A&C 75th Anniversary and Irvington Clinic Grand Opening
Integrated health care is a concept that recognizes how a person’s physical health and behavioral health affect their overall wellness and quality of life. Adult & Child Health celebrated integrated health at a combined celebration of history and growth at its Irvington clinic in Indianapolis April 30. The event served as both a 75th anniversary celebration for the Adult & Child Health organization, and as a grand opening for the clinic on Washington Avenue, which opened in early 2025. Adult & Child operates three clinics in Indianapolis and one clinic in Franklin. At the Irvington clinic, primary care providers, psychiatric care providers and licensed therapists see patients in the same building. “Our goal is to help people live happy and healthier lives and have them be able to succeed in whatever it means for them,” Dr. Christine Negendank, President and Chief Medical Officer at Adult & Child Health said. “Many of our patients have been stigmatized — even in the health care setting — so we are very careful to make sure everyone is welcome here, no matter their circumstance and no matter their level of illness.” Clients of all ages come to the Irvington clinic for psychiatric and primary care. “Integrated care clients,” as they are called, can come to the Irvington clinic to have multiple needs addressed in one place. It’s a combination of providing the best practices and ease of care for each client. “It’s so wonderful to see a patient who tells me, ‘I’m out of my blood pressure meds,’ or ‘I have a severe headache,’ and I can say, ‘Well, you know, we have primary care across the hall; why don’t we go get you connected?’” Negendank explained. A client can get primary care, psychiatric care, therapy and connections to housing programs in a single trip to the Irvington clinic. “They leave with so much more hope,” Negendank said. “We really try to make it easy for our patients when we can. We offer someone a safe place to come, to feel welcome, to leave feeling better and to leave feeling better about themselves.” A&C offers addictions treatment at the Irvington clinic. Addictions treatment involves one-on-one therapy, medication assisted treatment (MAT), activities of daily living support, psychoeducation, peer recovery services and case management. The average wait time for a new patient to schedule their first appointment is less than three weeks. Be Well Bell art installation The Be Well Community movement is designed to ring in a new narrative about brain health through a variety of programs, including the public display of ceremonial bells that symbolize hope and healing. The bell in Indianapolis was unveiled to the public during Adult & Child’s 75th Anniversary event April 30. Be Well Initiatives works with community partners to bring visibility to the mental wellness movement. The Be Well Bell program offers blank bells to be painted with a meaningful design by an artist(s) or as a community arts project. Brightli Director of Be Well Initiatives Bailey Pyle, LPC, explained that the art installation includes a QR code that smartphone users can scan to access information on the Be Well program and on mental health services available at Adult & Child in the Indianapolis metro area. “These aren’t just bells that we’re creating and plopping down into a community, but they are truly reflective of the community in which they exist,” Pyle said. “We know from lots of research that that’s when the bells are the most impactful and meaningful.” The Be Well Bell at the Irvington clinic is the 21st for the program and the first Be Well Bell in Indiana. Adult & Child Health’s history Photo Gallery
A&C Aligns with Leadership Model of Parent Company Brightli
Integrated healthcare provider Adult & Child Health, a Brightli affiliate, has announced the promotions of Dr. Christne Negendank, MD, MBA, CCHP to Indiana Region President and Dr. Jessica Stembel, PsyD, HSPP, IMH-E to Indiana Region Chief Operating Officer. Adult & Child joined Burrell Behavioral Health, Preferred Family Healthcare, Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health, and other subsidiaries under the Brightli umbrella in March 2024, boosting the parent organization’s employee count to over 6,000 individuals across seven regions. The promotions of Dr. Negendank and Dr. Stembel align A&C with Brightli’s regional leadership model, which provides operational autonomy for each region to ensure services and operations are meeting the unique needs of the community. As President, Dr. Negendank provides strategic direction and leadership of A&C and the Indiana Region, assisting in the execution of short-term and long-term goals while engaging with community partners and leaders to help drive A&C’s continued success and growth in Central Indiana. “I am honored to have been given the opportunity to serve as President of Adult & Child Health. I look forward to continuing to work with Adult & Child’s dedicated staff who strive daily to provide compassionate and high-quality