Co-Responder Program

The Knoxville Co-Response Team is a partnership between McNabb Center and the City of Knoville (Knoxville Police Department) that pairs a Crisis Intervention trained KPD officer with a Masters level clinician to respond to behavioral...

Child Advocacy Training in Haiti

In 2011, Mona Blanton-Kitts and Mary Katsikas spent two weeks in Haiti training advocates to help neglected and abused children who were forced into household slavery. Read about their story, originally published in the Knox...

McNabb Expands to Greater Chattanooga

Gayle Lodato, McNabb Center Vice President, started her tenure at McNabb in 2002, working until 2005 when she left for UT College of Social Work. In July 2013, Mona Blanton-Kitts recruited Gayle to come back...

Hamblen County Jail to Work

The McNabb Center’s Hamblen County Jail to Work program, established in 2017, helps promote the recovery of women who have substance use disorder and are involved in the criminal justice system. The 12-week program provides...

Hope United

The Hope United program provides peer navigators embedded in the University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Emergency Department who provide engagement by speaking one on one with hospital patients who present with an overdose and/or substance...

Medication Assisted Treatment

Justin Mynatt, DNP joined the McNabb Center in 2012 and has provided clinical services for over ten years. He currently serves as one of the Center’s medical directors. In 2016, the McNabb Center expanded services...

DRI – CenterPointe

In 1997, the Detoxification Rehabilitation Institute (DRI), a regional non-profit provider, merged with Helen Ross McNabb Center. Under the direction of Patti Hall, DRI opened as a 14-bed, non-medical alcoholic detoxification and rehabilitation program through...

Children’s Crisis Stabilization Unit

Sometimes a picture is truly worth a thousand words. This note was found under the pillow in this client’s room after she had discharged. We believe we at CCSU are making a difference in pediatric...

Opening of Military Services

Mitch & Debby Steenrod were vital in the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation’s Military Services Campaign, which raised $2.5 million. Their dedication and tireless efforts helped launch the innovative program in 2016. Since its launch, the...

Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT)

The Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) is designed to help adults with severe mental illnesses reduce or eliminate their symptoms, function in the community, live independently and reduce hospitalization. Sherry Light, LSCW recalls the...

New Hamblen County Crisis Stabilization Unit

The McNabb Center adds a new Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) in Hamblen County.

Jewell Minnich

I was hired at McNabb in May of 2008. We had pagers, paper timesheets and used SALs to bill for Psych Rehab services. Staff members organized events for clients served at the Friendship House and...

Brandon Byrd

I was never more proud of my team when I received the phone call from our provider through the state, who said that we were being awarded more money for additional services to our program....

Louis Danner

I have wanted to work here at McNabb Military Services since I came here in 2019 to assist with a Military Marriage Seminar hosted by Military Services through the Knoxville Marriage Initiative (KMI). I became...

Pam Williams

January 1, 2008 I was working for an upscale custom log home manufacturer in Kodak. The economy was booming. Life was good and going according to plan. January 30, 2008, I was diagnosed with breast...

Kaviandra James

I joined the McNabb team initially as an intern. The experience of the staff and welcoming atmosphere was infectious. I received hands on learning and skill development I never would have in other places. My...

Rebekah Robinson

My first year of working at McNabb I found out I was pregnant and would be having a child in June 2010. In April 2010, I received a phone call from Melissa Cupp asking me...

Josh Vincent

It was my first time as a supervisor with CARF. It had been a tense day of small talk and program discussion with the auditor. The feedback at that point was neutral and not significant....

Chelsea Taylor

Having the opportunity to learn and grow as a new supervisor for the McNabb Center the last few months has been a memorable opportunity for me. I’m blessed to have colleagues that are seasoned McNabbers,...

Barry Rorex

McNabb has been providing services to improve people’s lives for 75 years. I have had the honor and privilege of being a part of the McNabb Center, and providing services to children, their families and...

Josh Owens

In my first 5 years at McNabb, I learned (and stumbled) quite a bit. I helped HR to roll out the new Handle with Care training for the 450+ employees we had at the time. I really...

Kimberly Moore

“The Helen Ross McNabb Center was my first job in my field of study, right after college. I was hired in 1997 to work at Patton House. I am still here, 25 years later as...

Jessica Collins & Paula Ross

Staff share some good advice: “Try to stay happy is all I can tell ya. It’s good advice.” One of our clients said that to me almost three years ago and I still remember it. ...

Kim Evans

When I was the liaison from Accounting to the clinical staff on site at our C&Y Center, I was entering SALS, cutting checks and assisting with the front when I felt something grab my leg....

Shellie Hall

I began working for the McNabb Center in February 2003, for the Prime Time Program, a geriatric partial hospitalization program. 3 months after I started, Leann Human-Hilliard came to speak with our team, and informed...

Lupe Galbraith

I began my employment at the McNabb Center in 2013 as a Client Benefits Specialist at the Blount County office. When I started, I learned of a terrifying incident that just occurred prior to my...

Jana Campbell

I had my first interview with McNabb in December of 1991, three weeks before I graduated from UT. The interviewing process was much different than it is today. Back then, you had an interview with...

Jerri Little

Moving from Kentucky to Tennessee in 2017 was a very hard decision for my husband and me. Not only was leaving the place we were born and raised, we were moving away from our children...

Cortnay Scott-Denham

I have been with the McNabb Center for three years. I first began in Anderson County as an IST clinician. After roughly two years, I was asked to become a school based liaison. I was...

Kim Holman

When I initially applied at McNabb I applied for a Cocke County Safety Net position. A few days after applying online, I get a phone call from Aaron Davies saying, “Hey how are you? Want...

Deanna Keeton

As an employee in supportive housing, my ability to adapt to changes has progressed more than ever before. The amount of patience and empathy I have for our clients and people in general has only...

Melinda Brooks

My journey to the McNabb Center has been an experience. I thought my journey was communication. I had experienced a layoff from News Sentinel and I was having a difficult time transition into a new...

Josh Johnson

I kind of ended up at the McNabb Center out of coincidence. I left my old job as a 911 dispatcher to go to school for IT. The goal was to find a job that...

Gene Grubb

You will not believe that I am as old as the McNabb Center! I have 27 years of experience in substance abuse treatment and have been working at McNabb since 2008 when we merged from...

Kari Burda

I started here at McNabb in May 2022 and it has been a pretty amazing experience. I have never had a job where I walked into an interview and felt so comfortable with everybody. The...

Scott Rollins

I have only worked at McNabb since July, but before that I served as a minister in churches for over 25 years. One thing I learned during that 25-year span is that everyone is a loved...

Gov. Lee Visits McMinn County Clinic

In April 2022, the McNabb Center welcomed Governor Bill Lee to the McMinn County clinic. During his visit, the Center’s leadership shared with Gov. Lee the great work of the McMinn County staff and discussed...

Erica Meredith

We used to have a Back to School Bash at the C&Y Center and we all really enjoyed being able to serve our clients and families in such a fun and different way for this...

Lindsay Stone & Michael Waltke

Things have changed a lot over the years about working at the McNabb Center. Some of our longtime employees share what they remember about their early days at McNabb: When I was a case manager...

Shelby Graves

I remember when we had the Military Services Ribbon Cutting and a Veteran in need of services heard about the opening on the news and came to get services that day.  He was served instantly,...

Jill Barnes

I remember in 2019, I got a call from the News Sentinel informing me that the McNabb Center had won first place in Knoxville’s Top Workplace large company division. I went to tell my supervisor...

Hayley Lenear

Mobile Crisis Counselor Hayley Lenear shares about what working at the McNabb Center means to her.

Darann Cox

I was employed at the McNabb Center right out of college. I always knew that I wanted to become a Domestic Violence Advocate ever since I volunteered at CEASE, a local shelter that has since...

Our Shared History: Mental Health Association of East TN

The McNabb Center and the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee (MHAET) are celebrating 75 years this year. Ben Harrington, CEO of MHAET, sat down with McNabb’s Community Relations team to talk about our shared...

Center celebrates 25 years

The Mental Health Center Pamphlet (1948)

Dr. Louise Noel

Dr. Louise Noel was the McNabb Center’s first psychiatrist when it opened in 1948. Read about Dr. Noel from the Knoxville News Sentinel Editorial (9/25/90): EAST TENNESSEE lost a pioneer last week Dr. Louise Noel,...

The McNabb Center gets its name

In 1968, 20 years after its founding as the Knoxville Mental Health Center, the McNabb Center was renamed for its founder, Helen Ross McNabb. The organization was known as the Helen Ross McNabb Center until...

McNabb at the 1982 World’s Fair

Did you know that the McNabb Center established a crisis center at the 1982 World’s Fair? Read an excerpt from our 1982 Annual Report:      

Helen Ross McNabb

How many of you have vivid memories from when you were 4 ½ years old?  Can you imagine what it might take to make such an impression that it would stay with you the rest...

District Attorney General Charme Allen

Check out District Attorney Charme Allen’s video.

UT Medical Center

Check out UT Medical Center’s Video:  

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital

Check out East Tennessee Children’s Hospital’s Video:  

Knoxville Police Department

Check out Knoxville Police Department’s Video:

Knoxville Family Justice Center

Check out the Knoxville Family Justice Center’s Video:

Sam McCloud

I started volunteering for the Regional Intervention Program (RIP) at the McNabb Center in May of 2021, and since then I’ve met some of the most amazing people and gained the satisfaction of truly helping...

Representative Tim Burchett

Check out Representative Tim Burchett’s Video:

Mayor Glenn Jacobs

Check out Mayor Glenn Jacob’s Video:  

Mayor Indya Kincannon

Check out Mayor Indya Kincannon’s Video:

Joanna Volpe

Joanna Volpe, a longtime event volunteer shares three of her favorite experiences: I am part of the “2019 East Tennessee Volunteer of the Year” group. I was nominated by a friend and then got to...

Russell Biven

Russell has dedicated countless hours to numerous area non-profit organizations. The Helen Ross McNabb Foundation has been fortunate to have Russell as the face of the Russell Biven Clayfest for more than 15 years. Under his leadership,...

Pat Summitt

Excerpt from Knox News Country music star Con Hunley was singing the praise Monday for the Helen Ross McNabb Center and Pat Summitt. So were a lot of other people participating in the Pat Summitt...

Joanie Scheuer

I learned about the McNabb Center’s Therapeutic Preschool in 2003 and knew that this was a program my heart longed to help with! At that time it was called the Therapeutic Nursery, but its name...

First Utility District

The McNabb Center is grateful to our partners at First Utility District of Knox County! Not only do their employees sponsor over 100 kids each year for Dear Santa, they are always willing to come...

Susan Conway

One of my favorite experiences was the year we did the Sunrise breakfasts in all the counties we served. I was board chair, and my job was to tell the story of Helen Ross McNabb...