Justice for the Mentally Ill

Judge Karen Beyers spoke at the May 6 noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on the Mental Health Court currently operating in Gwinnett County.  She was instrumental in forming this court to solve some of the problems inherent in dealing with prisoners with mental health issues. Previously, information was scattered among various sectors, but with this Court, a “wrap around” service is available to help provide answers and resolve problems with prisoners suffering from Access I level mental problems.  The service involves a team approach where all professionals involved meet around a table and make decisions about individual cases.  Currently, 11 people are served by the program.  These prisoners are convicted for low level offenses and are referred by the District Attorney to the Mental Health Court.  For 2 or 3 years they will have intensive supervision and aid from mental health care professionals.  The Court was funded by the Governor, who ear-marked funds for various types of accountability courts, and has the capacity to serve 50 individuals.  The main problem to date is finding housing for the individuals after they leave jail.  Judge Beyers completed her talk by answering questions from club members.

https://vimeo.com/65636223

Conference Comments and Story by Robert Cowan

Club Meetings, District Announcement

At the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on April 29, club members reported on their experiences at the District Conference in Chattanooga last week-end. Nancy McGill, Freya Myers, Beatty McCaleb, Al Hombroek, and Art Kleve described the activities that most impressed them, and all strongly encouraged members to plan to go the meeting next year on Jekyll Island.

All asserted that the experience made them proud to be connected with a group which has such influence in the world; several cited the success of the polio irradication program as a major accomplishment of Rotary International. Al testified that one is just a member until one goes to a District meeting; then one becomes a true Rotarian. The knowledge gained about the district and international activities makes this conference a valuable experience.

The Rotarian in charge of the day’s program, Bob Cowan, proposed to have members tell stories of events that in retrospect were significant moments in their lives. He told of a couple of personal experiences as examples. One story involved a fishing trip with his father and brother when, as a 14-year-old, he had to learn to drive to get his father to a hospital after an accident with a fish fly hook. Plans were made to have other members continue the story telling in the future.

https://vimeo.com/65082748

 

Northwest Exterminating

Mark D’Nunzio of Market Point Solutions and Jeff Dunn of Northwest Exterminating had the Monday, April 15, program for the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville. They offered advice on ways to increase sales in a company and showcased the policies of Northwest Exterminating.  There Jeff enjoys the opportunity to assist in the growth and development of the sales team members’ individual careers, by equipping them with the resources necessary to be effective in building customer relationships and maintaining sources of income generation. With a focus on Performance Competencies, the two speakers broke down those competencies into Cognitive and Interpersonal, Attitudinal, and Skills Competencies.  In an attempt to provide a model of a high performing salesperson, they outlined these Four Disciplines for Sales:  1.  Set a higher standard.  2. Constantly manage your attitude.  3. Create a plan with a focus on results. 4.  Train and hone all aspects of your craft.

https://vimeo.com/64103017

YMCA- Lawrenceville

The Executive Director of the J. M. Tull-Gwinnett Family YMCA, Kim Nelson, spoke at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on Monday, April 8. She outlined the many services provided by the YMCA and offered statistics related to usage of the facilities. This YMCA has served Gwinnett County for twenty-five years and remains committed to strengthing the community by providing opportunity for all citizens. In partnership with local businesses, they are able to serve 11,000 individuals and 3,500 families. They provide a safe environment in which members may use the many amenities, including an indoor and outdoor pool, basketball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields, a ropes course, water and regular zumba classes, and aerobics. She cited the “coach approach” as a special program which offers coaches to work with individuals who need to increase their physical activity. She described their Child Care, Day Camp, and Sports activities and facilities for children, teens, and adults. Goals are to ensure school readiness, improve academic achievement, empower healthy living, and inspire teen leadership. Financial assistance is available for those who can’t afford the fees. She encouraged donations to their Annual Giving Campaign that will enable the YMCA to maintain its high quality services.

https://vimeo.com/63599617

Lawrenceville Rotarians Report on Community Interests

President-elect Nancy McGill invited members of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville to share news related to their companies or positions at the noon meeting of the Club on April 1. Reporting were Richard Steele, Tax Commissioner for Gwinnett County; Marshall Boutwell, President and CEO of Peach State Federal Credit Union; Thomas Shepherd, Senior Vice President of the Gwinnett Health System, and Alvin Wilbanks, CEO and Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools. Richard Steele updated the group on changes related to the title taxes on moving vehicles. He clarified how Fair Market Value would be defined and who pays for leased vehicles. He also reminded property owners that assessment notices will be mailed by April 5, with a 45-day window for appeal. Marshall Boutwell spoke on behalf of the Board for the Aurora Theatre, which recently suffered fire damage that destroyed some sets and costumes. A fund raising effort will be initiated to replace the property and raise money for the Theatre. He praised the high quality of the productions and encouraged the group to buy season tickets to support the theatre. Tom Shepherd emphasized the teaching aspect of the Gwinnett Medical Center, informing the group of the pharmacy, nursing, and radiology students, as well as medical residents, which have long been served by the Center. A new development is a graduate medical education program planned for next year. He touted the quality of the cardiac unit and of the Center as a whole. Alvin Wilbanks described a program in Gwinnett Public Schools which provides mentors for black males, the group at most risk in our education system. Students are referred by principals and assigned a mentor who devotes time to them and their families. He extended a call for volunteers to help with this successful program. Another program he featured was the Student Leadership Program, which takes a couple of 11th-12th grade students through a leadership training program.

https://vimeo.com/63120895

 

 

Trisa Kennedy E School

Trish Kennedy, Executive Director for eClass with the Gwinnett County School District, spoke at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on March 25.  The eClass program promises to consolidate and increase the resources and tools available to teachers in the system.  The emphasis is on using technology to transform what teachers do by providing the necessary technological support and training.  She outlined the five-year roll out plan which will enable teachers to create the classroom of the future and to keep pace with the fast-changing world.  Funded by SPLOST, the program seeks to keep digital resources up-to-date and to involve students in active, exciting learning experiences. After presenting a lively video featuring Gwinnett County students, she entertained questions from the group.

https://vimeo.com/62638243