Family Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care

MSU's recent sensory-friendly concert on Sept. 20 one of many group experiences available with support of Centerstone Autism Center. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - On Sept. 20, Centerstone's Autism Center partnered with the Missouri State Symphony Orchestra to present the third-annual Sensory-Friendly Orchestra Concert at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts on the Missouri State University campus. This free, sensory-safe and family-friendly concert is one of many group events Centerstone supports or leads that are tailored to individuals with autism, sensory sensitivities and their families. At the concert, audience members were welcome and encouraged to respond to the music with their voices, movements, and hearts. Fidget toys were provided by Centerstone's partners at MSU's Project ACCESS, and team members from the Centerstone Autism Center supervised a quiet room during the performance. "The sensory-friendly concert is one of the highlights of our year," said Dr. Seth Allen, director of Centerstone's Autism Center. "Helping create meaningful and inclusive experiences is at the heart of our mission, and we're proud to partner with the Missouri State University Orchestra to offer an interactive, high-quality, entertaining and welcoming performance for people of all abilities." The first sensory-friendly concert took place in 2024, after the MSU Orchestra's conductor, Dr. Yi-Ping Chen, reached out to Allen with the idea. Chen previously hosted sensory-friendly concerts with her community orchestra in Lexington, Virginia, and brought the concept with her to Springfield. Allen was quick to offer the Autism Center's support. "Seeing it happen the first year was exciting and extremely rewarding, especially after hearing extremely positive feedback from the community after the first event," Allen said. Jill Overturf, a therapist at the Autism Center, has attended the performances and recalled watching attendees look at one another, questioning whether it was OK to move around during a classical music performance. They are often hesitant at first, even with encouragement from the stage, she said. By the end of the show, she said, the whole audience was interacting with confidence and joy. "This just goes to show how highly needed these concerts are to our population who love to move and interact but are often told to stop or are given limits in this area," Overturf said. The first two concerts took place when the Centerstone Autism Center was known as the Burrell Autism Center. This fall, Burrell is adopting the Centerstone name as part of the merger between its parent company and Centerstone. While the Autism Center is changing names, its team members continue to offer empathetic, research-based care to individuals and families they serve. Learn more about the merger here. Orchestral music can be 'profoundly meaningful' to autistic individuals. The theme for the 2026 concert was "Feelin' Alive," and Allen said he has watched that experience happen time and again for individuals with autism who attended the first two sensory-friendly performances. "Music can be a profoundly meaningful sensory experience for many autistic individuals," he said. "Orchestral music often provides rich, structured sensory stimulation that can be calming, engaging and emotionally restorative rather than overwhelming. Sensory-friendly concerts blend accessibility, accommodation, community inclusion and artistic excellence, and that creates an environment that adapts to the audience's needs instead of expecting the audience to adapt to the environment." For many attendees, Allen said, the free concert is also the first time they've ever experienced a live orchestral performance. The environment, curated for those with autism, allows them to fully experience the emotional and cultural power of live music. The MSU Orchestra contributes immensely to that experience, he said. "Dr. Yi-Ping Chen and the orchestra bring exceptional energy, talent and compassion to the event, making it a memorable annual tradition for families across our community," Allen said. Sensory-friendly concert just one of many group events Centerstone's Autism Center support. Shared experiences can be transformative for individuals with autism, Allen said, which is why Centerstone's Autism Services team organizes several group programs centered around shared life experiences as well as others tied to their patients' favorite activities. Groups help create a more connected and supportive community, inviting patients and caregivers to build meaningful relationships. "There's something powerful about realizing you're not alone," Allen said. "And also, groups are fun. It's awesome, relational and interactional, all through a shared experience." Overturf agreed. Through both youth and adult groups, she has seen people who once struggled with self-esteem, social acceptance, or a sense of belonging have gained social skills, developed leadership abilities, built supportive relationships, and found the confidence to pursue new opportunities and greater independence in their lives. "Running group sessions provides an opportunity for participants to experience social interactions in a safe and supported environment," Overturf said. "They can explore and 'try' behaviors with others who know and accept them and with direct and immediate support from a clinician." These groups are open to Centerstone patients as well as community members who would benefit from joining. Most take place over eight- or 12- to 16-week sessions. For more information about available groups, call 417-761-5330. Centerstone Autism group programs: * Brick by Brick LEGO therapy, 1300 E. Bradford Pkwy., Springfield MO 65804, Building B Autism Center, open-ended group, weekly on Thursdays, 4:45 p.m.-6:15 p.m. * Neurodivergent Adults, 1370 E. Primrose St., Springfield, MO 65804, eight-week group, Tuesdays, 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. * Families of Neurodivergent Children, 1370 E. Primrose St., eight-week group, Thursdays, 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. * LGBTQ Neurodivergent Adults, virtual meeting, eight-week group, Thursdays, 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. * RUBI (Research Units in Behavioral Intervention) caregivers Springfield group - 1300 E. Bradford Pkwy., Bldg. B, Springfield, MO 65804, 12-16 weeks, Thursdays 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. * RUBI caregivers Bolivar group - 315 S. Main Ave. Bolivar, MO 65613, 12-16 weeks, Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. Location Finder

