Don McPherson

Don McPherson, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, activist and feminist, spoke at For All Seasons’ recent Donor Reception on the topic, “You Throw Like a Girl: A Conversation to End Sexual Violence.” His presentation focused on men and women having a conversation nurturing positive language and a healthy understanding of masculinity. For All Seasons will continue working with Don McPherson to create a community-based program to address men’s violence again women. McPherson will be engaging men to address the culture of unhealthy masculinity at the core of all forms of men’s violence against women. He will work with For All Seasons’ trauma-certified staff to create healthy relationship groups to support victims of crime, while deconstructing rape culture to enable points of engagement with men and women across the Mid Shore.

For All Seasons offers individual and group therapy, general, child and adolescent therapy, marriage and couples’ counseling, grief counseling, school-based mental health therapy, urgent care services, Rape Crisis Response, Rape Crisis Counseling and Support, 24-Hour English and Spanish Hotlines, and education and outreach programming. For further information about For All Seasons, call 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

On Thursday, November 15 at 6:30 p.m., For All Seasons will offer a conversation to end sexual violence with speaker Don McPherson, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, activist and feminist. McPherson’s topic, “You Throw Like a Girl: A Conversation to End Sexual Violence,” will discuss one of the issues of our time – men’s violence against women.

For more than 34 years, McPherson has used the power and appeal of sports to address complex social justice issues. He has created innovative programs, supported community service providers and has provided educational seminars and lectures throughout North America.

He comments, “Women have always been in this conversation about sexual violence. Now it’s time to bring the conversation together with men and women. This discussion is directed primarily at men and focuses on language such as ‘you throw like a girl’ that sets a standard on the narrow expectations of masculinity while simultaneously establishing an understanding that girls and women are ‘less than” men.’”

He adds, “The ‘Me Too’ movement provides an opportunity for men to not just stand in solidarity with women but make real change in the root causes of sexual violence.  My presentation focuses on nurturing positive language and a healthy understanding of masculinity.”

According to Beth Anne Langrell, Executive Director of For All Season, people are just trying to figure out where we go from here and what we do now that this issue is front and center in the media. She states, “Not talking about it is not an option. We need to have conversations that are pro-social and protect our families and individuals. We have to find age appropriate ways to have the conversation and by having Don here, we can start that conversation in our community.”

As an athlete, McPherson was a unanimous All-America quarterback at Syracuse University and is a veteran of the NFL and Canadian Football League. Since 1984 McPherson has delivered school and community-based programs addressing issues such as drunk driving, alcohol and substance abuse, bullying, youth leadership and mentoring.  Upon retiring from pro football in 1994, he joined Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society, as National Director of Athletes in Service to America.  In 1995, McPherson turned his focus to the issue of “men’s violence against women,” as director of Sport in Society’s Mentors in Violence Prevention Program and emerged as a national leader and advocate for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence.  He has conducted workshops and lectures for more than 300 college campuses, community organizations and national sports and violence prevention organizations.  His programs and lectures have reached more than one million people.

McPherson has received several honors in recognition of his service, including the Frederick Douglas Men of Strength Award, given by Men Can Stop Rape; Champions for Change, presented by Lifetime Television; The Creative Vision for Women’s Justice, presented by the Pace University Women’s Justice Center; and a Leadership Award from the National Center for Victims of Crime.  He has served as a board member, consultant and advisor for several national organizations including the Ms Foundation for Women and the National Football Foundation and the US National Committee for UN Women.  McPherson recently joined the Advisory Board of the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities at Stony Brook University.

The For All Seasons event, to be held in the Gold Room at the Tidewater Inn at 101 E. Dover Street, is free and open to the public. To reserve your seat, visit donmcpherson.eventbrite.com or call 443-258-2130.

Throughout the year, For All Seasons brings awareness to the community about such issues as suicide, sexual assault, trauma, and mental health needs.For All Seasons provides Trauma Certified Individual, Family, and Group Therapy; Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry; and Crisis and Advocacy Services for Child, Adolescent, and Adult Victims of Sexual Assault, Rape and Trauma. For a same-day crisis appointment, call 410-822-1018.

