About Us
Helping people live their best lives is what we do at WCMHS. From the top down, every member of the WCMHS family is a dedicated to this goal. On this page, you'll learn just about everything you'll need to know about us.
OUR STORY
Our Vision
Healthy Neighbors, Healthy Communities: Leading the way to wellness through collaborative, inclusive and compassionate care.
Our Mission
WCMHS advocates the inclusion of all persons into our communities and actively encourages Self-Determination and Recovery. We serve all individuals and families coping with the challenges of developmental and intellectual disabilities, mental health, and substance use by providing trauma-informed services to support them as they achieve their highest potential and best possible quality of life.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
At WCMHS:
- We welcome the unique perspectives, experiences, and the intrinsic value that each individual brings to advance the WCMHS mission.
- We value the visible and invisible qualities of each individual.
- We recognize that systemic and individual racism and institutional oppressions negatively impact our well-being.
- We believe it is essential to intentionally nurture and sustain an environment in which all individuals experience fairness, dignity, respect, and belonging.
- And we are striving to include diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at the center of our daily work.
Our History and Company
Washington County Mental Health Services (WCMHS) is designated by Vermont Statute to provide a wide variety of support and treatment opportunities for children, adolescents, families, and adults living with the challenges of mental illness, emotional and behavioral issues, substance use disorder, and intellectual/developmental disabilities. These services are both office- and community-based. The range of services we offer include prevention and wellness, assessment and stabilization, and 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-week emergency response. WCMHS is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit community mental health center.
The agency was established [under this name] in 1967 and proudly celebrates over 50 years of serving our community. We take a flexible approach to person-centered care for residents within Washington County and the adjacent towns of Orange, Washington, and Williamstown. Acceptance and participation in our programs are the same for everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, or religion. Our dedicated staff works to assist each individual to reach his or her goals.
Within the last year, more than 6,700 individuals benefited from the services offered by WCMHS. Many of these individuals participated in multiple programs offered across the Agency’s divisions, receiving collaborative direct services. Many individuals were also served via community-based services whether educational sessions, community forums, extended family and other non-billable services. WCMHS is a state- and town-funded Agency.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Our Board of Directors
The WCMHS Board of Directors (BOD) is a dedicated group of individuals that are family members, peers, and community providers. The BOD meets monthly with the Executive Director, the Chief Financial Officer, and other program directors to ensure alignment with the WCMHS mission and its financial and ethical integrity.
Sarah Holland
President
Sarah Holland serves as the President of the WCMHS Board of Directors. She has been a member of the board since 2009, and has been in her present role for the past three years. Sarah earned her bachelor in nursing in 1975 from Emory University (Atlanta, Ga). For 12 years, she worked full-time in clinical nursing at Dartmouth Hitchcock and Central Vermont Medical Center and five years as a Clinical Instructor in Norwich University’s Associate Nursing Program. Sarah is also a graduate of Vermont Technical College where, in 2000, she earned an associate degree in Landscape Development and Ornamental Horticulture. She is an Accredited Organic Land Care Professional through the Northeast Organic Farming Association; she is a Vermont Certified Horticulturist through the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association. Sarah is the principle and owner of River’s Bend Design, an organic landscape design/build company based in Moretown, VT that serves both residential and commercial clients throughout central Vermont and the Champlain Valley. The mission of River’s Bend Design is to provide beautiful and healthy outdoor living spaces, a philosophy that extends as well to Sarah’s stewardship of WCMHS in building and promoting a strong and reliable community mental health system. Sarah’s passion to serve on the Board of WCMHS is born out of more than 20 years receiving life-saving mental health services from this local community health agency.
Every free-time opportunity Sarah can take is invested in her children and grandchildren. Family has always been of paramount importance. Sarah has three adult children who live close by enabling frequent visits with grandchildren.
Robert “Bob” Harvey
Treasurer
Bob Harvey grew up and attended high school in Long Island NY. He is a graduate of Norwich University with a BS in Engineering and the Polytechnic Institute of NY where he earned an MS (MBA) in Industrial Management. Bob was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the US Army and served in Vietnam during the war. Bob worked for the Northrop-Grumman Corporation for 30 years as an Engineer, Project Manager, Department Manager and Director and finally as an Executive Corporate Manager. Bob served on the VT State Developmental Disability Council as a member from 2003 – 2009. Bob was a Barre Town Justice of the Peace and served on its Board of Civil Authority from 2002 – 2012. He is an FAA licensed pilot.
