April 9, 2025 • 31 mins
Cari A. Guthrie is a seasoned leader in the field of mental health and nonprofit management, currently serving as the President and CEO of Cornerstone Montgomery. With a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Maryland, Cari has dedicated over 30 years of her career to the organization, beginning as a residential counselor and advancing to her current position as CEO. In her role, Cari oversees the overall operations and administration of Cornerstone Montgomery, focusing on partnerships, growth, education, and advocacy to further the organization’s mission of providing essential mental health services.
Cari’s journey with Cornerstone Montgomery is a testament to her passion and dedication. After three years as a residential counselor, she pursued her graduate degree and was happily working in Baltimore when an opportunity at Cornerstone Montgomery opened up. She returned to the organization as a supervisor and has since held various leadership positions, eventually becoming CEO, a role she has held for over 11 years. Throughout her tenure, Cari has played a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s mission, implementing evidence-based practices like Integrated Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders, Motivational Interviewing, Stages of Change, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She has also been instrumental in developing a robust staff training and orientation program, navigating two significant mergers, and securing over $6 million in community bond funding to renovate commercial and residential properties.
One of Cari’s most significant achievements was leading the organization through its transition to a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), securing more than $10 million in SAMHSA grants. Under her leadership, Cornerstone Montgomery has grown in both size and scope, including the purchase and renovation of its main administrative office in Rockville.
Leading through the challenges of COVID-19 has been a defining experience for Cari. It reinforced her belief in transparent communication and the importance of curiosity and listening. The pandemic challenged her to adapt, hold people accountable, and set clear expectations, all while navigating an unprecedented crisis.
Cari’s leadership style is deeply influenced by her personal values of transparency, flexibility, and empowerment. She believes in empowering her team to take ownership of their roles, solve problems, and grow as leaders themselves. Her approach is rooted in her own experience of being empowered by her supervisor early in her career, and she strives to pass that same encouragement on to others.
Outside of her professional life, Cari enjoys reading, cooking, watching movies and sports, and walking her dachshund, Percy. She is a passionate traveler and loves listening to live jazz music. These hobbies allow her to recharge and bring fresh creativity and perspective to her leadership role.
Cari is driven by the belief that fostering strong partnerships and advocating for mental health services can have a transformative impact on both individuals and the community. Her commitment to transparency and open decision-making continues to push the boundaries of the field, ensuring that Cornerstone Montgomery remains a leader in mental health care.
Cari’s journey with Cornerstone Montgomery is a testament to her passion and dedication. After three years as a residential counselor, she pursued her graduate degree and was happily working in Baltimore when an opportunity at Cornerstone Montgomery opened up. She returned to the organization as a supervisor and has since held various leadership positions, eventually becoming CEO, a role she has held for over 11 years. Throughout her tenure, Cari has played a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s mission, implementing evidence-based practices like Integrated Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders, Motivational Interviewing, Stages of Change, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She has also been instrumental in developing a robust staff training and orientation program, navigating two significant mergers, and securing over $6 million in community bond funding to renovate commercial and residential properties.
One of Cari’s most significant achievements was leading the organization through its transition to a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), securing more than $10 million in SAMHSA grants. Under her leadership, Cornerstone Montgomery has grown in both size and scope, including the purchase and renovation of its main administrative office in Rockville.
Leading through the challenges of COVID-19 has been a defining experience for Cari. It reinforced her belief in transparent communication and the importance of curiosity and listening. The pandemic challenged her to adapt, hold people accountable, and set clear expectations, all while navigating an unprecedented crisis.
Cari’s leadership style is deeply influenced by her personal values of transparency, flexibility, and empowerment. She believes in empowering her team to take ownership of their roles, solve problems, and grow as leaders themselves. Her approach is rooted in her own experience of being empowered by her supervisor early in her career, and she strives to pass that same encouragement on to others.
Outside of her professional life, Cari enjoys reading, cooking, watching movies and sports, and walking her dachshund, Percy. She is a passionate traveler and loves listening to live jazz music. These hobbies allow her to recharge and bring fresh creativity and perspective to her leadership role.
Cari is driven by the belief that fostering strong partnerships and advocating for mental health services can have a transformative impact on both individuals and the community. Her commitment to transparency and open decision-making continues to push the boundaries of the field, ensuring that Cornerstone Montgomery remains a leader in mental health care.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
M and T Bank presents CEOs. You should know powerd
by iHeartMedia. Let's meet Carry Guthrie. She is a president
and CEO for Cornerstone Montgomery, a nonprofit organization that empowers
individuals with mental health and co occurring substance use disorders
to live, work, and thrive in the community through a
variety of services, including residential rehabilitation, crisis services, and community
(00:22):
based support. Before we talk more about Carrie's team, there
are many successful programs and much more. I first asked
her to talk a little bit about herself, where she's
from and her origin story.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
So I was born in Iowa, but I was not
there very long because my dad was going to graduate school,
so we quickly moved to South Carolina and then actually
to England where he did his post doc. But then
we did move to Maryland when I was six and
I've been here ever since. Grew up in Prince George's
and Montgomery County around DC, went to high school here,
(00:55):
and then I went to school at william and Mary
for undergrad and Williamsburg Rginia, and then I came back
here and worked for a couple of years. Actually I
worked where I'm working now, I've been here a long time,
and then I left to go to graduate school to
get my master's in social work and I did that
in Baltimore at the University of Maryland. So that's kind
(01:17):
of initially, I've always known that I wanted to help
people deal with mental health issues or family issues. I
honestly would say it probably started when my parents divorced
when I was ten. And it wasn't a bad divorce,
although it was any divorce good, I guess, but I did,
you know, think, Wow, I'd like to help people who
(01:37):
are going through things like this, And so that's why I,
you know, graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology and
then went on to get the social work degree. My
first job in the field was on an impatient psychiatric unit,
and I loved it. I just loved meeting the patients,
helping them deal with their crises. I was truly amazed
(02:01):
by their resilience and living their lives even though they
probably were experiencing symptoms every day and just that challenge.
I was just amazed by what they were living with
and how they were working to be productive parts, you know,
people in their community, and that was just really important.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
To me that I wanted to keep doing that.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Well, I appreciate you sharing all of that, and I
think that gives us good context to what you do now.
And we also get an opportunity to talk to people
like you that are the head of a company right now,
president and CEO of corner Stone Montgomery. That you worked
your way up through the ladder, and I want to
talk about that in a little bit, okay, because I
think that's really interesting too. But as I see your
resume and your upbringing and what you wanted to do,
(02:44):
it is very clear why Cornerstone Montgomery was interested in you.
