Centerstone to hold July Spotlight event on self-care

Behavioral health-care provider Centerstone will play host to a panel discussing self-care during the third session of its 2019 Spotlight Series.

The event will take place on July 30 at Centerstone, 2615 Edwards St., Alton, from 5 to 7 p.m.

“This Spotlight Series event will focus on what self-care looks like for children, adults, professionals and others,” said Centerstone Marketing and Communications Coordinator Chelsea Boyles. “This event is interactive, and participants will walk away with strategies to improve self-care so that they can live well.”

Expert panel members include:

• Laura Ballard, a special educator and school administrator for 25 years.
• Ty Bechel, program coordinator for Chestnut Health Systems and executive director for Amare. Bechel is also the author of “Heroin Rising: A Tale of True Terror,” “Heroin Rising II: Out of the Ashes,” and, soon-to-be-released horror and thriller fiction anthology, “Reality or Madness: An Anthology of Fiction.” Bechel is in long-term recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and is also a certified peer recovery specialist.
• A.J. French, who has professional expertise regarding mental health recovery. She has presented training modules and taught principles of self-care and wellness for faith leaders in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota and Tennessee.  French has developed Certified Recovery Support Specialist Competency Trainings for the State of Illinois and serves on the statewide CRSS Steering Committee, among others.
• Jan Green, an LCSW and a therapist for Madison County Catholic Charities. She has a master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in social work. Green has worked at Alton Mental Health, Department of Children and Family Services, and psychological services in St. Clair County.
• Brittany Pinnon-Becker, who holds a master’s degree in counseling from McKendree University. She is a clinical coordinator at Centerstone, where she has worked for five years.

The Spotlight Series events are held once a quarter throughout 2019, on the last Tuesday of January, April, July, and October, from 5 to 7 p.m. at various locations.

Each event will begin with appetizers, refreshments and networking from 5 to 5:30 p.m., followed by presentations by the experts and question-and-answer sessions with audience members.

In September of 2016, Centerstone launched “Centerstone Spotlights,” an educational series designed to highlight key behavioral health topics affecting our community.

Past Spotlights have been on grief, suicide prevention, caring for aging adults, and substance abuse.

“Each Spotlight Series discussion will feature a panel of experts from the surrounding area, and we really think this will showcase the strength of our community and our ability to work together to address issues in our own backyards,” said Centerstone Director of Advancement Jocelyn Popit.

RSVP at julyspotlightseries.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Chelsea Boyles at (855) 608-3560, ext. 1787, or chelsea.boyles@centerstone.org