Bob is married to Ginette (Jacques) Harvey who grew up in Barre, Vermont.
Regan Demasi
Director
Regan Demasi joined the board in February 2011. He became the Board representative on the CSP Standing Committee in early 2021. He resides in Waterbury and has worked at the Village Market for over 20 years. To say that Regan likes sports is an understatement. He is a HUGE Red Sox fan. He plays in an annual basketball tournament and has won a number of medals over the years and will proudly tell you about them. Regan is a consumer at CDS.
Amy Caffry
Director
Amy Caffry completed her undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Vermont. She began her teaching career in Warren, Vermont over 20 years ago, currently she teaches in Barre Town. Amy joined the WCMHS Board in 2013 because she is passionate about accessible services for our most vulnerable community members. She believes all people are entitled to services that support the best quality of life choices for them. Amy and her husband live in Waitsfield with their three teenage children, one who has autism.
Kris Rowley, MSIA
Director
Kris Rowley is a new addition to the WCMHS Board of Directors. Kris has enjoyed a successful career as a digital information security specialist. He was the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the State of Vermont for eight years prior to becoming a full-time professor at Norwich University. Kris has taught various subjects within the field of information security and just completed his sixth year. He also served as an adjunct professor for 12 years at both Norwich University and the Community College of Vermont, instructing in both online and in-classroom environment.
Kris earned two undergraduate degrees from Norwich University. A BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and a BS in Computer Information Systems. He later earned his Master of Science in Information Assurance in 2006, also from Norwich University.
Kris was a member of the MS-ISAC during the time he worked for the State of VT. He is a member of the ACM as well as a member of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon honor society of Norwich University. Kris has published several articles in industry publications and has also won the Computer World Honors Laureate for his work in digital security. He maintains connections with industry leads such as the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, State of Vermont security departments and security organizations.
Kris lives in Brookfield, VT. His interests are outdoor activities such as hiking and snow shoeing and generally enjoying the beautiful Vermont outdoors. He shares these activities with his dog, Shae, a border collie/lab mix. Gardening and landscaping are other interests. Cooking and sharing food and fun with friends and family also bring happiness to his life.
Our Senior Management Team
Beth Sightler
CEO
Beth has 30 years of experience in the developmental services field and extensive knowledge of the state’s system of care. She served two terms as co-president of Vermont Care Partners, the trade organization that provides guidance to the designated and specialized service agencies (SSA) in Vermont, serving people with developmental, mental health, and substance use challenges. Beth has been a leader in the State of Vermont through her advocacy within the Agency of Human Services and the Vermont Legislature in supporting better care for vulnerable Vermonters and higher wages for people working in social services.
Karen Kurrle, MS
Director, Intensive Care Services
Karen is a Licensed Psychologist-Master and has worked for WCMHS since 1997. Prior to working for WCMHS, Karen worked in an alternative high school classroom in a Vermont school. Karen started her career at WCMHS working in an adolescent day treatment program. She then became the Children’s Access Clinician and a Program Coordinator in 2005. Karen then became the Clinical Director for Emergency Services in 2010 and has been the Intensive Care Services Director since 2013.
Karen attended Cornell University for her undergraduate studies and Saint Michael’s for her graduate program.
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Director, Administration & Human Resources
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Keith Grier, MBA
Director, Community Support Program
Keith Grier is the Director of the Community Support Program (CSP). Keith has been working in the field of community mental health and developmental services since 1996. Prior to coming to Washington County Mental Health, Keith worked at the Counseling Service of Addison County where he held a variety of positions including case manager, program coordinator, crisis clinician, and as a member of the senior leadership team responsible for compliance, quality improvement, strategic planning, and risk management. He has served on a variety of statewide committees working on system wide efforts including as chair of the Vermont Care Partners Outcomes committee and designing values-based payment methodologies with the Department of Mental Health.
Keith has a commitment to inclusion and consumer voice and is an ardent advocate for self-determination, the dignity of risk, and meeting individuals where they are. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his master’s degree from the College of Saint Joseph in Rutland, Vermont.
Alycia Post, LCMHC, LADC
Co-Director of Outpatient Services
Alycia Post has worked for WCMHS for 10 years. She started her career with WCMHS as a Residential Support Staff and then transitioned to House Manager. She has a Master's in Psychology from Goddard College and is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She has a BA in Liberal Arts from Johnson State University, has an AA in Liberal Arts from CCV, and is currently working on her PhD in Forensic Psychology at Walden University. She has experience is various management roles at WCMHS including the LINCs trauma treatment program, Reach Up program, and CSIP reentry program. She also has experience working in private practice in Vermont as well as running a substance use IOP with WCMHS community partner Treatment Associates. She has been Co-Director of Outpatient Services at WCMHS since November 2022.