But why did you join them at the beginning?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Well, it had a different name back then. We've changed
names because we did some merging. But I just I
really was impressed in the interview, honestly by the person
who interviewed me, and I really wanted to see what
it was like to work with people who were in
the community.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
I didn't want to stay.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
At the hospital after school. I didn't want to just
work with people when they were in crisis. I wanted
to be able to see how they did when they
were at home, how they were when they were in crisis,
you know, helping them figure out how to deal with
their symptoms, maybe how to get through a crisis without
having to go to the hospital. And I you know,
(03:28):
that's really what was appealing to me and what I
continued to love.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
It's why I stayed.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
The rest of my experience has all been in the community,
because that is really what I like to see is
how people are doing when they're not in crisis, just
how they do every day and how I can help
them make that even better for them.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Well, let's do this. I'd love to talk about all
the amazing things that you and your team at Cornerstone
Montgomery do, But before we get into that, when it
comes to mission and vision, what is that.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
So our mission is empowering people people who live with
mental health and substance use disorders to thrive in their
community through collaboration, treatment, education, and advocacy. And really, I
mean that is the mission statement and that is what
we live every day.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
But what I love about we have a vision statement too.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
In the first three words of our vision statement are
bearers of hope, and I just think that is the
most important part of what we do, reminding clients that
they can have dreams and goals. So many of our
clients have been told you'll never be able to get
a job you have a mental illness, or you'll never
be able to live on your own you have a
substance use disorder. We know that's not true. We have
(04:38):
way too many success stories that prove that isn't true.
So we want to help people remember you can have
dreams and goals.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Sure, maybe they're not the same.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
As when you were fifteen, but you can still have
dreams and goals now, and we want to help you
build a life of your choosing what does your recovery
look like. Everyone's recovery is going to be different, has
different dreams and goals, So we want to help people
figure out what those goals are and how they can
achieve them, whether it's getting a job, making friends, moving
(05:10):
into their own apartment. We offer the support and the
resources hopefully to help make that happen, for them to
make that happen. And that's what I love about what
we do. That that's what our staff really focus on.
How can we help people be productive and active in
their community whatever their goals and dreams are.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Well, that's wonderful. Thanks for sharing. So let's do this.
I know a lot of our new listeners are going
to be introduced to Cornstone Montgomery for the first time.
I know there's a lot of people that know what
you do. But for the people that don't, if you
were to give a kind of a thirty thousand foot
view to tell people this is what we do, what
is that.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
We are a behavioral health nonprofit in the public sector,
so that means we provide a full range of evidence
based services and evidence space means it's treatment that's been
proven to work with research. We offer housing, employment services, therapy,
case management, and crisis services, amongst a few others for
(06:07):
anyone ages five and up. And we do that in
four counties in Maryland and Montgomery, Charles, Calvert and Saint Mary's.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Our staff have.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
A ton of training that we provide them, you know,
for different things like motivational interviewing or co occurring use
you know, substance use disorder and these community based services.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
We'd really try and meet the client where they are.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
So if they're struggling, then we're going to We're going
to meet them where they are. If you're having a
hard time, let's talk about it. If you're homeless, we're
going to meet you in the shelter under a tree,
at the local library wherever we need to meet you at.
And our goal is to build on people's strengths. That's
one of the tough things is a lot of our clients,
you ask them, you know, what are your strengths, and
(06:53):
they struggle to answer that question. So really trying to
focus and point out the strengths that we see and
that they can have personal choices, they can decide what
their goals should be. You know, for example, our employment
program will help any one of our clients who wants
to get a job. You don't have to have a
certain degree, you don't have to even have any sort
(07:14):
of training, will help you figure out what you want
to do, will help you with your resume, with interviewing,
and once you get a job, we can even be
there for coaching, job coaching and support, so we don't say, oh,
you've got to go get your.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Degree before you can do that job.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
We're going to help them find something as soon as
possible because we have found and this is what research
shows that just getting people into working, getting them used
to working, letting them test things, try things that helps
them figure out much more quickly what they might want
to do where some of their strengths are, and so
we really try and focus on that. And what's great
(07:51):
about the model that we use is we work with
the employers too. They're as much a part of this
process as the clients are. We help them learn how
to supervise and work with our clients. And many of
our employers, and we have over three hundred employer partners
actually tell us that working with us has helped them
be better managers for all of their employees. So and
(08:13):
we definitely have an impact to the national employment right
for people with disabilities is around twenty percent in any
given year. Our average is over sixty whole. So our
clients find jobs and they'll keep them for at least
three years. I will say that's probably been skewing down
with COVID because COVID definitely impacted this program significantly, as
(08:35):
you can imagine. But in general, they keep the jobs
for a long time, and they're paid more than minimum wage,
and they work at all different kinds of jobs. It's not,
you know, we're not just work getting them jobs at McDonald's.
So we definitely believe that employment is a key part
of recovery because if you think about it, our jobs,
you know, that is what makes us feel useful, makes
(08:57):
us feel productive, makes us feel engaged in the community.
So we see employment as a key part of recovery.
Other things are.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Too, Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
People want friends and family and a place to live.
I mean, that's probably the most important thing, a safe
place to live. But employment can really be a key
aspect of recovery. And so that's one of the it's
one of our biggest programs. Actually is our employment program.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Well great, but we do yeah, yeah, let's do this.
The vocational program is great, and I know there's a
lot of different programs as I go through the website,
there's residential rehabilitation, community based services, young adult services, Studio
in Site, the clinic, residential crisis, and I could go
on and on, even integrated health. With all that said,
(09:44):
beside the vocational what are maybe some of your popular
services that people really jump on.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Residential is pretty big. We have over two hundred and
fifty beds, and that's housing. It's people who are living
in houses or condos or town homes that we own.
