Press Release:

July 18, 2008

Riverbend CEO announces 2008 Champions for Mental Health

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gayle Kimball
(603) 226-7505, ext. 3283
gkimball@riverbendcmhc.org

Hon. James R. “Jim” MacKay, Ann McLane Kuster and Page Cannon to receive Rainbow Awards on September 24, 2008

CONCORD, N.H. - Louis Josephson PhD, President and CEO of Riverbend Community Mental Health, Inc. announced today that the Honorable James R. “Jim” MacKay, local legislator and long-time mental health advocate, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Third Annual Rainbow Award Ceremony on September 24. 

Attorney Ann McLane Kuster, of Rath, Young & Pignatelli, P.C. will be honored as the 2008 Champion for her role in the development of the Susan McLane Memory Wellness Center, and Page Cannon, Executive Director of Fellowship Opportunities, Inc. will receive the Community Service Award for her role in ensuring affordable housing for individuals with mental health issues.

Chairman of the Board, Ronald L. Magoon, said of the nominees, “MacKay, Kuster and Cannon play different roles in focusing the community’s time, talent and treasure on making sure that affordable mental health services are available for all”.  Magoon went on to say, “This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize these individuals for their dedication and commitment to the mental health and well-being of our communities.”

MacKay, a retired social worker and tireless advocate, chaired The Commission to Develop a Comprehensive State Mental Health Plan which released its final report Fulfilling the Promise: Transforming New Hampshire’s Mental Health System this year. His Lifetime Achievement Award is the first presented by Riverbend.

Kuster, a lawyer and lobbyist, is also well-known in state legislative circles. Riverbend opened the Susan McLane Memory Wellness Center, named for Kuster’s mother, Susan McLane, this year and is celebrating Kuster with its 2008 Champion Award not only for her long-standing commitment to mental health but also for her role in raising awareness of dementia in her book The Last Dance, Facing Alzheimer’s with Love and Laughter. 

Cannon, a respected and familiar face in civic and social service circles, has played a key role in developing affordable housing for individuals with mental health as the Executive Director of Fellowship Housing Opportunities, which provides housing for 69 individuals in the Concord area.

“The stigma attached to mental illness is still very much with us,” according to Josephson.  “For some the road to recovery is complete and relatively short.  For others, it is a long and heartbreaking journey.  The good news is that great strides are being made on many fronts.”

He adds, “We are grateful to these three champions for building awareness that evidence-based treatment makes recovery more achievable than ever before and for developing the resources needed to help people overcome the many challenges they face.”

Members of the Award selection committee were: Susan Fox, Project Director at the Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire; Lucy Hodder, Shareholder and Chair of the Health Care Practice Group at Rath,Young & Pignatelli, P.C.;  Jeffrey Savage, President & CEO of Franklin Savings Bank; Louis Josephson, President & CEO, Allan M. Moses, Senior Vice President & CFO and Gayle Kimball, Director of Development, all of Riverbend.

The 2007 Rainbow Award was presented to Dr. Susan Lynch, the First Lady of New Hampshire and the 2006 Rainbow Award, to Chris McMahon, Chief Operating Officer of Easter Seals