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Berks woman honored for her work in the field of mental illness and substance abuse

Reading Eagle - 5/12/2021

May 12—A Berks County woman has been honored by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

Lisa Fuller, housing lead case manager for Berks Counseling Center, received the council's peer specialist award.

She was recognized for her work in helping peers on their road to recovery.

The council bestows its awards of excellence to individuals and organizations that make outstanding contributions to help people recover from mental illness and substance use disorders.

"The Awards of Excellence pay tribute to the best and brightest in the field of mental health and addiction recovery," Chuck Ingoglia, council president and CEO, said in a news release. "These are the people and organizations we all look up to, and I'm honored to present Lisa with this award."

Ingoglia presented the awards last week during NatCon21, the council's annual conference.

The event was held virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fuller, who celebrated 26 years in recovery in December, is one of just three people to win the peer specialist award, according to the news release.

"I am truly honored," she said. "To be recognized by my peers for my work is deeply humbling, especially because I am in such good company with the best of the best."

Fuller regularly attends 12-step meetings and engages with the support of other individuals in the recovery community. A 1995 graduate of Berks Counseling Center's transitional housing program, she worked for the center for a year after completing the program. Fuller returned to center years later and has been employed for nearly 15 years.

She commits her time to the women and children in housing and serves as a mentor, role model, leader and guide.

"Fuller goes above and beyond to assist with transporting clients to treatment and 12 step meetings, as well as responding in the middle of the night to their needs," the release said.

She attends training to enhance her skills to better serve clients and was trained to facilitate the Power of the Purse and Strengthening Families programs.

The programs promote family and community growth and resiliency with models that create, restore and sustain healthy relationships, the release said.

Fuller also is trained to work with women in the criminal justice system.

"She is a primary example of how we can all make a difference when it comes to impacting people's lives," William Glanz, a spokesman for the council, said in the release.

This year's awards hold even greater significance than usual, in light of the incredible challenges faced by those in the field of mental health and substance use disorder treatment, he said.

The pandemic fueled a spike in anxiety and accelerated substance use, he said, increasing the demand for mental health and substance use treatment services.

Glanz said health care professionals, such as Fuller, are meeting that demand in communities throughout the country.

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