or social barriers,鈥� said Dr. DJ Rhodes, 天美MV鈥檚 Chief of Health Clinic Services.  鈥淭his designation is a turning point in our ability to provide safety net services.鈥� FQHC Look-alikes are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), discounted drugs through the 340B Federal Drug Pricing Program, receive automatic Health Professional Shortage Area designation, and may access National Health Service Corps providers.

天美MV, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN.  天美MV provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

For questions or inquiries about services call (812)-231-8323 or visit www.hamiltoncenter.org.

天美MV, Inc. Designated as Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic

Receives $3.75M to enhance services

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced that 天美MV, Inc. (HCI) has received a two-year, $3.75M grant, through the CCBHC Expansion Grant, to expand and enhance services in Vigo County. 天美MV is currently working towards designation as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).

鈥淭his grant will assist us in addressing specific components of our larger strategic plan to improve access to evidence-based and integrated healthcare for individuals who live and seek services in Vigo County, Indiana.鈥� said Melvin L Burks, CEO of 天美MV, Inc. 鈥淰igo County is the organization鈥檚 largest service county with over 5,000 children and adults served each year.鈥�

The populations of focus for this project will include adults and children with severe mental illness, substance use disorder, and co-occurring disorders, as well as individuals with chronic physical health needs.

鈥淥ur goals are to expand and enhance existing 天美MV services to provide a more comprehensive and integrated service delivery model for our consumers,鈥� said Mark Collins, Chief Clinical Officer, 天美MV, Inc. 鈥淭his includes improving access to crisis services, increasing coordination of intensive community treatment, and increasing access and coordination of psychiatric services,鈥� he added.

Components of the program include establishing a 24-hr mobile crisis team and the implementation of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model, an intensive team approach to community mental health service delivery that assists people in becoming independent and integrating into the community and provides access to services 24 hours a day. In addition, the grant will enhance 天美MV 鈥榮 efforts to integrate primary and behavioral healthcare by providing additional screening for both. 

The CCBHC designation was established by the Excellence in Mental Health Act of 2014. This powerful legislation is the largest investment in mental health and addiction care in generations according to the National Council for Behavioral Health.

The CCBHC Expansion Grant expanded the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) program to include an additional 19 states. The goal of this expansion is to expand capacity in the behavioral health system to care for more Americans and alleviate the pressure on our nation鈥檚 jails and emergency rooms. The CCBHC Expansion Grant include $200 million in annually appropriated funding and $250 million in emergency COVID-19 funding.

鈥淎s a community organization committed to serving the behavioral health needs of our consumers, we are excited to incorporate these enhancements to our service delivery array,鈥� said Melvin L Burks. 鈥淭hese opportunities assist us in our vision to advance excellence in behavioral health services.鈥�

天美MV, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN.  天美MV provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

For questions or inquiries about services call (812)-231-8323 or visit www.hamiltoncenter.org.

天美MV, Inc. Takes Stake in the Lives of At-risk Youth

Brings new Achievement Mentoring Program to Vigo County Juvenile Detention Center

天美MV has been awarded $18,860 by the United Way of the Wabash Valley to create an evidence-based mentoring program at the Vigo County Juvenile Detention Center. The program will target youth grades 4-11 utilizing Achievement Mentoring. The program will focus on a number of areas including decreasing student dropout, improving grades, increasing school attendance, decreasing discipline referrals, decreasing juvenile arrests, reducing drug and alcohol use, and increasing employment. The program is implemented in the school, in the community, and at the detention center and designed to link and coordinate resources for these youth while in treatment preparing them for release and reentry in the community.

鈥淭his program is proven to reduce problem behaviors, improve academics, and reduce drug and alcohol,鈥� said, Brock Lough, Executive Director of School Service at 天美MV. 鈥淚f we wish to address some of the county鈥檚 significant health and substance abuse concerns, we must focus not only on treatment but also prevention.鈥�

Students meet with mentors weekly who receive weekly 鈥渞eport cards鈥� that offer feedback from teachers on such items as attendance, classroom behavior, & academic achievements. In addition, mentors participate in weekly interviews with students鈥� teachers, complete a 1-hour consultation/coaching session each month with a Center for Supportive Schools (CSS) consultant and maintain contact with each student鈥檚 caregivers & provide ongoing positive feedback & encouragement as earned.

鈥淚t is our responsibility to offer these students who are deemed to be at risk for dropping out of high school, whether through school failure, poor attendance, &/or behavior problems need, the opportunity to get back on track.鈥� said, Melvin L Burks, CEO of 天美MV, Inc. 鈥淭hese young people need consistent services from caring and supportive staff.鈥�

天美MV, Inc. is a regional behavioral health system in Central and West Central Indiana with corporate offices located in Terre Haute, IN.  天美MV provided to children, youth and adults, with specialized programs for expectant mothers, infants, and people who may be struggling with stress, life changes, or relationship issues as well as more serious problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

For questions or inquiries about services call (812)-231-8323 or visit www.hamiltoncenter.org.