My journey to the McNabb Center has been an experience. I thought my journey was communication. I had experienced a layoff from News Sentinel and I was having a difficult time transition into a new career. Reaching inward, we come to an awareness of our true purpose. Reaching outward, we flee from self-indulgence and become joyful givers who serve, care for, and transform the people we touch each day. I believe that is the McNabb way, to reach upward.

We as a team maximize our potential, sharpen our talents and strive to honor our community in everything we do. Working at the McNabb Center has brought on new challenges and goals, learning new lessons and helping the people we serve in a society that is always changing. COVID brought on stress and challenges and showed us how to remain positive due to the pandemic while wearing masks, taking our clients’ temperature and trying to carry a positive attitude at a time when the world seemed uncertain. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our Center. Our team at the Hamblen office has held together as a team and have bonded together for growth and understanding. We have showed compassion and held tight to work together. Happy 75th anniversary!

-Melinda Brooks, Hamblen Customer Service and Benefits Specialist
Employee since 2017

My journey to the McNabb Center has been an experience. I thought my journey was communication. I had experienced a layoff from News Sentinel and I was having a difficult time transition into a new…

I kind of ended up at the McNabb Center out of coincidence. I left my old job as a 911 dispatcher to go to school for IT. The goal was to find a job that was 9-5 and off holidays so I did not miss out on raising my family. The schedule for a 911 dispatcher was not too conducive for that. While in school, the only person I knew personally that had successfully gotten a career in IT was my friend from high school Lucas Hatcher. I would reach out to him anytime I needed help with my classes. He was the Applications Support team lead for McNabb at this time so when they needed a tech for the new Hamilton County locations he called me. I thankfully got the job and instantly fell in love with McNabb and the work we do. That was almost 10 years ago now. Lucas has moved on but I am still here thankfully! I am so grateful to be working here and helping in what ways I can.

-Josh Johnson, Application Support, Hamilton County
Employee since 2014

I kind of ended up at the McNabb Center out of coincidence. I left my old job as a 911 dispatcher to go to school for IT. The goal was to find a job that…

You will not believe that I am as old as the McNabb Center! I have 27 years of experience in substance abuse treatment and have been working at McNabb since 2008 when we merged from New Hope Recovery Center (NHRC). I enjoy working with the clients dealing with substance abuse as I have walked in their shoes and have something to offer them as they go through NHRC IOP. I have touched many lives over the years and the gratification I receive is when a client comes to me and tell me they are still clean and sober after attending our program.

-Gene Grubb, New Hope Program Counselor, Adult IOP, Hamblen County
Employee since 2008

You will not believe that I am as old as the McNabb Center! I have 27 years of experience in substance abuse treatment and have been working at McNabb since 2008 when we merged from…

I started here at McNabb in May 2022 and it has been a pretty amazing experience. I have never had a job where I walked into an interview and felt so comfortable with everybody. The onboarding process was so quick and there wasn’t a detail left out. I have never worked for a company that is so client focused but employee focused as well. I feel well taken care of. I have never felt more appreciated at a company as I do McNabb. 

McNabb really does feel like a family all the way up the chain of command. You never feel left out. I love that I can just walk in to anyone’s open office and strike up a conversation and really feel heard.

-Kari Burda, Client Benefits Specialist, Blount IST
Employee since 2022

I started here at McNabb in May 2022 and it has been a pretty amazing experience. I have never had a job where I walked into an interview and felt so comfortable with everybody. The…

I have only worked at McNabb since July, but before that I served as a minister in churches for over 25 years. One thing I learned during that 25-year span is that everyone is a loved child of God. As a fellow loved child of God, I am called to care for these others who are also loved children of God. In my seven months of work at McNabb, I have come to see that the mission of McNabb echoes what I have learned over the past 25 years. McNabb’s mission of “improving the lives of the people we serve” requires the empathy of seeing others as people who matter, no matter their lot in life.

One of my roles at McNabb is working with the ITTS (Intentional Targeted Transitional Support) program.  As the ITTS case manager, I go to local mental health facilities to sign up otherwise homeless patients for three months of free housing and medicine management at a halfway house. The purpose of ITTS is to provide this three-month “cushion” so the client might move themselves toward a better place mentally, physically and relationally. Most of the patients I see come from hard places in life, due to mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues.  Usually these issues have been compounded by serious family dysfunction.  All of these patients have faced situations in life that I cannot imagine. However, when I do intakes with these patients to make sure they qualify for ITTS funding, I discover that these folks are no different than me or you, even though their experiences have led them to very different places in life. Even though the McNabb Center is not a faith-based agency, its mission stresses the full humanity of everyone who crosses our paths in our work.

One of the great joys of my work is watching those who receive funding from the ITTS grant make a determined effort to bring greater stability and joy to their lives. I remember fondly one of my first patients, a young lady in her early 20’s, who received ITTS funding from McNabb. This young lady is now the house manager with one of the halfway houses in Knoxville. Another lady, whose path in life had been marked by mental health issues that were not addressed due to her dependence on substances to dull her pain, became a mentor to others who are traveling the same path that she has travelled. Through the lives of these two women, and many others who have received ITTS funding, I have witnessed and been humbled by the depth of patience, adaptability, and determination of these clients.

Another joy that I find in my work is watching fellow McNabb employees in their work.  I rarely know the specific roles that these other folks play in the overall mission of McNabb, but every day I see so many of these McNabb workers engage with the public in respectful and compassionate ways.  I see those who work at the front desk of the Adult Center deal with even the most frustrating and frustrated client with patience and kindness.  I see my co-workers in the PATH (Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness) program work long and hard to try to get their clients into mental health treatment and stable housing.  This is no easy feat due to the lack of sufficient affordable housing in our community. As I witness the lives of these fellow McNabb employees, I am very grateful to be a part of the McNabb family.

I have only worked at McNabb since July, but before that I served as a minister in churches for over 25 years. One thing I learned during that 25-year span is that everyone is a loved…

In April 2022, the McNabb Center welcomed Governor Bill Lee to the McMinn County clinic. During his visit, the Center’s leadership shared with Gov. Lee the great work of the McMinn County staff and discussed the unique needs of Tennessee’s rural counties. