Pace Center Supports Benefit Concert
June 25, 2008
The P.A.C.E. Center is happy to support this event as a
fundraiser for one of our partners, SOAR Academy.
Pace Center Honored
June 12, 2008
The P.A.C.E. Center was recently honored by Mental Health
America of South Carolina as the Staffed Affiliate of the
Year. This award was presented to PACE Executive Director
Beth Summer-Strait at the MHASC annual meeting in Columbia
on May 16. Attended by more than one-hundred and fifty mental
health professionals and advocates from across the state,
PACE Lead Clinician Dr. Roger Rhoades was a featured speaker
at the meeting. WSPA TV 7 was also recognized as the Media
Representative of the Year for their outstanding coverage
of mental health issues.
The PACE Center was again honored on May 19 when the Spartanburg
County Council presented PACE Board Chair Susan Bird with
a proclamation recognizing the agency for being chosen to
address the annual meeting of Mental Health America in Washington
DC. PACE Executive Director Beth Summer-Strait and Program
Director Trez Clarke were cited for the "Mental Wellness
in seniors" program that they developed and have presented
across the state.
The P.A.C.E. Center is delighted to announce our
first ever Community Impact Study
June 05, 2008
Conducted by Dr. Kathleen Brady at the Metropolitan Studies
Institute at USC Upstate, the report finds that our agency
provides more than 2 million dollars of value to the community.
Please review this
study and contact us if you have questions as 864-583-5802.
The PACE Center is excited to announce that we will soon
produce and make available to the public our own educational
series on parenting, relationships, senior mental health
issues, grief, and sobriety. The "PACE YOUR WAY TO…"
series will include a 45-minute DVD, facilitator's guide,
participant guide and resource guide. The series is designed
to offer individuals, groups, couples, and families basic
easy- to-follow tips on developing and maintaining successful
relationships and lifestyles.
Featured in the series will be PACE Center professional
staff offering their expertise on these proven strategies
for life management. Please keep checking this space to
learn more about this dynamic new venture and when the series
will be available for purchase.
P.A.C.E. to Hold 3rd Annual
Counselor Connection
May 22, 2008
To register call 583-5802 or email your name and phone
number to
Certificates of attendance will be prepared for persons
who pre-register.
Local Artists Liven Up the PACE Center
May 6, 2008
As part of the Hub Bub group’s “Make a Day”
local artists painted a mural in the family room at the
P.A.C.E. Center. Artists Casey Martin and Kala Crowe painted
a delightful scene of frogs, flowers and snails. The P.A.C.E.
Center wants to thank the Hub Bub organization and these
talented artists for brightening our space. To learn more
about them, please visit www.hub-bub.com
and www.bighead-art.com
P.A.C.E. Center Releases 2007-2008 Annual Report
May 6, 2008
P.A.C.E. Center Welcomes New Board Members
April 14, 2008
The P.A.C.E. Center is delighted to welcome three new board
members this month.
Valeree
Browning holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science
and has worked with the Spartanburg Herald Journal for
more than fourteen years. In her current professional
position Browning serves as Classified Account Executive.
A native of Union County, Browning will be chairing the
P.A.C.E. Center's annual fundraiser, The Mind Ball.
Jamie Ellison is a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes
Educator. Ellison works as Clinical Coordinator and Outpatient
Education Coordinator with Wallace Thomson Hospital. With
more than sixteen years experience in nursing, Ellison
has a special interest in mental health issues and will
assist with our agency's education programs. Ellison lives
with her husband and son in the Jonesville community of
Union County.
Cathy Smith is a Certification Specialist with the Upstate
Career Source. With more than twenty five years experience
in the behavioral health field, Smith will work with P.A.C.E.
Center staff to expand our outreach network.
"We are so excited to have these three ladies join
our board. They each bring energy, expertise, and passion
to the work we do at The P.A.C.E. Center. I know they will
help spread our mission of advancing mental wellness throughout
the upstate," noted P.A.C.E. Executive Director Beth
Summer-Strait.
The P.A.C.E. Center is a non-profit organization providing
prevention, advocacy, counseling, and education on mental
health issues.
P.A.C.E. Center to hold annual Mind Ball
April 14, 2008
The P.A.C.E Center is excited to announce that we will
hold our annual fundraising event, The Mind Ball,
on Friday October 24—please save the date and continue
to visit our website as more information will follow on
auction items, entertainment, and our celebrity host for
the evening.
