The Board of Directors of the Mental Health Community Centers, Inc. (MHCCI) has selected Arin K. Norris to be its next Executive Director. Ms. Norris is currently the Program Manager for the guardianship program of Lutheran Services Florida in Sarasota. Prior to moving to Sarasota in 2017, she was Executive Director of the Guardianship Services of Southwestern Indiana and, before that, Executive Director of Mental Health America in Indiana.
Ms. Norris received a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and a Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University Honors College. She is currently a Board Member of the National Guardianship Association and a member of the Florida State Guardianship Association.
“Arin brings a wealth of experience in social services, mental health advocacy and not for profit administration to MHCCI,” said Steve Klindt, president of the board of directors at MHCCI. “We had many well-qualified candidates apply for the position and Arin is the applicant who met and exceeded all the qualities we were looking for in an executive director,” said Klindt. Ms. Norris will begin her position on October 8th.
MHCCI’s previous Executive Director, Jeffrey Standring, resigned in early July to take a position with a St. Petersburg residential mental health facility.
Mental Health Community Centers (MHCCI) operates four psycho-social rehabilitation Drop-In Centers locally providing consumer-driven, wellness and recovery-focused programs for adults diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness. MHCCI recovery programs are centered on evidenced-based curriculum and The Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Wellness Initiatives which are a holistic approach to wellness in all areas of life. SAMHSA is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
MHCCI was recently honored by SAMHSA as one of four agencies in the United States to receive their 2018 Recognition of Excellence in Wellness award. The Recognition of Excellence in Wellness acknowledges organizations and communities for their exemplary wellness efforts. This year’s winners were selected by a committee of
national experts for their meaningful work to improve health outcomes for individuals with mental and/or substance use disorders, including those with serious mental illness. MHCCI serves more than 400 client members with a full-time staff of 12 and a part-time staff of 10. MHCCI’s programs include integrated dual disorders groups, symptom
management groups, wellness education, skill-building groups, and art and community-outreach activities. Drop-In Centers are located in Sarasota and DeSoto Counties in Arcadia, North Port, Sarasota, and Venice.
