Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri’s 2015 Snow Ball

Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri hosted the 2015 Snow Ball, Friday, December 11, 2015, at Four Seasons Hotel, St. Louis. The Snow Ball, Mental Health’s largest fundraiser, featured silent and live auctions, an elegant dinner, award presentations, and an after party with the hip sound of The Fabulous Motown Revue. Kevin Steincross, FOX 2 News, handled the master of ceremony duties.

Mark Utterback, President and CEO, with the assistance of board chair Dr. Karl Wilson, presented the organization’s two highest honors, the Silver Key Award and the Silver Bell Award. The Silver Key Award honors individuals or organizations whose contributions to the mental health field demonstrate a devotion to the eradication of stigma that often prevents people from seeking treatment. MHA recognized Lee Kling, event co-chair, and Sally Barker as the recipients of the 2015 Silver Key Award.

Lee Kling and Sally Barker epitomize the spirit of volunteerism and commitment that make the Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri’s Snow Ball so special. The co-recipients have worked tirelessly the last few years to cultivate the gala and turn it into one of the real “stars” of the season.

The Silver Bell Award is inspired by the Mental Health Bell, the symbol for the mental health movement. The Bell, at the national organization, weighs 300 pounds and was cast from the shackles and chains that once restrained patients in mental hospitals. It offers a dramatic representation of hope, vision and liberty for persons with mental illness. The Silver Bell Award is given to an individual in consideration of outstanding community service, leadership, vision, and values.

The 2015 Silver Bell Award went to Dr. Keith Schafer, retired Director of the Department of Mental Health. Dr. Schafer spent more than 28 years in the field of mental health, twice serving as the DMH Director, 1986-1994 and 2007-15. His longtime service and dedication to the citizens of Missouri earned the praise of Gov. Jay Nixon. Following the shootings in Newton, CT. and Aurora, CO., he contributed to developing a new strategic initiative to help communities identify and care for Missourians with severe mental illness. Besides placing mental health liaisons at the state’s 29 Community Mental Health Centers, the initiative also included the expansion of Crisis Intervention and Mental Health First-Aid training and resources for emergency room intervention teams to work with patients needing coordinated care.

Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri envisions a just, humane, and healthy society in which all people are accorded respect, dignity, and the opportunity to achieve their full potential free from stigma and prejudice. It works toward this vision by embracing its mission statement: “To promote mental health and to improve the care and treatment of persons living with mental illness through advocacy, education, and service”.