For the most part, we do rent some apartments and
we bring services to them, so people who need housing
and services, that's a great alternative. Our clinic is also,
(10:09):
you know, pretty popular people.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
One of the most important things that most of our
clients need as part of their recovery is medication management,
so we have clinics that can provide that as well
as therapy, and those are also very popular program We
also have something called ACT, which is a sertive community
treatment and that's a very special model. That's something that
was developed in response to helping people who don't.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Do well in the traditional model.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So this is for the clients who are homeless a lot,
who are in and out of hospitals, who don't like
going to the office for an appointment, they don't want
to do that. They are the ones who choose to
live under a bridge instead of in an apartment, who
are just really struggling and not sure what they want.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
So an ACT.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Team is a full lary multidisciplinary team where they have
the psychiatrist, therapists, nurses, substanitutse counselor, supported employment specialist, a
peer counselor and basically everything happens for them in that
one team and they go to wherever they are, so
(11:19):
those staff are hardly ever in the office except for
when they're having meetings.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
They're out in the community.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
They're out in the field helping this group who really
struggle to be in the traditional settings. They help them
get the support they need out in the community wherever
they are, and that's we have a team in Montgomery
County and a team in Southern Maryland that do that,
and that's definitely one of our most important teams because
they're really helping the people who are struggling the most
(11:46):
in a lot of ways. We also do stuff with
kids with you if you mentioned our young adult we
have housing for young adults ages eighteen to twenty five.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
We also have employment programs.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
We work with kids in high schools because all research
shows that if you have a job in high school,
you're going to be much more successful down the road
with employment. So we really help kids get their jobs
in high school and then helping them get through high
school and deciding do you want to go to college,
do you want to go to a vocational school, or
do you just want to get a job, And we'll
(12:18):
help them figure that out for themselves and then support
them through.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That as well.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
And actually in Southern Maryland, we have a wonderful program
called Ihip and it's in home services for children ages
five and up, where our staff are in the home
helping kids deal with stuff that's going on at home
or at school, helping them get through school. One of
the priorities of this program is to help keep children
(12:43):
in their homes so that they avoid going to foster care,
So we do a lot of work with the families too,
and that's a pretty well known program in Southern Maryland
and something that we are very proud of.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
They also do targeted case management.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
In Southern Maryland, which really is just helping people with all,
you know, a lot of different life choices, things that
are going on, getting them connected to services, helping them
deal with their symptoms.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
It's just kind of general support.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
But it's one of our larger programs as well, and
is definitely successful in terms of, you know, the success
stories that we hear about clients doing well, getting jobs,
finding other resources that they need, getting housing, which is
definitely a challenge. Affordable housing is an issue in all
four of our counties all over the state.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
For sure.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
So those are some of the other programs that we
have that are pretty popular in some of our larger programs.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
So Carrie as president and CEO, and we will talk
about you moving your way up through the latter because
I think that's important for more context about what you
do now. But I did want to ask you about
this because you mentioned several times the team, and I'd
like you to talk about your staff a little bit
and also third party people that you work with too.
It would appear to me, without making any assumption, there
are so many moving parts to all the different things
that you offer and then the follow up. But tell
(14:04):
me a little bit more about the team, maybe not
in specifics, but how important they are to all the
different things that you do offer, because it just seems
to me that between the moving parts, the follow up,
and all the different things you offer, that it's just
never ending. It's always fluid. It's probably very quickly for
you and everybody. But tell us a little bit more
about the overall team there.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
So we actually just merged with that Southern Maryland agency
two years ago. Two years ago today actually is our anniversary,
and that they were a much smaller agency, but now
because of them together, we have over four hundred staff
across the four counties, and you.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Know, it is it is a lot, it is a
lot going on.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Most of our staff who work with clients are at
least bachelor level, although not all with COVID. We had,
you know, we did start hiring people who were in
college or you know, hadn't quite hadn't gotten through college yet,
so we you know, made some changes, some flexibility, but
that's you know, it's been fine, it's been successful. So
(15:10):
we most of our staff have are on their way
to getting a bachelor's degree or have a bachelor's degree.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
And then of course we have all the licensed people.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
We have licensed social workers, counselors, psychiatrists, nurses, practitioners, and
they do all the licensed work like the therapy, the
medication management, some of the other health stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
A lot of our middle management and hire are.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Also licensed people, so they can help provide supervision and
the clinical oversight. And then we have a full full blown,
you know, administrative options. We have our whole finance department,
of course, but we also have a facilities department, it department,
you know, HR, and we really you know, billing, our
(15:55):
whole billing department. So it's a lot of support to
help all the clinical staff and the client facing staff
do their job by supporting them behind the scenes with everything.
And I, you know, I supervise seven people and they,
you know, generally oversee the operations, whether it's the clinical
(16:15):
operations or the administrative operations. And we just we have
a good a strong management team and then middle management,
and one of our big focuses has been the communication
to make sure that communication trickles down and trickles up.
I want staff to know what's going on, but I
need to know what's going on. I need to know
(16:36):
if there are problems or issues so that we can
work together to problem solve and resolve these issues. And
that definitely has gotten to be more of a challenge
as we've gotten bigger. When I first started working with
this organization, it was less than fifty staff. Wow, so
we have grown a lot thirty years health Yes, so
(16:58):
that is definitely a challenge communication. Like I used to
know everybody's names, staff and clients. That is not the
case anymore, and that was tough to adjust to. I
have to be honest, but I think as long as
you have strong middle management and team and I know
most of those folks, it makes it easier to ask
questions to get information, and we really try and do
(17:20):
a lot with communication, both in person, virtual and via
email to help with all that process, because, like you said,
there's so many moving parts, and if I can't read
people's minds, I'm not everywhere.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Well I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
I can't know what's going on unless somebody tells me
or unfortunately, if I find out about it through a
complaint or data or outcomes. But we really try and
make sure that all of us are aware of things
that are going on so that we can be proactive
instead of reactive.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
I want to talk a little bit about something I
teased about you moving up through the ladder and getting
up to be the president and CEO. And I know
you've been there for twelve years and it's an extraordinary run.
You've got so much more great work to do with
you and your team. But this is great for our
future entrepreneurs and CEOs and people that want to run companies,
whether it's for profit or nonprofit. There's something to be
(18:11):
said for learning a lot of different jobs at a
company and then running it. And there's a lot of
people that I've talked in the series that just become
a CEO and president. That's fine, that's all well and good.
It's a good fit for them. But you moved through
the ladder and up. Now tell us why you did
that and why you stuck around, and how was influential
to help you be a president and lead this company
(18:32):
in Cortus to Montgomery.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Well, like I said, I started off as a residential
counselor and I was here for three years my first
time around, before I left to go to graduate school.
And I was promoted once during that time to what
was called a site administrator, so I oversaw a small
group and did a few more administrative tasks.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
And then I left for a while, and I.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Was working in Baltimore, and I was very happy, you know,
after I graduated with my social work degree, and I
loved my experience up in Baltimore. It was wonderful. But
my sister was working here and she said, you should
come back. There's a supervisor position open, and I was like,
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
I'm happy in Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
But I also knew that I really respected the CEO.
