Katy Nicholson Herald Staff Writer

Todd Wetherington | Daily Herald Employees of Behavior Education and Resource Specialists Inc. and city officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for their new building on Gregory Drive. Pictured are: Rhonda Rigsby, Christie Weaver, Paula Gore, Valerie Ivey, Cindy Grady, Susan Jones Skinner, Ron Whicker, Carol Callahan, Todd Barwick, Nannie Edmonds, Pam Lewis, Billy Carroll, Sandi Bennett, Bengie Stallings, Judy Gantt, Ed Jackson, Phyllis Lee, Sam Crisp, Raymond Barnes Jr., Stephen C. Stuchloud, Toby Page, Kristy Wright, Bryan Crisp, Lisa Vincent, Dick McCormick, Randy Stallings, Allen Purser, Lynne Simeon and Susan Rookwondards. Advertisement

ROANOKE RAPIDS - Right now, 1117 Gregory Drive is just an empty plot of land, but employees at Behavior Education and Resource Specialists Inc. plan to transform it into their new home by next summer.

The mental health services organization has outgrown its old building on Tenth Street, and employees are excited about the move.

“I'm hoping this building -12,000 square feet - will signal that we're certainly committed to staying here for the long term,” said Todd Barwick, a BEARS Inc. psychologist and board member, at the groundbreaking Thursday morning.

BEARS Inc., which serves Halifax, Warren, Vance, Franklin and Granville counties, has grown from an eight-person group provided by local mental health agencies, to an independent privatized organization with 108 employees since 1999 While they serve about 900 clients, employees adamantly stressed the importance of quality over quantity.

The group serves patients with mental health problems, substance abuse and developmental disabilities through individual therapy, group and family therapy, psychiatric evaluations, psychological testing, community support (case management), forensic evaluations and guardianship. Board members hope to add an adolescent day program to the organization.

At the core of BEARS Inc. are the board members, as well as the “Dream Team,” though the organization considers every employee essential. The Dream Team consists of personnel, quality assurance and financial managers.

“These folks had all these years of experience between them in mental health in Halifax County,” said Clinical Manager Pam Lewis.

Employees focus on the community's needs and try to make themselves as accessible as possible.

“One of the biggest innovations (of the organization) is that we're out there in the community,” said Ron Whicker, also a psychologist and board member. “We're actually out there in the schools helping the children of the families we serve ... The majority of our employees don't work in an office every day.”

Employees realize that in a rural community, distance can be a major barrier to treatment. Not everyone can or is willing to travel to Roanoke Rapids for mental health services, so employees often will go to the patients.

“It's not unusual for us to make house calls,” Barwick said.

Board member Carol Callahan also is impressed by the organization's willingness to serve the community, even outside of its usual scope of responsibilities. BEARS, Inc. has organized food, clothing, Christmas and school supply drives, she explained.

“Everybody in the agency is ready to go the extra mile for the people they serve,” Callahan said.