Centerstone honors mental health Community Champions in Southern Illinois

Centerstone, a national provider of behavioral health care honored individual for promote mental health advocacy during its 15th annual Metro-East Community Champions Banquet on June 11 at Centerstone’s Alton facility.

The 2019 Metro-East Centerstone Community Champions Award winners are Cory Davenport, formerly with The Riverbender.com, and state Rep. Monica Bristow, D-Alton.

The Community Champions Banquet honors community leaders who have made a difference by advancing mental health and substance use disorder services through their advocacy, leadership and service.

“For me, it is so rewarding to be able to recognize the individuals, organizations, and partners who work every day to improve the lives of those with behavioral health conditions,” said John G. Markley, CEO of Centerstone. “Each of our Champions has helped many people in our communities in a meaningful way. We are so grateful for the ways they have each helped Centerstone in its mission of delivering care that changes people’s lives.”

Sarah Beth Viliocco, an assessment unit clinician, with Centerstone, nominated Davenport for his “inclusion and sensitivity to mental health in his articles.”

“I was really impressed that he is using his voice on a platform that reaches thousands to advocate for mental health,” Viliocco said.

Centerstone Marketing and Communications Coordinator Chelsea Boyles nominated Bristow, whom Boyles called “a champion of behavioral health for many years.”

“We are grateful for her support and help in erasing stigma and providing resources,” Boyles said.

The banquet honoring the Southern Illinois Community Champions was held on Thursday, June 13, at Centerstone’s new Medication Assisted Treatment facility in Marion.

The winners of the Southern Illinois Community Champions Awards are Camille Dorris with the Southern Illinois Coalition for the Homeless and Brittney Hale with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois.

Centerstone accepted nominations for this year’s Community Champions awards in February and March.

Past winners of the Community Champions award are:
• 2018
o Metro-East
 Toni Corona, Madison County Health Department
 Tia Kingsbury, Gateway Regional Medical Center
 OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center
o Southern Illinois
 Adrienne Baker, Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities
 Matt Buckman, Ph.D., Egyptian Health Department
 Natasha Shafer, APN-FNP, CHESI & Centerstone
• 2017
o Metro-East
 Latasha Barnes, Land of Lincoln Foundation
 Chief Jake Simmons, Alton Police Department
o Southern Illinois
 Lukasz Dabrowski, MD, Southern Illinois Healthcare
 Michelle McLernon, Jackson County Health Department
• 2016
o Metro-East
 Vicki Young, Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation
 Genoa QoL
o Southern Illinois
 Diana Brawley Sussman, Carbondale Public Library
 Patsy Parker, volunteer and advocate

PHOTO: Monica Bristow, left, and Corey Davenport.