Centerstone Talks Outreach, Community Partnerships, How They Can Help

ILLINOIS - Centerstone offers a wide range of services for mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and people like Aaron Seibert can tell you all about them.

Seibert works in the marketing department at Centerstone, and he does a lot of outreach work throughout the Metro East and Southern Illinois communities. He noted that this work is important so people know where they can go if they need services, and he’s proud to be a part of the Centerstone team.

“I go out and I talk to different community partners about our services and how we can help individuals in our communities,” Seibert said. “If you need help, come see us. We’re here for you.”

Seibert often works with probation officers, hospitals and other local organizations to share information about Centerstone so that these people can pass it along to the community members they work with. It’s also not uncommon for him to attend community events to speak directly with individuals who would benefit from Centerstone’s services.

In conversations like this, it’s important for Seibert and other members of the Centerstone team to share their own histories. Centerstone employs several peer support specialists and other folks with lived experience who are in recovery themselves. For Seibert, who is open about his struggles with depression, these experiences help him connect with the individuals he meets on the job.

“That gives me the ability to go out and compassionately speak with people about their experiences because I’m on that side of it,” he said. “With people that have lived experience working for Centerstone and even working with our different community partners, that’s where you get the A-plus service, because you have people who are there and understand and are able to share that compassion, able to share their story about how they were able to recover.”

And that can be a powerful experience, especially when Seibert helps people realize how Centerstone can serve them. He remembers speaking to an unhoused community member about his struggle with mental health and his desire to get help.

But when the individual expressed concerns that Centerstone wouldn’t provide him with the help he needed, Seibert was honest. He said the organization isn’t the “end-all, be-all,” and they will help connect you to additional resources if needed. Ultimately, Centerstone’s goal is to help individuals in whichever way is best for them.

“We’re here to [provide] services for you, and if it’s not our service that’s going to help you, we’ll help you find a service that will be able to help you,” Seibert said.

Seibert enjoys having conversations like this, and he is always happy when people reach out to him for help connecting to Centerstone’s resources. He hears from a lot of individuals and organizations that want to know more about connecting with Centerstone.

He encourages anyone who wants to partner with Centerstone or hear more about their services to contact them at 1-877-HOPE-123 or stop by one of their locations in Alton, Carterville, Marion, Anna or Carbondale. Community partners can also email him directly at aaron.seibert@centerstone.org to learn more about outreach opportunities.

Seibert is especially proud of Centerstone’s current campaign to help individuals with substance use disorders. By visiting RecoverWithUs.org, you can learn more about Centerstone’s resources and fill out a form to get in touch with the organization. Visit Centerstone.org for additional information about their services and program.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

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