Results Based Accountability
Washington County Mental Health Services is committed to the Results Based Accountability (RBA) evaluation framework, which is a tool WCMHS embraced a number of years ago. RBA was adopted in 2014 by the State of Vermont and now is a mandate that all State governmental programs use it to assess and report on the three main questions:
- How much do we do?
- How well do we do it?
- Is anyone better off?
The RBA structure helped organize our report in a way that succinctly and effectively informs our community about how our services impact the lives of those we serve. Just as importantly, RBA is used to inform our programmatic practices and evaluate the day-to-day work we are accomplishing and track the differences we are making in the lives of the clients we support.
As a mental health agency, we are always striving to do the best work we can and make the most positive impact in a myriad of ways for our community. We use the RBA model to help us assess our accomplishments and areas that need improvement.
How Much Do We Do?
Answering the “How Much Do We Do?” question helps us evaluate one piece of the picture in assessing effectiveness. We essentially count the number of services we provide and the number of clients we support. Following is an overview of how much WCMHS did in Fiscal Year 2021 in serving the Washington County community:
- Overall
- Number of Clients: 4,382
- Total Lives Impacted: 8,552
- Number of Services Provided: 266,589
- Center for Counseling & Psychological Services
- Number of Clients: 1,385
- Number of Services: 25,805
- Children, Youth & Family Services
- Number of Clients: 913
- Number of Services: 73,542
- Community Developmental Services
- Number of Clients: 373
- Number of Services: 58,087
- Community Support Program
- Number of Clients: 375
- Number of Services: 62,609
- Intensive Care Services
- Number of Clients: 1,336
- Number of Services: 11,722
How Well Do We Do It?
In June 2021, WCMHS surveyed its clients to see how well we are doing our job according to the opinions of the individuals we serve.
The WCMHS client census is nearly 4,400 individuals. The most recent Client Satisfaction Survey, now in its 10th year, covered the time period of Fiscal Year 2021 (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021), and was conducted from June 7th until June 30th, 2021. This year’s survey had 444 client respondents or about 10 percent of our active client base. This is a similar survey that is used to gauge client satisfaction at all state-designated agencies throughout Vermont. Six core questions are asked and methods for distribution and response varied across the agency. Responses to the survey were anonymous.
Overall, WCMHS clients are very satisfied with the services they receive. This is in line with how our clients responded in the previous year. In all four of the core measures for Centers of Excellence (please see below), the agency scored above 89 percent, well above the standard as defined by “excellence.” More than 50 per-cent of individuals said they got services in the community or in school. 30 percent of surveys were filled out by individuals 18 and under, and 73 percent of the total surveys were filled out by the individual receiving services themselves.
Survey Performance Highlights
Services received were right/appropriate:
- Strongly Agree - 66.11%
- Agree - 25.96%
- Maybe Agree / Disagree - 6.01%
- Disagree - 0.96%
- Strongly Disagree - 0.96%
Received the services needed:
- Strongly Agree - 64.90%
- Agree - 27.40%
- Maybe Agree / Disagree - 5.29%
- Disagree - 1.68%
- Strongly Disagree - 0.72%
Is Anyone Better Off?
Ultimately, our performance is about how the Agency impacts the lives of our clients is what matters. WCMHS administers a variety of standard assessments to monitor clients’ progress toward recovery. These assessments are implemented across different agency programs and over time are evaluated to see how our clients are better off.
Quality of life improved as a result of services received:
- Strongly Agree - 54.33%
- Agree - 28.85%
- Maybe Agree / Disagree - 13.46%
- Disagree - 2.40%
- Strongly Disagree - 0.96%
Services received made a difference:
- Strongly Agree - 63.46%
- Agree - 25.96%
- Maybe Agree / Disagree - 8.17%
- Disagree - 1.68%
- Strongly Disagree - 0.72%
To download the FY21 WCMHS Client Satisfaction Survey – click here. To learn more about Results Based Accountability, you can visit their website – click here.
Our Community Speaks...
Kind Words from the Community We Serve
Community Support Program Client
“Thank you for all staff treating me with respect even when I thought I was all alone and hopeless.”