whole health care. Adult & Child Health is well-positioned to continue its 75-year legacy of excellence and innovation in health care and social services. We look forward to expanding our services and programming through strategic initiatives, community partnerships, and advocacy efforts. Our goal is to not only provide treatment to those in our local communities but also to help advocate for improved health care for all Hoosiers,” said Dr. Negendank. Dr. Negendank recently celebrated seven years of employment at A&C having joined the organization in 2017 as Associate Medical Director of Psychiatry before moving into the role of Chief Medical Officer. During her tenure, Dr. Negendank led the development and implementation of A&C’s Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program for substance use disorders. She has also helped A&C make tremendous strides in integrating primary and psychiatric care by strengthening working relationship among prescribers and fostering collaboration between medical and therapy staff. As Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Stembel oversees the day-to-day operations of A&C and the Indiana Region, facilitating teamwork across the organization’s leaders to ensure effective delivery of top-quality services to Central Indiana communities. “As Chief Operating Officer, I am incredibly excited about A&C’s opportunity to be a leader in the state’s transformation to the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model, and the evolution of mental health, substance abuse treatment and primary healthcare. Emphasizing community partnerships through CCBHC is not just a strategic interchange but a commitment to holistic care. Together, we can foster a system of care where our Hoosiers and communities can thrive,” said Dr. Stembel. Dr. Stembel joined A&C in 2015 as a clinical psychologist providing oversight to multiple service lines and treatment teams while continuing direct clinical care. Since 2018 she has served A&C as Chief Clinical Officer, overseeing continuous quality improvement, behavioral health, primary care accreditation and corporate compliance. During her tenure, Dr. Stembel led the development of the Response and Resilience in Stressful Events team to respond to critical incidents both internally and within the community and organized the agency’s response during the COVID public health emergency. She has also increased A&C’s 340B Drug Discount Program revenue to 12 million dollars, enabling the organization to stretch scarce federal resources to provide comprehensive and integrated health services to eligible patients who may not otherwise receive care. “Dr. Negendank and Dr. Stembel’s exceptional leadership, combined with their deep industry knowledge, will be instrumental in driving our organization’s ability to serve our mission and the Indianapolis community. Their contributions are invaluable, and I am confident in their ability to lead our teams toward increased access to the quality care our communities deserve,” said A&C and Brightli CEO C.J. Davis.
Adult & Child Health CEO Allen Brown Announces Retirement
Indianapolis, IN – After nine years working devotedly as the President and CEO for Indiana integrated healthcare provider Adult & Child Health (A&C), Allen Brown is set to retire at the end of March 2024. During his tenure as CEO, Brown has led A&C through many projects and positive changes that will continue to have a profound impact on the Indianapolis community and the organization’s 600 employees. Brown joined A&C in December 2014 with a vision to be the state’s leading provider of whole-person healthcare and played a crucial role in the organization’s growth as a prominent safety net organization in central Indiana. A&C started providing primary care services in 2016, earned FQHC look-alike designation in 2017, and currently operates four integrated healthcare clinics in the south Indianapolis area. A&C services have also expanded in the areas of mental health counseling, addictions treatment, and housing resources for persons experiencing homelessness. Under Brown’s leadership the organization has nearly doubled its annual revenue and has tripled the number of people served each year. Brown also championed A&C’s early adoption of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) model, which is designed to increase access to care and crisis services for the community’s most vulnerable residents. A&C has been at the forefront of this movement in the state of Indiana and was recently selected as one of eight Indiana community mental health centers to serve as a proposed pilot site in the Division of Mental Health and Addictions (DMHA) application for a federal CCBHC Demonstration Project. Additionally, A&C plans to open a Behavioral Health Crisis Center at the organization’s south Indianapolis clinic in late March of 2024. Under the CCBHC model of care, crisis centers located within the community play a prominent role in assuring individuals have timely access to services when urgent needs arise, helping