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TOP PHOTO: Campbell County Rotary Club grew by another member on Tuesday with the swearing in of new Rotarian Ray Perry. Perry was pinned by Rotarian and LaFollette Librarian Nancy Green, pictured center. Campbell County Rotary Club President and TCAT Jacksboro President Debbie Petree is also pictured at left. Perry, a life long Campbell Countian, is the Executive Director of Pinnacle Resource Center which is based out of Huntsville with a campus at Jacksboro.
By Charlotte Underwood
LAFOLLETTE, TN. (WLAF)- Emory Valley Center Senior Vice President of Operations Crystal Hicks addressed Campbell County Rotarians on Tuesday at the club’s weekly luncheon held at the LaFollette United Methodist Church. Hicks shared that Emory Valley Center was looking to expand its behavioral health services and locate a physical address in Campbell County, which is one of the 16 counties served by Emory Valley Center.
Emory Valley Center provides services to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, children and adults.
The organization is primarily located in Anderson County but has outreach programs across East Tennessee.
“We are looking for a dedicated space where we can expand our behavioral health services and provide that stable welcoming environment,” Hicks said. The hope is to have something secure by July.
“Ultimately, our goal is to help provide individual therapy, psychosocial education and applied behavioral analysis to the people of Campbell County.
Hicks said she was trying to spread the word that there were many opportunities for services to be provided to Cambell County citizens. Hicks is a Campbell County native who grew up in Jellico, and said it was important to her to help the people from her home county.
She spoke about the behavioral health services offered through her organization, as well as many other programs. Its mission is to “enhance the lives of children, adults and families and an environment that promotes independence, dignity and respect.
“Our vision is maximizing human abilities and our core values, that we encompass that also is for the people we serve as well as our employees, is compassion, forward thinking, inclusion, quality and value. We use those in our everyday work,” Hicks said.
According to Hicks, Emory Valley Center began in the 1950s and has supported people in Campbell County in the past and they are still supporting people in the county with different programs and has been doing so for “over 70 years.” Hicks has been part of Emory Valley Center for 26 years.
“It’s really important to us to look at how we can continue to support the county, and we are looking at opportunities to grow,” Hicks said.
Behavioral health is “just a piece” of what Emory Valley Center does. The organization also offers early intervention services for children that have delays from birth up to five years. There is also an early learning center that has inclusive environments for children with and without disabilities.
“We have Medicaid alternative pathways, which is a state-funded program, it is for focusing on those young adults going out in the world. We also have community supported living programs,” Hicks said.
Other programs include Community participation, volunteering, family support programs and more.
In 2019 Emory Valley Center identified a need for services from a behavioral health standpoint for the people that the organization serves with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We secured some grant funding to begin the research project and have some funds to get the program started,” Hicks said. They initiated services in 2020.
Hicks said it was important to let people know that there is help out there for people in the community.
She said that individual therapy is where they see the most benefit for their clients, but that having therapy of working in group settings is also important.
Behavioral analysis services are also offered through Emory Valley Center.
“These supports are focused to help those folks that have intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are serving that gap. We know that gap is present,” Hicks said.
She said the Emory Valley Center could always use corporate sponsors and grants to help with funding and providing services. She also encouraged others to volunteer their time or make donations.
For more information visit the Emory Valley Center at its website.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 2/5/2025- 6AM)