Center for Counseling and Psychological Services Client
“My counselor is incredible. We have done a lot of hard soul-searching work. I am feeling happier and feel like I have a bright future.”
Children, Youth and Family Services Client
“Without the Hilltop ABA Program, my grandchildren wouldn’t be where they are now. It has made a huge, positive difference.”
Timothy J. Bombardier, Barre City Chief of Police, Fire and EMS
“WCMHS and the Barre City Police Department have an outstanding working relationship in the community and have for some time now. Whether it be the Shift Officers and the Emergency Response Teams dealing with a person in crisis or the Police Department’s Community Outreach Worker and street level staff assisting returning offenders and others in need with the basic day-to-day items needed to be successful, they have demonstrated that a strong collaborative team approach to providing services is key to people’s success.”
Community Support Program Client
“Your programs have been very helpful to me. Being around people that care about you, accept you and manage stressful moments.”
Children, Youth and Family Services Client
“CHOICE staff are amazing! They have really helped our son. He has come a long way! They have always been there to talk/help when needed for our son and myself.”
Michael Sweeney, District Manager, Barre Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole
“Barre Probation and Parole has worked closely with the WCMHS Collaborative Solutions Integration Project (CSIP) for many years to collaborate in serving high risk populations. WCMHS CSIP staff communicate effectively and clearly…staff are organized, efficient and have good, solid treatment approaches that are effective…”
Awards & Accolades
WCMHS: A Center of Excellence
“Working to continually improve services and supports for Vermonters.” – Vermont Care Partners
The Vermont Care Partners (VCP) “System of Excellence” is a vision of the VCP Network that guides each of the 16 network designated (DA) and specialized services agencies (SSA) in Vermont toward becoming a Center of Excellence and known to the entire community as, “…a great place to get care and a great place to work,” (Jarvis, 2014). VCP has developed the Vermont Care Partners Centers of Excellence (VCP-COE) modeled after the five areas defined by the National Council’s Centers of Excellence (Jarvis, 2014). The VCP-COE promotes quality improvement and high-quality services through a rigorous agency review conducted by expert peers from within the DA/SSA network and from the Jeffords Institute for Quality at the University of Vermont. The work leading toward a System of Excellence includes agreement on standards and measures, and onsite peer review using the measures that align with the local and national measure sets that inform continuous quality improvement across all agency services at each VCP Network Agency.
In January of 2022 Washington County Mental Health Services, Inc. Washington County Mental Health Services was recently recertified as a Center of Excellence (COE), a certification that lasts three years until the next review process. The recertification is a first in the history of recognition as a Center of Excellence.
COE sets out clear measurable standards for the organization that every applicant must strive to meet and maintain to demonstrate continued Excellence in the services that are delivered to catchment area served. WCMHS is proud to have achieved COE recertification and remains steadfast in the Agency's ongoing mission to advocate for the inclusion of all persons at every level of the community and to actively encourage Self-Determination, Resilience, and Recovery.
To achieve this certification, the Agency needed to demonstrate Excellence in five identified “pillars” or areas of excellence. These five core tenets of a VCP Network Center of Excellence are:
1. World class customer service
- 5,000 people were employed across the VCP Network
- 90% of people surveyed said they were treated with respect by agency staff
- Agencies continue to engage in continuous quality improvement decreasing wait times for services
2. Excellent outcomes
- People supported by VCP network agencies are hospitalized and readmitted less than the national average saving taxpayer dollars
- People told us that services made a difference (90%) and that their quality of life improved as a result of the services they received (87%)
- People with significant mental illness and with intellectual and developmental disabilities are employed at higher rates than the national average
- 86% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who were enrolled in a higher education program were employed upon graduation
3. Easy access
- Network agency facilities and programs are located in your community where you live, work, learn, and recreate
- 100% of mental health supporting agencies provided supports in integrated health care environments
- 91% of supervisory unions had VCP Network Staff embedded within their schools in clinical, case management, and direct support positions
4. Comprehensive care
- Network agencies serve more people with mental health needs than the national average reducing the need for more expensive and restrictive hospitalization programs
- Network agencies provide a broad array of supports and services for people with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities and coordinate with community agencies to promote seamless care
5. Excellent value
- Network agencies provide high quality care through efficient and effective services with a strong evidence base
- Agencies provide effective programs that decrease the need for more expensive services, such as mental health crisis beds and public inebriate programs
In order to fulfill these five tenets, reviewers at both the VCP and Jeffords Institute consider how participating agencies stack up against 38 measures within each of these core areas. If participating agencies meet a certain threshold, they receive the designation. More than one agency can be recognized as a COE; it is not a competition. Rather, it can be considered akin to the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval,” a long-time standard of trust for excellence, value and reliability, for health/mental health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) providers.
