For more than 20 years, the Giles Youth-Adult Partnership (GYAP) has undertaken countless projects and programs to help prevent or reduce substance use among the county’s young people. Those efforts have ranged from hosting speaking engagements by sitting governors to helping launch after-prom parties to conducting talent competitions for local students. As with any organization, …
Mike Wade
Valanda “Val” Nelson has been named Director of Human Resources at NRVCS, after having served on an interim basis in the same position since December 2017. Nelson first joined NRVCS as the agency’s Client Advocate in July 2016. Originally from the New River Valley, Nelson had previously worked in various capacities within the behavioral healthcare …
Patricia “Trish” Cox has recently been hired by NRVCS (New River Valley Community Services) as the agency’s Director of Finance. Cox, who comes to NRVCS after 11 years as Director of Finance and Human Resources for the City of Radford, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds an accounting degree from Clemson University. “We …
NRVCS Board dedicates Radford Center children’s area in honor of Rosemary Sullivan By Mike Wade Communications & Outreach Coordinator The brightest and most colorful space at NRVCS’ newest facility will forever be linked to a long-time member of the agency’s staff. Prior to the start of their meeting last night in Radford, the NRVCS Board …
By Mike Wade | NRVCS Despite ongoing efforts to educate the public about the struggles of persons living with a mental health and/or substance use disorder, the reality is that most people simply can’t fully understand what it is like to live with these issues unless they’ve been through it themselves. Rachel Jarvis knows all …
Leslie Sharp, a native of Giles County, first joined the team at NRVCS in March of 2006. She holds a degree in Child Development from Virginia Tech and earned her Master’s in Counseling Education from Radford University. Leslie became a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in 2014. She has held various positions at NRVCS, including: preschool …
Tom Meadows first joined the team at NRVCS in 1995. Although he has held a few different positions with the agency during that time, Tom has primarily worked with individuals diagnosed with a developmental disability, specifically children. A native of Tazewell, Tom holds a BS in both political science and psychology. He and his wife …
Sheree Shirley was recently named the new Raft Hotline Facilitator. Originally from Winchester, Virginia, Sheree moved to Blacksburg in 2011 to attend Virginia Tech where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. During her senior year, Sheree began volunteering with Raft and fell in love with the hotline. She continued volunteering after graduation as she …
By Mike Wade NRVCS Community Relations Specialist The issues connected to gender equality in the workplace are nothing new, yet they are rarely addressed, and often altogether ignored by many employers. With this in mind, members of the NRVCS Cultural Competence Committee recently organized and hosted a discussion focused on those issues, featuring a panel …
Youth risk behaviors will be the focus of a community forum hosted by the Montgomery County Prevention Partners (MCPP) on Tuesday, March 20 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center. Sophie Wenzel, Associate Director of the Virginia Tech Center for Public Health Practice and Research, will present results from the 2015 and 2017 …