We just signed a contract with Diane Hall to purchase 40 acres of Bridle Ridge Acres, the Hillsboro Property which has been known by most people as the Hall Farm. On Friday, January 20, 2012 board president Mark Mertens, COMTREA President/CEO Stephen Huss, and Diane Hall met on site to complete the contract. Mrs. Hall noted that, “In addition to the good services that are provided by COMTREA, the home and site will be preserved for future generations.”

“The picturesque setting will remain unchanged for the most part. The house, barns, pond and horse rinks will all stay exactly as they are. This site is an important part of the Hillsboro landscape and should remain so,” Huss said.

“This purchase is the first step in our plan to create an integrated health care center campus for Jefferson County in the county seat,” Mertens added.

Huss noted that COMTREA’s mission involves the provision of a social services safety net for the county. The agency provides a broad array of safety net services including: a domestic violence shelter, forensic sexual abuse evaluation for children, comprehensive community mental health services, psychiatric nursing home care, substance abuse treatment for adults and children, psychiatric medical care, children’s behavioral health evaluation and therapy, family counseling, crisis response, court ordered counseling, parental children safe-exchange oversight, and community education.

COMTREA has received a $10,000 check from HopeLine from Verizon in support of our work to help end domestic violence in Jefferson County and the surrounding area. The check was presented at the National Sheriffs’ Association conference at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, this past Saturday, June 18.

Tracy Wiecking, Assistant CEO and Margo Pigg, Executive Vice President of Adult Services for COMTREA accepted the check. “We are proud to be the mental health partner with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and with HopeLine from Verizon in working to stop domestic violence” Tracy Wiecking said in accepting the check from HopeLine from Verizon.

The check was presented by Gabe Esposito, Director of Corporate Security and Business Continuity for Verizon Wireless in recognition of the work of the Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team (DVERT). "Verizon Wireless is proud to honor the efforts of public safety organizations that are committed to taking action in their communities to end domestic violence," Esposito, said. "We congratulate and thank Sheriff Boyer, his DVERT team and COMTREA for the countless support services they have provided to the domestic violence community." Wireless phones are refurbished for reuse by HopeLine and proceeds are used to fund their commitment to ending domestic violence.

Representing DVERT were Detective Scott Woodward, Dawn Davison, Kris Detmer, Ashley Cox and Detective Jonas Allen. Last year, the DVERT team assisted over 1000 victims and survivors of domestic violence. Sheriff Glenn Boyer and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department received the HopeLine Champion Award for their efforts to end domestic violence in the county. We are proud of our DVERT team and appreciative that their efforts have been recognized nationally!
 

Valentine’s Day became very special this year as former First Lady Rosalynn Carter came to COMTREA for a visit. She toured the Anderson Building in Arnold, had a brunch at the Fox Service Center, a legislative briefing at Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work, a special luncheon, and participated in a Panel Discussion about mental health at the Graham Chapel where over five hundred people came to hear her. Dr. Huss and Deborah Tumulty accompanied her throughout the day.

Carter autographed copies of her book, “Within Our Reach” which stressed the importance of mental health care in our society. “It is a moral as well as a financial issue,” she told the groups to whom she spoke. She also told the crowd that she “wished COMTREA was in her county.” She thanked the people at the Fox center for supporting COMTREA and being interested in mental health care. “Jefferson County is really extraordinary,” she exclaimed.

Board members Kathy Ellis and Mark Mertens unveiled a gift COMTREA provided for her—a quilt with the COMTREA logo and the Carter Center logos prominently displayed.

Click the Read More... link to view pictures from the events.