At the time, I had loved working here, and so
I said, what the heck, I'll interview and I ended
up getting the job, and.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
I have just been very lucky.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
I came back at a pivotal moment in Maryland's behavioral
health history because at that time, in nineteen ninety seven,
we changed from being fully grant funded to being fee
for service and getting covered by Medicaid. So that changed
a lot of things. It allowed us to grow. It
allowed us to serve many more people than what we
had done before and add to our programming, and so
(19:48):
that meant we were doing different things. We were growing,
we were adding different programs, and we started a program
called what we called outreach or supported living, which was
basic providing similar services to people that were in our
residential program, but they weren't living in our housing. They
were living with family or friends, or they had their
own housing, or they were in another housing program.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
But we were expanding.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
We didn't have to just provide housing, and so we
were trying to hire someone to develop that program and
no one. We couldn't find someone. And I was like,
what is the deal. This sounds so fun. It would
be so cool to build something and you know, start
something new. And so everyone looked at me and said, well,
then you do it, and we'll replace you in the
(20:33):
residential program because that'll be easier to do. So I
kind of fell into that new role. It was and
I it was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
I had happy accident, yes I mean.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
And so I said okay, and so I started expanding
this program and growing it and just over time, I
was working closely with the CEO at the time and
just talking about other things we wanted to do, and we.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Were still growing.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
We ended up up taking over two of the clinic,
the county clinics. At the time, all of the clinics
in Montgomery County were run by the county, but when
we went to fee for service, they couldn't afford that
because the fees that we were getting they couldn't pay
their county salaries. So they had to privatize the clinics
(21:20):
and we ended up taking over two of them, and
just through that growth, I ended up becoming a director
overseeing all of the residential program. And then we had
our clinic director left and the clinics were struggling. Clinics
still struggle. It's tough to make money at the clinics
with the rates.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
That we get. And I said, well, that's a challenge.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Let me try so I went for the clinic director
position and I did that for a few years, and
then we started talking about maybe we should expand maybe
we should merge with someone else. So we tried to
set ourselves up for that and I became the chief
operating officer. I've been very blessed because of being at
the same organization and growing with it, and so I
(22:05):
was able to do that to move into the chief
operating officer position, and then we merged back in twenty twelve,
we were Threshold Services.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
It was Saint Luke's House and those two.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Organizations merged and became Cornerstone Montgomery and my boss was
the CEO and I was the COO, but he had
to step down for medical reasons, and it was less
than a year after we merged that I became the CEO,
and that was in twenty thirteen. So I've just been
very lucky and blessed and I think, you know, it's
(22:39):
allowed me to grow with the organization.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
I've learned so much.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
And I will say, I tell residential staff now, being
a residential counselor now is completely different when I was
a residential counselor.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
When I was a residential counselor.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
We barely had computers, We hardly used email. Everything was
on paper. I mean it's so different now that I
almost can't say, oh, I know what it's like to
be a residential counselor because I don't know that I
do anymore, not like it was. So I have to
respect the changes and learn about the changes along with
everybody else. You know, we have an electronic health record.
(23:16):
I can get into it. I can look for data
and information that I need, But I wouldn't know how
to document a client contact because I don't ever have
to do it, you know. So there are things that
I don't know that I need to learn or at
least appreciate that. I just can't know everything and recognize
how things have changed. I mean, certainly the technology has
been one of the biggest changes and.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Figuring that out.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
So for me it's about, Okay, what can I do
to help make everyone else's job easier. That's you know,
easier said than done with many things. But so I
really try and look at it that way that, yes,
I know how to work with clients. I did that
for years. I loved doing that. I can focus on
that piece of it. The interaction with clients is where
(24:01):
my knowledge and my history and my strength I.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Think is so helpful to this role.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
But it's also about recognizing the big picture and how
things have changed and how we need to adapt and
structure ourselves, you know, to deal with those changes, and
certainly things like COVID throw a wrench in everybody's plans.
I do feel that we handled that very well. We
had only one client die of COVID. Over eighty percent
(24:30):
of our clients got vaccinated, Over ninety five percent of
our staff got vaccinated actually the first two vaccines, and
I think we really pivoted well, we responded well, and
we kept things going. Now I'll say coming out of
COVID has been even harder than staying in it than
(24:51):
being in it. Not staying in it, But so I
do think that's something you have to be able to adapt.
You have to be able to see the big picture
and figure out how you adapt and how you you
have to change again to try and be proactive instead
of reactive, which of course is what we all felt
like we were doing during COVID. So it's it's there
have been challenges, for sure, But as a CEO, I
(25:13):
would say that that's the biggest thing is the unexpected
stuff like a pandemic or like a sudden you know,
eight billion dollar cut in Medicaid, that will be you know,
it won't be as shock. I guess in some sense
we're hearing about it now, we're talking about it now,
but if it actually happens, we need to be ready
for that. You have to be prepared for things. You
(25:34):
have to look at the big picture and be prepared
for stuff like that and plan. And that's you know,
definitely can be a challenge when you've got many staff
who you know, don't think big picture. They're just worried
about the day to day, helping the clients get to
their job, make sure they take their meds. So finding
that balance I think is really important. And I do
(25:54):
think that is one of the reasons why having a
CEO who has worked at multiple levels, who has worked
in multiple departments, really is a benefit.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Agreed, And I'm glad you talked about that and very
well said well, let's do this. So we are going
to give the website any phone numbers, and if you're
on social media, I know people want to follow that too, Kerrie.
But maybe did some final thoughts from me about what
we talked about. I know there are so many different programs,
there's so many different people, there's a lot of ground
to cover, but maybe just recap what we've talked about
and did some final thoughts from you. The floor is yours.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Okay, Well, I think you know, definitely what we've talked
about is the need for behavioral health services. We know
it's been there always, but certainly it has come out
more since COVID. I think the challenges that we're seeing
today that people need to know about is the hiring
that you know, the COVID hiring turnover crisis that I
(26:49):
think all industries experienced. We are definitely experiencing as well.
Some months we feel like it's getting better, but then
we take a few steps back again, and I think,
you know, encouraging people, So please consider going into the
mental health professional fields.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
It's worth it.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
I'm telling you as someone who's been in the field
a long time, through many ups and downs, it's worth it.
Working in this field as a counselor, as a therapist,
as a psychiatrist. We need all of those positions and
we're going to need even more of them over the years.
So I think that's a big deal. I think, you know,
being ready to be an advocate for the people that
you serve, really helping people have the best life of
(27:30):
their choosing, you know, helping them identify what that looks
like for them, and then helping them figure out the
resources that are out there that can help them achieve
those goals is also just such a wonderful opportunity. Whether
you want to you know, be a supporter, a donor
to organizations like Cornerstone, or get a job with organizations
(27:52):
like Cornerstone. There are so many different ways that people
you know, can help and do things, and there are
so many success stories. Is I think you can find
us on social media on Facebook, on Instagram, our website,
and we do have a you know, regular newsletter and
we highlight success stories from our clients across all of
(28:13):
those programs. So it's just so important to recognize that
the services we provide do help people be productive parts
of their community, productive members of their community.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
And that's just, you know, I think, a.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Really important thing, and that's one of the most important
things that I do, is really advocating for positive change
and positive resources and growth for this population and for
the people you know that we serve that we work with.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
All right, well, let's give the website to everybody, and
we should remind you, speaking of donation, there's a big
fat orange button that says donate now, and that I
imagine also that you would welcome any kind of small, medium,
or large businesses partnering with you, whether it's a donation
of a room or being a part of something and sponsoring.