to decrease unnecessary emergency room visits and jail incarcerations. “Allen is a skilled team builder and has had a knack for finding ways to help our organization achieve its goals,” said A&C Board President Tom Gaunt. “He has led our organization into a new era with a masterful vision for how we can be more effective moving forward, which is a win-win for Adult and Child and the people we serve. He will be dearly missed.” While a CEO successor has not yet been named, A&C has forged a partnership with Missouri-based Brightli, Inc. – the nation’s fourth-largest nonprofit behavioral health organization by total revenue. The partnership will significantly increase financial and system support resources available to Adult & Child Health, for the benefit of underserved persons with behavioral health and primary care needs. The partnership has been approved by each company’s board and is anticipated to be finalized in coming weeks pending regulatory approval. A public signing and press conference will be announced upon partnership closing, which is expected in Spring 2024. “I am going to miss Adult and Child Health and I’m deeply grateful for the support, trust, and collaboration I’ve received. It has been an honor to serve as CEO and I know even greater things lie ahead for this remarkable organization,” said Mr. Brown.
Adult and Child Health Awarded Funding to Expand and Develop Community Mental Health Workforce
Adult and Child Health (A&C) was recently awarded $750,000 in grant funding for three years by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) to enhance the local behavioral health workforce, improve accessibility to peer recovery services, and expand professional growth and development opportunities for Adult and Child Health employees. Funds will support A&C’s efforts in two separate ways: training and certification for Community Health Workers (CHW) and Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) and the development of Career Pathways for A&C staff. Both initiatives link to A&C’s greater vision of cultivating caring communities, where every child, adult, and family have opportunities to live healthy, purposeful lives. The demand for Community Health Workers (CHW) and Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) in Indiana far exceeds the number of available staff in the workforce. CHW and CRS certification courses often have limited openings and a six month or longer waitlist, creating a significant barrier for individuals seeking certification. DMHA funding will support A&C becoming its own training site, creating an additional resource for staff and people in the community to draw upon their personal experience in mental health recovery and/or their professional work experience at A&C as they look to advance their mental health career through certification. To raise awareness and interest in CHW and CRS certification as a career option, A&C will partner with local high schools, adult education centers, and other organizations to provide information to the public. Built-in scholarship money will be made available for behavioral health technicians and recovery specialists who want to take their skills further. “At A&C, we know that our employees are our greatest asset,” said Denise Amato, Executive Vice President of Operations. “This grant funding should help us attract and connect with a new wave of compassionate, mission-driven people who are interested in pursuing a career in community mental health.” In addition to expanding the certified health workers and peer specialist workforce, the DMHA grant award will be used to fund staff engagement, recruitment, and retention initiatives in A&C’s Career Pathways program, which promotes long-term growth opportunities for employees of Adult and Child Health. DMHA grant funding will support increased staffing, mentoring, and training resources so that A&C employees have access to the tools and support needed to reach their career goals. This heightened focus on career growth and development is one of several initiatives in place to promote the well-being of Adult and Child’s workforce, including financial assistance for employee continuing education, opportunities to serve on taskforces, and access to health and wellness staff-led self-care groups that are supported within the organization. A&C is honored to be one of only a few selected organizations from over 90 organizations who submitted proposals for the Behavioral Health Workforce Recruitment and Retention Innovation Grant Program. Both components of A&C’s planned use for grant funding will strengthen A&C’s workforce capacity, ultimately leading to better mental health services for persons in the community. Adult & Child Health is an accredited nonprofit primary care, behavioral health, and social services provider with multiple locations in central Indiana. We strive for caring communities, where every child, adult and family have the opportunities they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. Learn more at www.adultandchild.org.