Follow For All Seasons on Facebook to find out how to get involved. For further information, call Monika Mraz at 410-822-1018, email mmraz@forallseasonsinc.org or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

For All Seasons is proud to introduce their new medical team of adult, child and adolescent, and geriatric psychiatrists.  Leading the team is the Medical Director, Brenda C. Scribner, MD.  Dr. Scribner moved her psychiatric practice from Pennsylvania to the Eastern Shore in the late 1990s.  In addition to running the For All Seasons medical department in Easton, she is the only psychiatrist practicing in Caroline County, MD, in the For All Seasons Denton office and in another mental health facility in Federalsburg. She received her medical degree from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, and completed her psychiatric residency at Thomas Jefferson University Medical Center in Philadelphia.  Dr. Scribner had been offered the medical directorship at several regional outpatient mental health facilities, but she particularly chose to work for For All Seasons because of its outstanding trauma-certified mental health clinical team, its outreach to the Latino community through its bilingual services, its Rape Crisis Center and Victim Advocacy Program for those subjected to sexual assault and other violent crimes, and because of​ For All Seasons’ commitment to combat human trafficking.

Pictured L-R: Allan A. Anderson, MD; William H. Cerrato, DO; Brenda C. Scribner, MD, Medical Director at For All Seasons; and Laurence J. Pezor, MD, CHE.

For All Seasons has added three other psychiatrists to its medical team as well. Laurence J. Pezor, MD is one of their child and adolescent specialists.  He received his medical degree from Ohio State University, did a psychiatric residency at the Naval Hospital of San Diego, CA and completed his subspecialty fellowship in child psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, CA.  Dr. Pezor teaches psychopharmacology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA and is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD.  He is an American College of Healthcare Executives diplomat and is board certified in Psychiatry and Neurology, and in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

William H. Cerrato, DO is another child and adolescent psychiatrist on the For All Seasons team.  He received his osteopathic doctorate from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV, did a psychiatric residency at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System in Richmond, VA, and completed a child and adolescent psychiatry subspecialty fellowship at the University of Maryland/Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital in Baltimore, MD.  Dr. Cerrato is board certified in Psychiatry and Neurology, and in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Allan A. Anderson, MD is the adult psychiatrist whose subspecialty is geriatric psychiatry. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  He received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and a Master’s in Medical Management (MMM) from Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Anderson is a board certified Geriatric Psychiatrist and is active in the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP).

For All Seasons offers individual and group therapy, general, child and adolescent, marriage and couples counseling, grief counseling, school-based mental health therapy, urgent care services, Rape Crisis Response, Rape Crisis Counseling and Support, 24-Hour English and Spanish Hotlines, and education and outreach programming. For further information about For All Seasons, call 410-822-1018. For the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline, call Toll-Free: 800-310-7273.

For All Seasons is going to be bringing the campaign, NO MATTER WHAT . . . YOU MATTER, to Chestertown, partnering with its business community and with Washington College to raise awareness around mental health and suicide prevention. Last fall, the Campaign debuted in Easton in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Week and was part of Easton’s First Friday stroll through the local galleries and shops, partnering with Easton Business Alliance.

The Suicide Prevention Campaign was inspired by the soundtrack of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical, “Dear Evan Hansen.” According to Beth Anne Langrell, Executive Director of For All Seasons, “The musical has created increased awareness about how prevalent suicide is in our nation. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), every 13 minutes someone dies by suicide and for every suicide, 25 suicide attempts are made.”

For All Seasons hopes through this campaign to create an ongoing dialogue with agencies and educators in Chestertown about this growing issue in our communities.  The campaign will include dialogue circles, educational outreach and community events.  She adds, “We want people to know that no matter what, they matter.”

