October 25, 2021

Decatur, GA – DeKalb Community Service Board’s DeKalb Regional Crisis Center (DRCC) has been awarded the DBHDD Regional Outstanding Crisis Provider Award for Region 3.

During the pandemic, the need for mental health services in our community was incredibly evident as we provided crisis services to 1,854 unique individuals during the last fiscal year. The DRCC staff, led by Shelby Roche, has been incredibly dedicated to the work. The DRCC has not closed its doors since the opening of the building and remains a first-line community-based alternative to hospitalization, offering psychiatric stabilization and detoxification services on a short-term basis.

“Our DRCC Team are truly exceptional and continue to go above and beyond for the clients they serve. This is our third award and second one for the DRCC.” Fabio van der Merwe, CHC, Chief Executive Officer

The staff has continued to show their passion for our clients and expressed their desire to effect positive change in the individuals that we serve daily. Crisis work is challenging but rewarding work. Our staff continues to perform professionally and has a heart and passion for all that they do. Just recently, in a conversation with Shelby, she spoke highly about her team.

“At Crisis, we are on guard, all the time… Whether you are an RN, a front desk staff, or a security officer, if they see something, they say something. It can be life or death for [anyone that enters our doors].” When someone enters the doors, the staff ensures that the experience with the Crisis Center is consistent, welcoming, non-judgmental and that the right services are provided to them at that time.

We are most proud of our staff for their dedication and perseverance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they have experienced personal loss and hardship but continue to show up to care for our clients every day.

The DeKalb Community Service Board (CSB) is an innovative, premier public nonprofit provider of community-based behavioral health, substance use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disability services. Our mission is to provide the right service, for the right person, at the right time. We envision a community in which disabilities no longer limit potential.

With over 20 locations, DeKalb CSB provides quality, individualized services with a focus on self- directed mental wellness, recovery, and habilitation to help individuals achieve their fullest participation within the community. We are helping make brighter tomorrows. DeKalb CSB has served the citizens of DeKalb County and metropolitan Atlanta since 1994.

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