Life;Story suicide prevention 5K/10K race in Sarasota includes Be Well Bell unveiling. SARASOTA, Fla. - As part of a community event for suicide prevention, Centerstone celebrated the installation of a Be Well Bell public art display that promotes mental health care. Life;Story Florida 5K and 10K took place Sept. 19, at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota. Before the races, Centerstone's Be Well team unveiled a special Be Well Bell. The bell is a three-dimensional art piece created by mental health professionals from the Gulf Coast. The Be Well Bell displays provide viewers with information on how to access behavioral health care as part of an effort to remove barriers and increase access to quality health care for underserved populations in Florida. All proceeds from the Sarasota Life;Story event benefit Centerstone's mental health services in southwest Florida, helping ensure mental health care remains accessible to anyone in need. Centerstone Director of Be Well Initiatives Bailey Pyle, LPC, explained the Be Well Community launched its bell program in 2021 with the goal of "changing the way we view conversations about mental health, reducing the stigma about mental health and starting to create home and lives we enjoy living." "The beauty about art - whether it be visual arts, theater or music - is that artists intentionally create the layers hoping one of the layers will speak to someone," Pyle said. "The hope with art is that it speaks to somebody, that it says something, and that we all get to interpret in our own way what it is saying." The Be Well Bell program offers blank bells to be painted with a meaningful design for public display. The bell is symbolic in the world of behavioral health. When state-run asylums were closed, metal workers took the chains and shackles that were once used to restrain institutionalized persons and cast the metal to make bells. Mental Health America turned the bell into a symbol of hope for individuals with severe mental health conditions and substance use disorders. After the unveiling, the Centerstone Florida Be Well Bell will travel to different sites at Florida offices and clinics for public viewing. About Centerstone: Centerstone is the largest nonprofit behavioral health organization in the United States. With more than 10,000 team members working at 360 locations in communities across the country, Centerstone provides healing and hope to people of all ages through mental health services, addiction care and social supports. Centerstone is a leader in operations for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Centerstone's Foundation secures philanthropic resources to support the work and mission of delivering care that changes lives. Learn more at Centerstone.org. Location Finder 11:00 am - 12:00 pm CDT 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm CDT 10:30 am - 11:30 am CST

Centerstone names Lindsay Bennett as chief revenue officer. Centerstone, a national leader in mental health and substance use disorder treatment, announced the appointment of Lindsay Bennett. By Centerstone Contributed August 25, 2026 3:33 pm CLARKSVILLE, TN - Centerstone, a national leader in mental health and substance use disorder treatment, announced the appointment of Lindsay Bennett, MBA, MPH, as its new chief revenue officer. Bennett brings more than 20 years of healthcare finance and operations experience, with expertise spanning revenue cycle management, financial planning and analysis, business intelligence, operational transformation and organizational integration. Bennett joins Centerstone following more than a decade of experience working with healthcare organizations in finance and operations. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Revenue Cycle & Health Information Management for Chapters Health System, a $600M multi-state healthcare system based in Tampa, where she led post-acquisition integration and helped establish standardized operating practices across the organization. Her accomplishments included improving cash flow, reducing days in accounts receivable by 50%, establishing data governance and standardizing workflows and processes across merged entities. "I'm excited to join Centerstone and be part of an organization with such an important mission," Bennett said. "I look forward to getting to know the team, understanding the organization's unique opportunities and building the systems and processes that will help Centerstone continue to grow and serve more people." Bennett holds a Master of Public Health from the University of West Florida, an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor's degree in business administration and financial management from Florida Southern College. She also holds a Six Sigma Green Belt.