For All Seasons regularly partners with National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Kent and Queen Anne’s to provide services and training on mental health issues. Lainie Surette, NAMI Kent and Queen Anne’s Steering Committee Chair, comments, “NAMI Kent & Queen Anne’s is eager to work with For All Seasons and Washington College to address the prevalence of mental health challenges facing college students today. Providing education, support and needed services can reduce the stigma and encourage students to reach out for help. Suicide is not the answer. No one should feel alone.”

Sarah Feyerherm, EdD, Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, Washington College, adds, “Partnering with For All Seasons is just one more step we can take to support the mental health of our students and specifically to raise awareness about suicide. When we pool our resources we further a community of care on the Eastern Shore and bring about change in ways we could never do alone. As we continue to add programs and initiatives on our campus, we’re excited to work hand in hand with For All Seasons on such a critical issue that impacts everyone.”

Individuals seek therapy for many different reasons. For All Seasons provides individual and group counseling to those struggling with depression, anxiety, phobias, addiction, PTSD, ADHD, etc. and those who may seek therapy to treat the problem and/or learn healthy ways to cope.  For All Seasons has six offices across the Eastern Shore, including an office in Chestertown. To make an appointment at any of For All Seasons offices, call 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org. For further information about the NO MATTER WHAT . . . YOU MATTER Campaign or becoming a partner in Chestertown, call Beth Anne Langrell at 410-822-1018.

For All Seasons offers individual and group therapy, general, child and adolescent therapy, marriage and couples counseling, grief counseling, school-based mental health therapy, urgent care services, Rape Crisis Response, Rape Crisis Counseling and Support, 24-Hour English and Spanish Hotlines, and education and outreach programming. For further information about For All Seasons, call 410-822-1018. For the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline, call Toll-Free: 800-310-7273.

CARF International announced that For All Seasons has been accredited for a period of three years as an outpatient behavioral health services agency, rape crisis center, and crisis hotline responders. This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a three-year accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable.

For All Seasons is a not-for-profit organization which offers individual and group therapy, general, child and adolescent, marriage and couples counseling, grief counseling, school-based mental health therapy, urgent care services, Rape Crisis Response, Rape Crisis Counseling and Support, 24-Hour English and Spanish Hotlines, and education and outreach programming. For more than 30 years, the agency has transformed communities on the Mid Shore by restoring the lives of children, adolescents, adults, seniors, couples, and families.

According to Beth Anne Langrell, executive director of For All Seasons, “This accreditation confirms the dedication and professionalism of our staff and the quality services we provide to the communities we serve in the five counties on the Eastern Shore. All of our clinicians and Rape Crisis Center staff are trauma certified, something the agency believes is critical to providing a full continuum of bilingual (English-Spanish) outpatient behavioral health and rape crisis services.”

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.

For further information about For All Seasons, call 410-822-1018. For the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline, call Toll-Free: 800-310-7273.

Photo by Jessie Auritt.

For All Seasons has announced the appointment of Monika Mraz as its first Director of Development. Mraz comes from UNICEF USA in New York, NY, where she worked 10 years, including in her most recent position as Vice President of Global Cause Partnerships. Prior to that, Mraz worked for Conservation International in Washington, DC and Wildlife Conservation Society in New York, NY. She completed a Masters of Business Administration from University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, UK and attended the ESSEC Business School in Paris, France. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration, International Business from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Mraz, who lives in Oxford with her family, comments, “I was inspired by the mission of For All Seasons. As a behavioral health nonprofit, the organization cares about delivering mental health services to the community, without regard to a person’s ability to pay. Mental health is an important component in all of our lives and a cornerstone to everything we do.”

She adds, “I am very excited to be working with the organization at this time as we work to tackle the organization’s wait list. It is an ideal time to familiarize the community better with the range of services we provide and how to access them.”

Beth Anne Langrell, Executive Director of For All Seasons, comments, “Monika brings a fresh new outlook, as well as vast experience in developing relationships with friends and donors in the community. As our first Director of Development, she will be an asset to the organization as we seek to grow support for the organization and to grow our Endowment.”

To talk with Monika, call  410-822-1018 or email her at mmraz@forallseasonsinc.org.