Presented by

May 7, 2014

May - Mental Health Month

Journey to Recovery

TODAY’S PROGRAM 11:00 am Registration

11:30 am Lunch Service Begins

11:35 am Welcome

Angela Comsa, LCSW, MBA

11:40 am Presentation

Pillar in the Community Award Mary Beth Bonaventura

Director, Indiana Department of Child Services

Introduction by Don Levinson, President,

Regional Mental Health Board Of Directors

12:00 noon Keynote Presentation

Gayathri Ramprasad, MBA, CPS

1:00 pm Book Signing

On behalf of Regional Mental Health Center and Geminus Community Partners, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to today’s luncheon to celebrate May - Mental Health Month and the many Journeys to Recovery that occur, and many more that are possible. We are grateful for so many of you that contribute to making mental health a priority in the lives of others, for those of you that tirelessly serve our communities to make them more open to treatment and less open to stigma, and for those of you willing to share your stories of recovery. We now recognize how essential mental health is to overall health and well-being; and we know how events and life changes can affect us. It could be a veteran struggling with the invisible wounds of war, or someone coping with tireless caregiving, stressful divorce, or extreme grief from loss of a loved one, loss of a job, addiction to drugs, or alcoholism.. All of these circumstances of life contribute not only to the mental health, but also to the physical well-being of the individual affected and many times their families as well. May has been Mental Health Month for the past 65 years. It is our opportunity to spread the word regarding the importance of seeking treatment. We now have so much more knowledge and information regarding identifying, treating and even preventing mental health conditions. We know that Journeys to Recovery are possible. That’s something to celebrate!

WELCOME

WELCOME

PILLAR IN THE COMMUNITY AWARD Mary Beth Bonaventura

Director of the Indiana Department of Child Services

Celebrate Mental Health

PILLAR IN THE COMMUNITY AWARD

PILLAR IN THE COMMUNITY AWARD

Mary Beth Bonaventura

Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura was appointed as the Director of the Indiana

Department of Child Services (DCS) by Governor Mike Pence, in January 2013.

Bonaventura hit the ground running, developing DCS’ 2013-2014 strategic plan,

establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the agency and presenting the

plan to Governor Pence. The DCS strategic plan focuses on three broad areas:

an improved child support system, improved trauma informed care, and staff

recruitment and retention. As the Director of DCS, Bonaventura serves on the newly

created Commission on Improving the Status of Children In Indiana, where her insight

and experience as a Lake County Juvenile Court Judge has been valuable. In addition

to the commission, Bonaventura serves on the Child Services Oversight Committee.

Governor Pence stated, “Judge Bonaventura is uniquely qualified to lead the state’s Department of Child Services and help

to protect Hoosier children from abuse and neglect. She is a strong leader who has an impeccable reputation of integrity

and compassion for children.” Just prior to being appointed to lead DCS, Director Bonaventura served as Senior Judge 

  of the Lake Superior Court, Juvenile Division  - one of the toughest juvenile court systems in the state. She was appointed

Senior Judge in 1993 by then-Governor Evan Bayh after having served more than a decade as Magistrate in the Juvenile

Court. Since the state of her career in the Juvenile Court, Director Bonaventura has been recognized for her dedication and

outstanding service to children. In 2008.Governor Mitch Daniels appointed her a member of the Indiana  Commission on  

        Dispropor onality in Youth Services. In 2009, she was named Chair of the Civil Rights of Children commi ee for the  

        Indiana State Bar Associa on and the Chief Justice appointed her as Chair of the Child Welfare Improvement Commi ee.   

A lifelong Lake County resident, Director Bonaventura was born in East Chicago. She received her undergraduate degree

from Marian University in Indianapolis, and her Juris Doctorate degree from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb Illinois.

Celebrate Mental Health

GayathriRamprasadistheFounderandPresidentofASHAInternationalanonpro itorganizationpromotingpersonal,organizational,andcommunitywellness.And,theauthorofShadowsintheSun:HealingfromDepressionandFindingtheLightWithin.Hersuccessfulbattleinovercoming life‐threateningmentalillnessandheramazingrecoverytaughtherthepowerofhopeandholisticwellness.Now,shesharesthatmessagewithothers.SincethelaunchofASHAInternational’swell‐nesscampaign,HealthyMinds,HealthyLivesin2006,Gayathri’skeynotes,wellnessworkshops,andculturalcompetencetrainingshavereachedmorethan30,000peoplenationallyandinternationally,witharesoundingmessageofhopeandhealing.IndividualsandorganizationsalikeapplaudGayathriasanagentofhopeandtransformationalchange. Gayathrireceivedher irstundergraduatedegreeinsciencefromBangaloreUniversityinIndia.AtGeorgeFoxUniversityinNewberg,Oregon,sheearnedasecondundergraduatedegreeinmanage‐mentandinformationsystemsandamaster’sinbusinessadministration.GayathriisalsoaCerti iedPeerSpecialist(CPS). GayathriisamemberoftheGlobalSpeakersFederationandwinneroftheprestigiousEliLillyWelcomeBackAwardforLifetimeAchievementandtheVoiceAwardforConsumerLeadershipsponsoredbytheSubstanceAbuseandMentalHealthServicesAdministration.Sheisalsothewinnerofthe2008OutstandingAlumnaAwardfromheralmamaterGeorgeFoxUniversity.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: 

Gayathri Ramprasad, MBA, CPS  

Mental  Health Advocate, Author, and Speaker

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Mental Health Month - May 2015

REGIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND GEMINUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

INVITE YOU TO

ATTEND A SPECIAL LUNCHEON TO

Celebrate Mental Health Month Friday May 22, 2015

11:30 am to 1:30 pm Avalon Manor

3550 East US 30 - Merrillville, Indiana Dr. Sharon Freeman Clevenger, MSN, MA, PMHCNS-BC and CEO e

Indiana Center For Cognitive Behavior Therapy, P.C. will speak on

Personality Disorders: Updates from the DSM-5 Please reserve your seat prior to May 11, 2015 by contacting

Elizabeth Galiher at (219) 757-1831 or elizabeth.galiher@geminus.org

2 CEUs will be given