7 / 84
7
Greetings from the President
Journey Towards Excellence
Georgia Association of Community Service Boards
18
th
Annual Educational Exchange
Welcome GACSB Members and Guests!
Journey Towards Excellence
, the theme for this year’s Educational Exchange, speaks to the
mission of the GACSB and its member organizations! It is what we do, everyday, in each of our
communities!
The 2015 Educational Exchange is designed to challenge CSBs to learn more about new
directions in health care delivery and to acquire the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to be
a successful behavioral health and developmental disabilities services provider in the emerging
health care market place. This year we are pleased to announce that Commissioner Frank Berry
with the Georgia Department Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities will be bringing
us updates on how the partnerships and collaborative efforts, which have been building across
Georgia, have produced positive results for individuals in need of services. While Dr. Linda Wiant,
Chief of the Georgia Department of Community Health’s Medicaid Division will speak to the State
of Georgia’s Medicaid program, including important challenges being faced, her goals for the
future, and how behavioral health, and specifically CSBs, fit into her vision.
We are proud to introduce the first ever full‐day session by Dr. William “Bill” Schmitz, Jr.
which will further our membership’s suicide prevention skills in assessment & management. As
well as a tag team approach for our full‐day Intellectual/Developmental Disability Track covered
by Dr. Joseph P. McEvoy, Dr. Bryan Dague, and Michelle Robinson.
Be sure and review the complete agenda for other plenary sessions and workshops that I
am sure you will find beneficial in serving your communities. As always we have invited not only
nationally recognized experts in our field, but also resident experts from right here in Georgia.
Special thanks are due to the Educational Exchange Planning Committee for their efforts
in creating an exciting and informative agenda. In addition to Dr. Kay Brooks who chairs the
committee, the members are Dr. Joseph Bona, David Sofferin, Dr. Glyn Thomas, Lyly Trinh and
Robyn Garrett.
Please enjoy your time at Chateau Élan Winery & Resort and absorb all that you learn! We
extend our appreciation to our generous sponsors and exhibitors for their support and we
appreciate our member organizations for attending this annual learning exchange!
Sincerely,
Gail Macrenaris
President