Let's get the website to everybody.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Yes, sure, it's www dot Cornerstone Montgomery dot org. And
we have an event in May that people are welcome
to check out. It's all over our website. You can sponsor,
you can buy tickets. If you can't come, you can
still buy tickets so that some of our clients could attend,
or some of our staff could attend.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
It's called Unmasking Hope.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
And we actually have clients in our art program who
are making masks that people can also purchase when they
get a ticket to wear at the event.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
So it's really going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
And that it's in May on May seventeenth, and so
you can donate specifically to that or you can just
do a general donation. It is very easy to do.
On our website, you can also look and see what
job opportunities there are. Like I said, we have clinical
as well as administrative jobs. So if you want to
be a facilities technician all the way up to a psychiatrist,
(29:59):
we have a opportunities and those are also all listed
on our website or through LinkedIn.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
That's a big place too to see the opportunities that
we have.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
So there's many ways that you can support us through
our website.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Understanding well, Kerry, I'm not going to be the first
person to say this nor the last stop about you
and your team and the extraordinary work you do. And
I kind of it's similar to radio. You know, when
we are DJs and our talk show host talk through
the microphone. We don't realize how many lives we're changing
because we never meet them. And I know you and
your team do get to meet some people, but you
don't get to follow them through their entire life and
(30:32):
the effect that you've had on. But it's really extraordinary.
With all the programs that you have, the teammates you have,
and all the third party people, and then the people
that donate their time and their money, it really is
herculeing what you and your team do. So we're very
appreciate that because I know it's hard every day to
get up and do what you and your team do,
but to see somebody make it and get a second chance,
(30:54):
I must feel as very rewarding to you and your team.
So thank you for all you and your team do.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Thank you very much, and thanks for today. It's been fun.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Our community partner, M and T Bank supports CEOs. You
should know is part of their ongoing commitment to building
strong communities, and that starts by backing the businesses within them.
As a Bank for communities, M and T believes in
dedicating time, talent, and resources to help local businesses thrive
because when businesses succeed, our communities succeed.
M and T Bank presents CEOs. You should know powerd
by iHeartMedia. Let's meet Carry Guthrie. She is a president
and CEO for Cornerstone Montgomery, a nonprofit organization that empowers
individuals with mental health and co occurring substance use disorders
to live, work, and thrive in the community through a
variety of services, including residential rehabilitation, crisis services, and community
(00:22):
based support. Before we talk more about Carrie's team, there
are many successful programs and much more. I first asked
her to talk a little bit about herself, where she's
from and her origin story.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
So I was born in Iowa, but I was not
there very long because my dad was going to graduate school,
so we quickly moved to South Carolina and then actually
to England where he did his post doc. But then
we did move to Maryland when I was six and
I've been here ever since. Grew up in Prince George's
and Montgomery County around DC, went to high school here,
(00:55):
and then I went to school at william and Mary
for undergrad and Williamsburg Rginia, and then I came back
here and worked for a couple of years. Actually I
worked where I'm working now, I've been here a long time,
and then I left to go to graduate school to
get my master's in social work and I did that
in Baltimore at the University of Maryland. So that's kind
(01:17):
of initially, I've always known that I wanted to help
people deal with mental health issues or family issues. I
honestly would say it probably started when my parents divorced
when I was ten. And it wasn't a bad divorce,
although it was any divorce good, I guess, but I did,
you know, think, Wow, I'd like to help people who
(01:37):
are going through things like this, And so that's why I,
you know, graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology and
then went on to get the social work degree. My
first job in the field was on an impatient psychiatric unit,
and I loved it. I just loved meeting the patients,
helping them deal with their crises. I was truly amazed
(02:01):
by their resilience and living their lives even though they
probably were experiencing symptoms every day and just that challenge.
I was just amazed by what they were living with
and how they were working to be productive parts, you know,
people in their community, and that was just really important.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
To me that I wanted to keep doing that.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Well, I appreciate you sharing all of that, and I
think that gives us good context to what you do now.
And we also get an opportunity to talk to people
like you that are the head of a company right now,
president and CEO of corner Stone Montgomery. That you worked
your way up through the ladder, and I want to
talk about that in a little bit, okay, because I
think that's really interesting too. But as I see your
resume and your upbringing and what you wanted to do,
(02:44):
it is very clear why Cornerstone Montgomery was interested in you.
But why did you join them at the beginning?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Well, it had a different name back then. We've changed
names because we did some merging. But I just I
really was impressed in the interview, honestly by the person
who interviewed me, and I really wanted to see what
it was like to work with people who were in
the community.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
I didn't want to stay.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
At the hospital after school. I didn't want to just
work with people when they were in crisis. I wanted
to be able to see how they did when they
were at home, how they were when they were in crisis,
you know, helping them figure out how to deal with
their symptoms, maybe how to get through a crisis without
having to go to the hospital. And I you know,
(03:28):
that's really what was appealing to me and what I
continued to love.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
It's why I stayed.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
The rest of my experience has all been in the community,
because that is really what I like to see is
how people are doing when they're not in crisis, just
how they do every day and how I can help
them make that even better for them.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Well, let's do this. I'd love to talk about all
the amazing things that you and your team at Cornerstone
Montgomery do, But before we get into that, when it
comes to mission and vision, what is that.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
So our mission is empowering people people who live with
mental health and substance use disorders to thrive in their
community through collaboration, treatment, education, and advocacy. And really, I
mean that is the mission statement and that is what
we live every day.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
But what I love about we have a vision statement too.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
In the first three words of our vision statement are
bearers of hope, and I just think that is the
most important part of what we do, reminding clients that
they can have dreams and goals. So many of our
clients have been told you'll never be able to get
a job you have a mental illness, or you'll never
be able to live on your own you have a
substance use disorder. We know that's not true. We have
(04:38):
way too many success stories that prove that isn't true.
So we want to help people remember you can have
dreams and goals.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Sure, maybe they're not the same.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
As when you were fifteen, but you can still have
dreams and goals now, and we want to help you
build a life of your choosing what does your recovery
look like. Everyone's recovery is going to be different, has
different dreams and goals, So we want to help people
figure out what those goals are and how they can
achieve them, whether it's getting a job, making friends, moving
(05:10):
into their own apartment. We offer the support and the
resources hopefully to help make that happen, for them to
make that happen. And that's what I love about what
we do. That that's what our staff really focus on.
How can we help people be productive and active in
their community whatever their goals and dreams are.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Well, that's wonderful. Thanks for sharing. So let's do this.
I know a lot of our new listeners are going
to be introduced to Cornstone Montgomery for the first time.
