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LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A new CEO and president has been named for Valley Oaks Health, Lafayette’s comprehensive mental health and addiction care center serving nine Hoosier counties.

This designated community mental health center provides mental health care regardless of insurance status or age, as it has multiple child-centered therapies.

Earlier this year, Dan Arens, the chief operating officer of a similar organization, Adult & Children’s Health in Indianapolis, has been named the next president and CEO of Valley Oaks Health. Arens has more than 25 years of experience in the mental health care field, and looks forward to assuming his roles as president and CEO of Valley Oaks Health on September 1.

“It’s kind of been a lifelong goal or dream of mine,” Arens said, “to get to where I can run with a really good executive team that’s, for the most part, already in place. at Valley. So it was 25 years in the works. It was quite exciting to achieve that.”

Arens went on to say why he is looking forward to continuing his career at Valley Oaks Health in particular; in part because of its commitment to diversity and patient care.

“I think (Valley Oaks Health is special because of) the caring people, honestly,” Arens said. “I certainly haven’t met everyone, but from the board to the executive team to some of the front-line staff that I’ve interacted with, Valley has a culture of inclusion — a culture of caring for the patient — that I don’t have.” t can be seen in all mental health centers and industry.

“It’s just this drive. And it’s probably a cliché, right? I think every company thinks they care about their people the most but, I’ve been a part of a lot of mental health centers and the people I’ve interacted with with them at Valley I was very surprised. …”

As far as future plans for Valley Oaks Health, one of the main goals is expanded access to a wider range of services.

“At Valley, just like every other mental health center,” Arens said, “we definitely want to increase access. (Make) it easier and faster for people who need care to access whatever level of care they need.”

Arens explained that peer coaches, group sessions for distress such as depression, education on psychiatric services and low-income housing support are some of the potential expansions.

When asked the one thing he’d like readers to know about Valley Oaks Health, Arens cited the importance of getting and maintaining mental health care when it’s needed, especially because of its importance it is for whole healthy bodies.

“I think the No. 1 thing is that people need to know that people recover from mental illness every day,” Arens said. “It’s not a life sentence diagnosis. It’s something that, often times, depression and anxiety, addiction, that kind of thing, people can, with the right help that Valley provides, recover and live a happy, healthy life.

“…Without mental health, there is no health.”

Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & courier. Email her at mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter @MargaretJC2.

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