Community Service Board of Middle Georgia

11/21/2025

Please see the attached information for the upcoming Family Support Meeting. The event will include a Thanksgiving meal and several games for attendees to enjoy. Staff are encouraged to share this announcement within their programs, throughout their buildings, on social media, and with the families they serve. Thank you for your continued support.

11/21/2025

We all know that seatbelts existed long before people consistently used them. The same is true today for many lifesaving tools in substance use crisis care—Naloxone, harm reduction kits, MAT, recovery coaching, and more.

So why aren’t these proven tools used everywhere they’re needed?

In our newest blog, we break down this “seatbelt moment” for behavioral health and explore why awareness isn’t enough. Change happens when systems take action—by building workforce confidence, fighting stigma, and embedding evidence-based practices into real, everyday care.

At CSBMG, we’re committed to that shift.
💙 Expanding harm reduction
💙 Strengthening peer-led initiatives
💙 Closing the gap between what works and what’s actually used in the field

👉 Read the full blog here: Turning Insight into Action: The “Seatbelt Moment” for Substance Use Crisis Tools

https://csbmg.com/turning-insight-into-action-the-seatbelt-moment-for-substance-use-crisis-tools/?post_type=blog_post

Let’s move from knowing the tools… to using them. Lives depend on it.

11/20/2025

Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment. 💛

Universal Children’s Day celebrates the rights, potential, and voices of children everywhere. CSBMG is proud to serve youth and families across the sixteen county catchment area through programs that promote resilience, education, and emotional wellness.

Let’s continue to protect, uplift, and empower our children—today and every day.

11/20/2025

Co-Responder Advisory Council: November Meeting Highlights

Thank you to everyone who joined us for today’s Co-Responder Advisory Council Meeting at the Community Service Board of Middle Georgia. We are grateful for the continued collaboration between law enforcement, first responders, behavioral health providers, state partners, and community organizations working together to strengthen crisis response across our region.

Megan Mercer, Community Relations and Event Coordinator with the Georgia Southern University Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics (IHLA), shared an in-depth look at the Laurens County Community Health Resource Project (CHRP) Report.

Using the One Health approach, CHRP mapped 85 community assets across Laurens County—including parks, behavioral health services, recovery resources, food access points, educational sites, and human services. Mercer highlighted strengths such as downtown revitalization, expanding wellness spaces, and innovative programs like the Laurens Showcase Transition Program.

She also shared key challenges from the report, including gaps in transportation, affordable housing, and resource distribution between the city and county. Attendees were encouraged to explore the Laurens County digital asset map using the QR codes included in the report.

To learn more about CHRP, visit:
https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/research/centers/health-logistics-analytics/projects/community-health-resource-project-chrp

Additional Updates Shared Today

Kaiser Permanente Grant: Funds remain available for continued support.

Opioid Overdose Trends: Opioid overdoses are down by 4%.

Narcan Reversal: A recent reversal was reported in Treutlen County thanks to the Narcan Box located at Dennard’s Pharmacy in Soperton.

Reaching Rural: Program remains on hold; supportive groups continue.

Upcoming Events:

Rural Recovery Rally – February 21, 2026 (OFTC Dublin)

CRT Training – February 2–4, 2026 (OFTC Sandersville)

GPSTC Public Safety Resiliency Training – March 3–5, 2026 (OFTC Sandersville)

Psychological First Aid Trainings begin January 2026 at CSBMG

Jail In-Reach Program Update

CSBMG continues providing weekly All Recovery Meetings, peer support, and service linkage in multiple counties, with ongoing collaboration with jail administrators, public defenders, and probation officers.

Thank You for Your Partnership

We appreciate the agencies, officers, clinicians, peers, and community partners who participated in today’s meeting. Your collaboration continues to strengthen crisis response efforts across our 16-county region. We look forward to continued partnership and progress at our next council meeting.

The next meeting will be held February 19, 2026 @ 10AM

11/19/2025

The holidays can be a beautiful time of connection—but they can also bring stress, pressure, and emotional overload. At the Community Service Board of Middle Georgia (CSBMG), we understand that taking care of your mental health is just as important as caring for others during this busy season.

Our latest blog explores simple, meaningful ways to practice self-care, set gentle boundaries, and maintain emotional balance as the year comes to a close. Whether you’re navigating joy, grief, exhaustion, or a little of everything, this piece reminds us all that there is no “right” way to feel during the holidays.

🌟 If you could use a moment of encouragement and a few practical tools, we invite you to read the full blog.
It also includes trusted resources from SAMHSA, NIH, NCOA, and AFSP to support you and your loved ones through the season.

👉 Click here to read: Prioritizing Self-Care During the Holiday Season
https://csbmg.com/prioritizing-self-care-during-the-holiday-season/?post_type=blog_post

Take a moment for yourself today—your well-being matters.

The holiday season can bring a wide range of emotions—joy, excitement, stress, exhaustion, or even grief.

11/19/2025

CSBMG Recognized for Leadership in the Georgia Recovery Project / Crisis Counseling Program

Community Service Board of Middle Georgia (CSBMG) received a heartfelt message of appreciation from Kalie Burke, MPH, Disaster Mental Health Coordinator with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), recognizing the outstanding work of our Child, Adolescent & Emerging Adult (C&A&EA) Program in spearheading CSBMG’s involvement in the Georgia Recovery Project / Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program.

As the project came to a close, Ms. Burke expressed deep gratitude for the team’s compassion, professionalism, and unwavering dedication to supporting individuals and communities impacted by crisis. She noted that the team’s outreach, counseling, and stabilization efforts extended far beyond each interaction—helping restore a sense of safety, building resilience, and offering hope to those navigating incredibly difficult circumstances.