Washington County Mental Health Services was the first in the state to be designated as a COE in 2018 and though it’s been more than three years, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Agency is the first in Vermont history to be recertified as a Center of Excellence.
The review team highlighted a number of noteworthy elements as a part of the certification process including:
- The Agency’s ongoing dedication to housing, finding creative ways to support people who are not currently housed through 38 buildings and a spectrum of innovative services
- Dedication to peer supports and use of these important resources to support programs
- The support of young and expecting mothers through the doula program
- WCMHS’ independent school and its use of emerging literature and brain research to inform their day-to-day practices
- The overall culture of creativity to identify and address a problem and solve it
- Equity, diversity and inclusion across and within WCMHS’ programs
- Better use of data for decision making for individual, programmatic, and agency growth
Highlights of the Center of Excellence:
| Category | No. of Questions | Possible Score | Score Needed | WCMHS Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Access | 5 | 10 | 7.5 | 10 |
| Word Class Customer Service | 15 | 30 | 22.5 | 28 |
| Comprehensive Care | 6 | 12 | 9 | 10 |
| Excellent Outcomes | 5 | 10 | 7.5 | 9 |
| Excellent Value | 7 | 14 | 10.5 | 12.6 |
WCMHS Media
News Stories and More!
In the News
- October 4, 2022 - Executive Director, Mary Moulton talks about Agency services and more - WDEV
- July 18, 2022 - The Welcome Center Opens, WCMHS Supports with Mental Health Services - NBC5
- November 3, 2021 - WCMHS and Red Hen Baking Co. surprise CVMC ER staff with baked goodies - WCAX
- September 15, 2021 - Doula Project helps expecting families through STAMPP grant - WCAX
- September 3, 2021 - WCMHS Doula Project tapped by CVMC birthing center. - Burlington Free Press
- August 15, 2021 - Has central Vermont found the solution to policing mental health - VTDigger
- July 26, 2021 - Mary Kay Kasper of the CDS Learning Collaborative Discusses the Impact of COVID - Abled and on Air
- May 25, 2021 - Transitional shelter supported by WCMHS - NBC5
- May 13, 2021 - Mary Moulton, WCMHS Executive Director discusses challenges in accessing mental health services - WCAX
- May 12, 2021 - The Imagination Station Snoezelen Room Receive Dougie Award
- April 22, 2021 - The Imagination Station Snoezelen Room were featured with K&W Tire on Aired Out
- March 2, 2021 - Team Two Trainings play a role in policing in Franklin County - St. Albans Messenger
- February 5, 2021 - WCMHS & VCP on trauma and ACEs - VTDigger
- January 11, 2021 - Tiny Houses 2.0, New meaning of being home for the holidays - Local44
- December 17, 2020 - Tiny Houses 2.0, houses the homeless - NECN
- November 25, 2020 - Team Two Coordinator, Kristin Chandler, discusses Team Two Training - WCAX
- WCMHS helped facilitate a week-long series on WCAX in support of Suicide Prevention Month
- September 25, 2020 - The final segment feature NCSS
- September 24, 2020 - 3rd in the series features CSAC
- September 23, 2020 - 2nd in the series features WCMHS & UCS
- September 21, 2020 - 1st in the series features Vermont Care Partners
- June 30, 2020 - Coronavirus has more families seeking mental health help for kids – WCAX
- June 8, 2020 - WCMHS addresses mental health needs and substance use disorder with Tim Ashe - FB Live
- June 2, 2020 - Mental health experts seeing pent up surge in “COVID fatigue.” – WCAX
- COVID-19 and a Commitment to Mental Health – VTDigger
- Resources available for stress under isolation – Rutland Herald / Barre-Montpelier Times Argus
- When technology, a commitment to community and mental wellbeing come together – VTDigger
- April 9, 2020 - Mental health experts advise making a plan to manage stress – WCAX
- Commentary: A commitment to community, mental well-being – Barre-Montpelier Times Argus
- “Lean on Me:” Coping with COVID – WDEV’s Vermont Conversation featuring Mary Moulton and Margaret Joyal
On YouTube
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