Kelly Ruppel

Journey’s mission to: ‘Empower people by providing connection, support, and services that meet diverse needs and strengthen the communities we serve’ speaks to both my personal and professional experiences. Ensuring people’s mental health is prioritized and recognized as a critical barrier to closing opportunity gaps in our community is essential.

When I grew up, mental health was stigmatized. The mental health of members in my family went undiagnosed and undertreated for too long, resulting in life altering trauma and loss.

As the current Executive Director of the Fund For Wisconsin Scholars (FFWS) and the prior Chief of Staff of Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), I know the need for behavioral health services in Wisconsin has never been at a higher crisis point for our youth and their families. When I speak to our current 3,000 FFWS scholars, mental health continues to be a primary barrier to bachelor’s degree completion.

Mia Croyle

My background is as a clinical mental health counselor and I spent the early part of my career working in a community mental health center.  I currently work in quality improvement and spend my workdays supporting the implementation of behavioral health best practices in a variety of settings. I am thrilled to be invited to serve on the Journey Board of Directors because I understand how vital mental health services are for many in our community.  As a parent to a child with significant early life trauma and ongoing mental health issues, I have experienced the challenge of finding adequate services in our community. I know firsthand the incredible difference that the right services can make in the life of the consumer, their family, and the greater community. Journey is a safety net for many in our community and I’m excited for the chance to support that by serving on the board.

Danny Schmidt 

I am honored and thrilled to serve as a board member for one of the most important health care organizations in Dane County. I have worked with health care organizations for over 12 years and have a passion for helping them achieve their goals and create better outcomes for the communities they serve. When the opportunity arose to serve as a board member, there was no other option in my mind

Last fall, Todd Schroeder was hired as Journey's Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Get to know more about Todd by checking out the following Q&A. 

Where are you from? La Crosse, WI

What brought you to Journey? I had been working in healthcare for the past 8 years and was looking for an opportunity to showcase my skills at a larger company within the healthcare sector. I also wanted to find a company that had a mission and vision that I could fully support. Being in a leadership role during COVID, the importance of mental health became a priority for myself and my staff. Therefore, when the Journey opportunity presented itself, it was a situation that I could not turn down. 

How would you summarize what you do? I am responsible for overseeing the financial operations and facilities management of Journey. I direct Journey’s annual budget process, financial audit, and tax filing. I provide financial and data analysis for organizational decision-making and strategy.

What is your work history? I have worked in finance and accounting for 20+ years across multiple industries ranging from manufacturing to real estate to healthcare.

What are your hobbies, or what do you like to do for fun? I grew up in a sports family and had a passion for sports from an early age. I have carried that into my adult life, where my hobbies include playing basketball, softball, and golf. I am also a die-hard Badger fan and have been a season ticket holder for both basketball and football for many years.    

What unique strengths do you bring to Journey? My strengths include excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, as well as the ability to adapt and adjust to changing situations.

Impactful Connection at FutureQuest

In November of 2023, Journey Mental Health Center had the wonderful opportunity to attend FutureQuest. This annual event connects area companies with over 5,000 middle school students from Dane County. FutureQuest creates awareness and opens doors for companies like ours to showcase the diverse career paths available.  

What truly touched our hearts was when one student who visited our table was so moved by our organization that they not only donated to Journey but expressed an interest in working at Journey! Moments like these remind us of the impact we can make on others.  

Who better to handle an office crisis than Journey's Emergency Services Unit?  

Journey's Emergency Services Unit (ESU), located at 702 W. Main St. in Madison, is home to several programs under the ESU umbrella. These programs include Journey's 24/7 Crisis Line, Crisis Stabilization, Mobile Crisis Intervention, Resource Bridge, and Co-Response Teams. Recently, ESU staff had to deal with a crisis of their own.  

On a Wednesday evening in January, an ESU staff member noticed water coming down the ceiling. He went to the second floor and saw standing water. Immediately, he called for backup assistance. Several Journey staff members and a cleaning crew from Amigos Cleaning Services LLC stayed late into the evening to help. After stopping the flood and cleaning up the mess, they quickly began work on setting up a temporary workspace. ESU's Director, Hannah Flanagan, explained that it was "a full team effort". She added that everyone loaded their vehicles with whatever they could carry while ensuring essentials were prioritized. From office and medical supplies to the most treasured items of all, 2 large bags of coffee, everything was packed up and delivered to Journey's main campus at Kessel Court in Madison.  

Not one call was dropped. 

Those who stayed late worked hard to create functioning workspaces in a room typically used to host trainings. More importantly, they made sure that Journey's essential services remained uninterrupted.

Hannah reports that "Not one call was dropped" and added that the team worked hard to provide a seamless transition for consumers.  

This isn't the first time ESU has had to suddenly move business operations. In 2020, at the beginning of COVID, ESU abruptly moved half its staff to another location so that staff could work in a space large enough to allow for social distancing. Hannah stated, "Because we've done this before, we know each other's specialties." ESU's Clinical Team Leader, Toni, went into the weeds to ensure staff had what they needed for work the next day. Erin, the Clinical Team Manager for Resource Bridge, began calling staff to alert them about the move. She also began moving furniture and placing buckets to collect water pouring down from the ceiling. Pete, the Clinical Team Manager for Crisis Stabilization, helped bring boxes to cars and worked to stop the flooding. Theresa, the Clinical Team Manager for the Crisis Unit, and Sarah, the Clinical Team Manager for the Co-Response Teams, began making calls to area hospitals, police and fire departments, and other local organizations, alerting them of the situation while also taking calls that were coming into the crisis line. They worked well into the evening without making a single complaint. They made sure that staff were equipped with what they needed to work the next day. 

The following day, ESU Staff arrived at 7 am ready to begin work at their new location. Waiting for them was food and, of course, coffee. Thank goodness for coffee. 

Nominate Us For Best Of Madison

Best of Madison has started it's nominations for 2024! 

We would be honored and grateful if you would nominate us!

 Go to -https://madisonmagazine.secondstreetapp.com/Best-of-Madison-2024/

 Scroll down and click on the "Mental Health Facility" category

Type in "Journey Mental Health Center" under "Mental Health Facility"

Vote EVERY DAY in February & THANK YOU for supporting us!  

Presenter: Dr. William Hutter, PsyD, LMFT
Date: Friday, March 8, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Venue:  Virtual
Cost: $60
2.0 CE Hours (NBCC/ACEP Approved #6760)

Details:
Traditionally, men are not encouraged to talk about their overall emotional well-being and feelings. "We’re good,” is a general reply when asked, even though, according to the latest available numbers, men die by suicide 3.63 times more often than women, with 70% of all suicides being men.

Presenter: Sheri Meland, MSW, SAC-IT
Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Venue:  25 Kessel Court, Lower-Level Training Rooms, Madison, WI.
2.0 CE Hours (NBCC/ACEP Approved #6760)
Seats: 20 seats available to attend this in-person event
Cost: $60

Details:
This training is a summation of a literature review around best practices for ending therapeutic relationships with consumers.