Ms. Burke shared, “Your efforts helped restore stability, build resilience, and reassure people that they have someone to walk beside them during challenging moments. Your willingness to show up, listen, and offer hope really speaks to the heart of this work.”

CSBMG is proud of the C&A&EA or other staff whose commitment ensured that families across Georgia received the support they needed during times of disaster. Their work reflects the agency’s mission to provide responsive, compassionate behavioral health services—especially when communities need it most.

11/18/2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Service Board of Middle Georgia Awarded 2025 Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust Grant
Dublin, GA — November 18, 2025 — The Community Service Board of Middle Georgia (CSBMG) is pleased to announce it has been selected as a 2025 grant recipient from the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust.

The funding will support CSBMG’s ongoing efforts to expand prevention, treatment, and recovery services addressing the opioid crisis across its sixteen-county service area. Primary counties of focus are Montgomery County, Telfair County, Treutlen County, and Wheeler County. This investment will help strengthen regional partnerships and enhance access to life-saving behavioral health and recovery support resources.

The Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust provides grants to community organizations and local governments working to reduce the impact of opioid misuse and overdose. These funds are part of a statewide initiative ensuring that opioid settlement dollars are reinvested into prevention, treatment, and recovery programs that serve Georgia communities.

Media Contact:
Erica Stokes
Community Relations Coordinator/ Business Development
Community Service Board of Middle Georgia
2121-A Bellevue Road | Dublin, GA 31021
📞 478-272-1190 | 🌐 www.csbmg.com

11/18/2025

Under the CCBHC Certified Criteria, the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) has to be updated every 3 years. We are in the third year and have to complete a new CHNA. The CHNA survey is attached to get as many surveys completed by November 24, 2025.

This survey is being conducted through the University of Georgia Archway Partnership and the School of Social Work as part of the 2025 Community Service Board of Middle Georgia’s initiative to better understand and address community needs. Please forward to anyone that you think will complete.

This is the direct link for the survey: https://uga.questionpro.com/t/AcmNXZ7TgO

11/17/2025

Rural Georgia deserves a crisis response system that works—not just in theory, but in real time, for real people. The Community Service Board of Middle Georgia (CSBMG) has released a powerful new blog that takes an honest look at the challenges rural communities face when seeking timely behavioral health crisis support.

📣 What you’ll learn in the blog:
• Why distance, limited staffing, and fewer stabilization options remain major hurdles
• How the five crisis components—988 call centers, mobile crisis, stabilization services, peer supports, and follow-up care—must connect seamlessly
• Why rural communities need customized, not cookie-cutter, crisis pathways
• The importance of sustainable state and federal funding partnerships
• How CSBMG is actively working to strengthen crisis transitions and ensure every individual receives compassionate, coordinated care

If you serve rural communities, support individuals in crisis, or care about improving Georgia’s behavioral health system, this is essential reading.

👉 Read the full blog here:
https://csbmg.com/bridging-rural-gaps-connecting-the-dots-in-crisis-systems/?post_type=blog_post

Together, we can build crisis systems that don’t just respond—but truly support, stabilize, and connect individuals to ongoing care.

Rural Georgia continues to face barriers to timely crisis response—from distance and workforce shortages to limited stabilization options. Recovery Innovations (2025) highlights that progress in these…

11/17/2025

Access to behavioral health care is more than a policy issue—it’s a lifeline. This month, the Community Service Board of Middle Georgia (CSBMG) released an important blog breaking down the real challenges individuals face when trying to receive mental health and substance use treatment, especially in rural communities like ours.

From the national access gap to the role of Medicaid, integrated care, workforce shortages, rural barriers, and new legislative action—this blog explains why access matters and how CSBMG is working every day to ensure timely, affordable, and compassionate care across our 16-county region.

📌 Highlights include:
• Why affordability, insurance, and provider shortages continue to shape the access crisis
• How Medicaid and integrated care models support long-term recovery
• The impact of new state legislation on crisis response, schools, and workforce development
• CSBMG’s commitment to innovation, partnerships, and CCBHC advancement
• How rural communities can turn challenges into opportunities

If you’re a community partner, behavioral health professional, policymaker, caregiver, or advocate, this is a must-read.

👉 Read the full blog here:
https://csbmg.com/expanding-access-to-behavioral-health-care-turning-challenges-into-opportunities/?post_type=blog_post

Together, we can strengthen behavioral health access for every individual, every family, and every community we serve.

Access to care remains one of the most important measures of success in any behavioral health system. For community providers like the Community Service Board of Middle Georgia (CSBMG)…

11/14/2025

Diabetes impacts millions of individuals and families across the world — but awareness and prevention make a difference. 💙

On World Diabetes Day, CSBMG joins global partners in promoting healthier lifestyles, early screenings, and community education.
Together, we can take small steps toward stronger bodies and healthier minds. 🌿

11/14/2025

Progress Update: Dublin Behavioral Health Crisis Center 🏗️

Construction continues to move forward at the Dublin CSB Behavioral Health Crisis Center, with the project now 61% complete according to the current Architect’s Field Report prepared by Chris Caudle with Hussey, Gay, Bell on November 5, 2025.

During a recent site visit, the architectural team observed significant progress, including framing, sheathing, and MEP rough-in work, along with sheetrock installation in the main corridors of the Crisis Stabilization Unit. The v***r barrier installation is also underway along the exterior of the sleeping room areas, and fire caulking has been applied at the roof deck for enhanced safety.
The project remains on schedule, with continued collaboration among the project manager, superintendent, and design team to ensure quality construction and adherence to safety protocols.

Much appreciation goes out to Hussey, Gay, Bell and Akins Construction for the quality work and oversight being performed for our new BHCC. We’re excited to see this critical facility taking shape and look forward to the positive impact it will have on behavioral health services across our region. 💙