I know there's a lot of people that know what
you do. But for the people that don't, if you
were to give a kind of a thirty thousand foot
view to tell people this is what we do, what
is that.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
We are a behavioral health nonprofit in the public sector,
so that means we provide a full range of evidence
based services and evidence space means it's treatment that's been
proven to work with research. We offer housing, employment services, therapy,
case management, and crisis services, amongst a few others for
(06:07):
anyone ages five and up. And we do that in
four counties in Maryland and Montgomery, Charles, Calvert and Saint Mary's.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Our staff have.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
A ton of training that we provide them, you know,
for different things like motivational interviewing or co occurring use
you know, substance use disorder and these community based services.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
We'd really try and meet the client where they are.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
So if they're struggling, then we're going to We're going
to meet them where they are. If you're having a
hard time, let's talk about it. If you're homeless, we're
going to meet you in the shelter under a tree,
at the local library wherever we need to meet you at.
And our goal is to build on people's strengths. That's
one of the tough things is a lot of our clients,
you ask them, you know, what are your strengths, and
(06:53):
they struggle to answer that question. So really trying to
focus and point out the strengths that we see and
that they can have personal choices, they can decide what
their goals should be. You know, for example, our employment
program will help any one of our clients who wants
to get a job. You don't have to have a
certain degree, you don't have to even have any sort
(07:14):
of training, will help you figure out what you want
to do, will help you with your resume, with interviewing,
and once you get a job, we can even be
there for coaching, job coaching and support, so we don't say, oh,
you've got to go get your.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Degree before you can do that job.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
We're going to help them find something as soon as
possible because we have found and this is what research
shows that just getting people into working, getting them used
to working, letting them test things, try things that helps
them figure out much more quickly what they might want
to do where some of their strengths are, and so
we really try and focus on that. And what's great
(07:51):
about the model that we use is we work with
the employers too. They're as much a part of this
process as the clients are. We help them learn how
to supervise and work with our clients. And many of
our employers, and we have over three hundred employer partners
actually tell us that working with us has helped them
be better managers for all of their employees. So and
(08:13):
we definitely have an impact to the national employment right
for people with disabilities is around twenty percent in any
given year. Our average is over sixty whole. So our
clients find jobs and they'll keep them for at least
three years. I will say that's probably been skewing down
with COVID because COVID definitely impacted this program significantly, as
(08:35):
you can imagine. But in general, they keep the jobs
for a long time, and they're paid more than minimum wage,
and they work at all different kinds of jobs. It's not,
you know, we're not just work getting them jobs at McDonald's.
So we definitely believe that employment is a key part
of recovery because if you think about it, our jobs,
you know, that is what makes us feel useful, makes
(08:57):
us feel productive, makes us feel engaged in the community.
So we see employment as a key part of recovery.
Other things are.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Too, Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
People want friends and family and a place to live.
I mean, that's probably the most important thing, a safe
place to live. But employment can really be a key
aspect of recovery. And so that's one of the it's
one of our biggest programs. Actually is our employment program.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Well great, but we do yeah, yeah, let's do this.
The vocational program is great, and I know there's a
lot of different programs as I go through the website,
there's residential rehabilitation, community based services, young adult services, Studio
in Site, the clinic, residential crisis, and I could go
on and on, even integrated health. With all that said,
(09:44):
beside the vocational what are maybe some of your popular
services that people really jump on.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Residential is pretty big. We have over two hundred and
fifty beds, and that's housing. It's people who are living
in houses or condos or town homes that we own.
For the most part, we do rent some apartments and
we bring services to them, so people who need housing
and services, that's a great alternative. Our clinic is also,
(10:09):
you know, pretty popular people.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
One of the most important things that most of our
clients need as part of their recovery is medication management,
so we have clinics that can provide that as well
as therapy, and those are also very popular program We
also have something called ACT, which is a sertive community
treatment and that's a very special model. That's something that
was developed in response to helping people who don't.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Do well in the traditional model.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
So this is for the clients who are homeless a lot,
who are in and out of hospitals, who don't like
going to the office for an appointment, they don't want
to do that. They are the ones who choose to
live under a bridge instead of in an apartment, who
are just really struggling and not sure what they want.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
So an ACT.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Team is a full lary multidisciplinary team where they have
the psychiatrist, therapists, nurses, substanitutse counselor, supported employment specialist, a
peer counselor and basically everything happens for them in that
one team and they go to wherever they are, so
(11:19):
those staff are hardly ever in the office except for
when they're having meetings.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
They're out in the community.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
They're out in the field helping this group who really
struggle to be in the traditional settings. They help them
get the support they need out in the community wherever
they are, and that's we have a team in Montgomery
County and a team in Southern Maryland that do that,
and that's definitely one of our most important teams because
they're really helping the people who are struggling the most
(11:46):
in a lot of ways. We also do stuff with
kids with you if you mentioned our young adult we
have housing for young adults ages eighteen to twenty five.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
We also have employment programs.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
We work with kids in high schools because all research
shows that if you have a job in high school,
you're going to be much more successful down the road
with employment. So we really help kids get their jobs
in high school and then helping them get through high
school and deciding do you want to go to college,
do you want to go to a vocational school, or
do you just want to get a job, And we'll
(12:18):
help them figure that out for themselves and then support
them through.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That as well.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
And actually in Southern Maryland, we have a wonderful program
called Ihip and it's in home services for children ages
five and up, where our staff are in the home
helping kids deal with stuff that's going on at home
or at school, helping them get through school. One of
the priorities of this program is to help keep children
(12:43):
in their homes so that they avoid going to foster care,
So we do a lot of work with the families too,
and that's a pretty well known program in Southern Maryland
and something that we are very proud of.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
They also do targeted case management.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
In Southern Maryland, which really is just helping people with all,
you know, a lot of different life choices, things that
are going on, getting them connected to services, helping them
deal with their symptoms.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
It's just kind of general support.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
But it's one of our larger programs as well, and
is definitely successful in terms of, you know, the success
stories that we hear about clients doing well, getting jobs,
finding other resources that they need, getting housing, which is
definitely a challenge. Affordable housing is an issue in all
four of our counties all over the state.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
For sure.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
So those are some of the other programs that we
have that are pretty popular in some of our larger programs.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
So Carrie as president and CEO, and we will talk
about you moving your way up through the latter because
I think that's important for more context about what you
do now. But I did want to ask you about
this because you mentioned several times the team, and I'd
like you to talk about your staff a little bit
and also third party people that you work with too.