P.A.C.E. Center's Dr. Roger Rhoades to be featured
on "Your Carolina" TV show
April 9, 2008
Dr.
Roger Rhoades, lead clinican at the PACE Center, will be
a featured guest on “Your Carolina With Jack &
Kimberly” each month throughout 2008.
Dr. Rhoades is set to appear on the following dates: May
5, June 2, July 7, August 4, Sept. 1, Oct. 6, Nov. 10, and
Dec. 8.
The Impact of Mental Illness in the Workplace
February 26, 2008
View our presentation on mental illness in the workplace,
its costs, reasons why people don't seek help, what you
can do as an employer, and our P.A.C.E. Employee Assistance
Program.
Local Non-Profit Invited to Present at National
Conference
February 18, 2008
The P.A.C.E. Center, a local
non-profit organization offering mental wellness services,
has been invited to present at the annual conference of
Mental Health America in Washington D.C. on June 6, 2008.
The P.A.C.E. presentation entitled, "Mental Wellness
in Seniors" was developed by the agency's Executive
Director, Beth Summer-Strait, and Program Director, Trez
Clarke. Together they will make the presentation at the
June conference which is attended by mental health professionals
and advocates from across the country.
"We are so honored to have been included in this esteemed
conference. We will be able to address a very important
issue with mental health leaders from every area of the
country and we hope that the information and strategies
that we share will prove beneficial to the communities they
serve", notes Summer-Strait.
"With the population of older people growing exponentially,
we have to take a look at addressing their mental health needs
just as we address their physical health concerns. Mental
wellness is so connected to physical health, especially in
the older population who may be dealing with stroke, heart
disease and other co-occurring disorders," she adds.
"Mental Wellness in Seniors" touches on the circumstances
unique to seniors that can lead to mental health concerns,
such as loss of support system, loss of purpose after retirement,
grief that can come from loss of loved ones, the additional
stress brought on by physical illness. The program also
addresses positive responses to these conditions and ways
that seniors can remain mentally healthy.
The P.A.C.E. Center is an affiliate
of Mental Health America both nationally and at the state
level. The P.A.C.E. Center was formed in May 2007 when Carolina
Counseling merged with Mental Health America of the Piedmont
(formerly the Mental Health Association). The agency provides
prevention, advocacy, counseling, and education programs
and services throughout the upstate of South Carolina.
P.A.C.E. Center Offers Support Group for Veterans
and Their Families
December 06, 2007
Each Tuesday night from 5:30 PM until 6:30 PM the P.A.C.E.
Center will offer a free support group for area veterans
and their families. Led by Bill Ferrell, a Chaplain with
the Air Force Reserves, these groups will start December
4. The sessions are open to anyone in the area who is a
veteran or the family member of a soldier currently serving
overseas or who has returned from service. Children are
welcome but no child-care will be provided. The
P.A.C.E. Center is located in the Masonic Temple
at 186 West Main Street in downtown Spartanburg.
According to P.A.C.E. Center Executive Director, Beth Summer-Strait,
"we have had many calls from our local military families
expressing concerns and we want to help in any way we can.
We know these families are making the ultimate sacrifice
for our county and we want them to know that we appreciate
them and support them in their efforts".
Ferrell is employed with the Spartanburg Area Mental Health
Center and has a Master of Divinity degree and specialized
training in trauma, disaster counseling, and Critical Incident
Stress Management. Ferrell will facilitate the group which
is open to individuals and families from anywhere in the
upstate.
"We want to thank Mr. Ferrell for his commitment to
this group and we also want to thank Mr. Jerry Kiehl from
the Spartanburg Veterans Affairs Office for his support
in promoting this group. We want to provide an open forum
in which individuals can express their fears, concerns,
and hopes for themselves and their loved ones serving our
country. We hope to be able to provide referral information
for additional services that these families may need",
adds Summer-Strait.
For more information the support group call the P.A.C.E.
Center at 864-583-5802. The P.A.C.E.
Center is a private non-profit organization affiliated
with Mental Health America in South Carolina and National
Mental Health America. We offer education, advocacy and
counseling services on a sliding scale to families, couples,
and individuals. We also offer free counseling to crime
victims and run a Safe Exchange/Supervised Visitation Center
for non-custodial parents and their children.
Dr.
Roger Rhoades, lead clinican at the PACE Center, will be
a featured guest on “Your Carolina With Jack &
Kimberly” each month throughout 2008. 