It would appear to me, without making any assumption, there
are so many moving parts to all the different things
that you offer and then the follow up. But tell
(14:04):
me a little bit more about the team, maybe not
in specifics, but how important they are to all the
different things that you do offer, because it just seems
to me that between the moving parts, the follow up,
and all the different things you offer, that it's just
never ending. It's always fluid. It's probably very quickly for
you and everybody. But tell us a little bit more
about the overall team there.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
So we actually just merged with that Southern Maryland agency
two years ago. Two years ago today actually is our anniversary,
and that they were a much smaller agency, but now
because of them together, we have over four hundred staff
across the four counties, and you.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Know, it is it is a lot, it is a
lot going on.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Most of our staff who work with clients are at
least bachelor level, although not all with COVID. We had,
you know, we did start hiring people who were in
college or you know, hadn't quite hadn't gotten through college yet,
so we you know, made some changes, some flexibility, but
that's you know, it's been fine, it's been successful. So
(15:10):
we most of our staff have are on their way
to getting a bachelor's degree or have a bachelor's degree.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
And then of course we have all the licensed people.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
We have licensed social workers, counselors, psychiatrists, nurses, practitioners, and
they do all the licensed work like the therapy, the
medication management, some of the other health stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
A lot of our middle management and hire are.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Also licensed people, so they can help provide supervision and
the clinical oversight. And then we have a full full blown,
you know, administrative options. We have our whole finance department,
of course, but we also have a facilities department, it department,
you know, HR, and we really you know, billing, our
(15:55):
whole billing department. So it's a lot of support to
help all the clinical staff and the client facing staff
do their job by supporting them behind the scenes with everything.
And I, you know, I supervise seven people and they,
you know, generally oversee the operations, whether it's the clinical
(16:15):
operations or the administrative operations. And we just we have
a good a strong management team and then middle management,
and one of our big focuses has been the communication
to make sure that communication trickles down and trickles up.
I want staff to know what's going on, but I
need to know what's going on. I need to know
(16:36):
if there are problems or issues so that we can
work together to problem solve and resolve these issues. And
that definitely has gotten to be more of a challenge
as we've gotten bigger. When I first started working with
this organization, it was less than fifty staff. Wow, so
we have grown a lot thirty years health Yes, so
(16:58):
that is definitely a challenge communication. Like I used to
know everybody's names, staff and clients. That is not the
case anymore, and that was tough to adjust to. I
have to be honest, but I think as long as
you have strong middle management and team and I know
most of those folks, it makes it easier to ask
questions to get information, and we really try and do
(17:20):
a lot with communication, both in person, virtual and via
email to help with all that process, because, like you said,
there's so many moving parts, and if I can't read
people's minds, I'm not everywhere.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Well I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
I can't know what's going on unless somebody tells me
or unfortunately, if I find out about it through a
complaint or data or outcomes. But we really try and
make sure that all of us are aware of things
that are going on so that we can be proactive
instead of reactive.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
I want to talk a little bit about something I
teased about you moving up through the ladder and getting
up to be the president and CEO. And I know
you've been there for twelve years and it's an extraordinary run.
You've got so much more great work to do with
you and your team. But this is great for our
future entrepreneurs and CEOs and people that want to run companies,
whether it's for profit or nonprofit. There's something to be
(18:11):
said for learning a lot of different jobs at a
company and then running it. And there's a lot of
people that I've talked in the series that just become
a CEO and president. That's fine, that's all well and good.
It's a good fit for them. But you moved through
the ladder and up. Now tell us why you did
that and why you stuck around, and how was influential
to help you be a president and lead this company
(18:32):
in Cortus to Montgomery.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Well, like I said, I started off as a residential
counselor and I was here for three years my first
time around, before I left to go to graduate school.
And I was promoted once during that time to what
was called a site administrator, so I oversaw a small
group and did a few more administrative tasks.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
And then I left for a while, and I.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Was working in Baltimore, and I was very happy, you know,
after I graduated with my social work degree, and I
loved my experience up in Baltimore. It was wonderful. But
my sister was working here and she said, you should
come back. There's a supervisor position open, and I was like,
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
I'm happy in Baltimore.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
But I also knew that I really respected the CEO.
At the time, I had loved working here, and so
I said, what the heck, I'll interview and I ended
up getting the job, and.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
I have just been very lucky.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
I came back at a pivotal moment in Maryland's behavioral
health history because at that time, in nineteen ninety seven,
we changed from being fully grant funded to being fee
for service and getting covered by Medicaid. So that changed
a lot of things. It allowed us to grow. It
allowed us to serve many more people than what we
had done before and add to our programming, and so
(19:48):
that meant we were doing different things. We were growing,
we were adding different programs, and we started a program
called what we called outreach or supported living, which was
basic providing similar services to people that were in our
residential program, but they weren't living in our housing. They
were living with family or friends, or they had their
own housing, or they were in another housing program.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
But we were expanding.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
We didn't have to just provide housing, and so we
were trying to hire someone to develop that program and
no one. We couldn't find someone. And I was like,
what is the deal. This sounds so fun. It would
be so cool to build something and you know, start
something new. And so everyone looked at me and said, well,
then you do it, and we'll replace you in the
(20:33):
residential program because that'll be easier to do. So I
kind of fell into that new role. It was and
I it was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
I had happy accident, yes I mean.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
And so I said okay, and so I started expanding
this program and growing it and just over time, I
was working closely with the CEO at the time and
just talking about other things we wanted to do, and we.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Were still growing.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
We ended up up taking over two of the clinic,
the county clinics. At the time, all of the clinics
in Montgomery County were run by the county, but when
we went to fee for service, they couldn't afford that
because the fees that we were getting they couldn't pay
their county salaries. So they had to privatize the clinics
(21:20):
and we ended up taking over two of them, and
just through that growth, I ended up becoming a director
overseeing all of the residential program. And then we had
our clinic director left and the clinics were struggling. Clinics
still struggle. It's tough to make money at the clinics
with the rates.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
That we get. And I said, well, that's a challenge.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Let me try so I went for the clinic director
position and I did that for a few years, and
then we started talking about maybe we should expand maybe
we should merge with someone else. So we tried to
set ourselves up for that and I became the chief
operating officer. I've been very blessed because of being at
the same organization and growing with it, and so I
(22:05):
was able to do that to move into the chief
operating officer position, and then we merged back in twenty twelve,
we were Threshold Services.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
It was Saint Luke's House and those two.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Organizations merged and became Cornerstone Montgomery and my boss was
the CEO and I was the COO, but he had
to step down for medical reasons, and it was less
than a year after we merged that I became the CEO,
and that was in twenty thirteen. So I've just been
very lucky and blessed and I think, you know, it's
(22:39):
allowed me to grow with the organization.
Speaker 3 (22:41):
I've learned so much.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
And I will say, I tell residential staff now, being
a residential counselor now is completely different when I was
a residential counselor.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
When I was a residential counselor.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
We barely had computers, We hardly used email. Everything was
on paper. I mean it's so different now that I
almost can't say, oh, I know what it's like to
be a residential counselor because I don't know that I
do anymore, not like it was. So I have to
respect the changes and learn about the changes along with
everybody else. You know, we have an electronic health record.
(23:16):
I can get into it. I can look for data
and information that I need, But I wouldn't know how
to document a client contact because I don't ever have
to do it, you know. So there are things that
I don't know that I need to learn or at
least appreciate that. I just can't know everything and recognize
how things have changed. I mean, certainly the technology has
been one of the biggest changes and.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Figuring that out.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
So for me it's about, Okay, what can I do
to help make everyone else's job easier. That's you know,
easier said than done with many things. But so I
really try and look at it that way that, yes,
I know how to work with clients. I did that
for years. I loved doing that. I can focus on
that piece of it. The interaction with clients is where
(24:01):
my knowledge and my history and my strength I.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Think is so helpful to this role.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
But it's also about recognizing the big picture and how
things have changed and how we need to adapt and
structure ourselves, you know, to deal with those changes, and
certainly things like COVID throw a wrench in everybody's plans.
I do feel that we handled that very well. We
had only one client die of COVID. Over eighty percent
(24:30):
of our clients got vaccinated, Over ninety five percent of
our staff got vaccinated actually the first two vaccines, and
I think we really pivoted well, we responded well, and
we kept things going. Now I'll say coming out of
COVID has been even harder than staying in it than
(24:51):
being in it. Not staying in it, But so I
do think that's something you have to be able to adapt.
You have to be able to see the big picture
and figure out how you adapt and how you you
have to change again to try and be proactive instead
of reactive, which of course is what we all felt
like we were doing during COVID. So it's it's there
have been challenges, for sure, But as a CEO, I
(25:13):
would say that that's the biggest thing is the unexpected
stuff like a pandemic or like a sudden you know,
eight billion dollar cut in Medicaid, that will be you know,
it won't be as shock. I guess in some sense
we're hearing about it now, we're talking about it now,
but if it actually happens, we need to be ready
for that. You have to be prepared for things. You
(25:34):
have to look at the big picture and be prepared
for stuff like that and plan. And that's you know,
definitely can be a challenge when you've got many staff
who you know, don't think big picture. They're just worried
about the day to day, helping the clients get to
their job, make sure they take their meds. So finding
that balance I think is really important. And I do
(25:54):
think that is one of the reasons why having a
CEO who has worked at multiple levels, who has worked
in multiple departments, really is a benefit.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Agreed, And I'm glad you talked about that and very
well said well, let's do this. So we are going
to give the website any phone numbers, and if you're
on social media, I know people want to follow that too, Kerrie.
But maybe did some final thoughts from me about what
we talked about. I know there are so many different programs,
there's so many different people, there's a lot of ground
to cover, but maybe just recap what we've talked about
and did some final thoughts from you. The floor is yours.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Okay, Well, I think you know, definitely what we've talked
about is the need for behavioral health services. We know
it's been there always, but certainly it has come out
more since COVID. I think the challenges that we're seeing
today that people need to know about is the hiring
that you know, the COVID hiring turnover crisis that I
(26:49):
think all industries experienced. We are definitely experiencing as well.
Some months we feel like it's getting better, but then
we take a few steps back again, and I think,
you know, encouraging people, So please consider going into the
mental health professional fields.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
It's worth it.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
I'm telling you as someone who's been in the field
a long time, through many ups and downs, it's worth it.
Working in this field as a counselor, as a therapist,
as a psychiatrist. We need all of those positions and
we're going to need even more of them over the years.
So I think that's a big deal. I think, you know,
being ready to be an advocate for the people that
you serve, really helping people have the best life of
(27:30):
their choosing, you know, helping them identify what that looks
like for them, and then helping them figure out the
resources that are out there that can help them achieve
those goals is also just such a wonderful opportunity. Whether
you want to you know, be a supporter, a donor
to organizations like Cornerstone, or get a job with organizations
(27:52):
like Cornerstone. There are so many different ways that people
you know, can help and do things, and there are
so many success stories. Is I think you can find
us on social media on Facebook, on Instagram, our website,
and we do have a you know, regular newsletter and
we highlight success stories from our clients across all of
(28:13):
those programs. So it's just so important to recognize that
the services we provide do help people be productive parts
of their community, productive members of their community.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
And that's just, you know, I think, a.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Really important thing, and that's one of the most important
things that I do, is really advocating for positive change
and positive resources and growth for this population and for
the people you know that we serve that we work with.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
All right, well, let's give the website to everybody, and
we should remind you, speaking of donation, there's a big
fat orange button that says donate now, and that I
imagine also that you would welcome any kind of small, medium,
or large businesses partnering with you, whether it's a donation
of a room or being a part of something and sponsoring.
Let's get the website to everybody.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
Yes, sure, it's www dot Cornerstone Montgomery dot org. And
we have an event in May that people are welcome
to check out. It's all over our website. You can sponsor,
you can buy tickets. If you can't come, you can
still buy tickets so that some of our clients could attend,
or some of our staff could attend.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
It's called Unmasking Hope.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
And we actually have clients in our art program who
are making masks that people can also purchase when they
get a ticket to wear at the event.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
So it's really going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
And that it's in May on May seventeenth, and so
you can donate specifically to that or you can just
do a general donation. It is very easy to do.
On our website, you can also look and see what
job opportunities there are. Like I said, we have clinical
as well as administrative jobs. So if you want to
be a facilities technician all the way up to a psychiatrist,
(29:59):
we have a opportunities and those are also all listed
on our website or through LinkedIn.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
That's a big place too to see the opportunities that
we have.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
So there's many ways that you can support us through
our website.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Understanding well, Kerry, I'm not going to be the first
person to say this nor the last stop about you
and your team and the extraordinary work you do. And
I kind of it's similar to radio. You know, when
we are DJs and our talk show host talk through
the microphone. We don't realize how many lives we're changing
because we never meet them. And I know you and
your team do get to meet some people, but you
don't get to follow them through their entire life and
(30:32):
the effect that you've had on. But it's really extraordinary.
With all the programs that you have, the teammates you have,
and all the third party people, and then the people
that donate their time and their money, it really is
herculeing what you and your team do. So we're very
appreciate that because I know it's hard every day to
get up and do what you and your team do,
but to see somebody make it and get a second chance,
(30:54):
I must feel as very rewarding to you and your team.
So thank you for all you and your team do.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Thank you very much, and thanks for today. It's been fun.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Our community partner, M and T Bank supports CEOs. You
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strong communities, and that starts by backing the businesses within them.
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dedicating time, talent, and resources to help local businesses thrive
because when businesses succeed, our communities succeed.
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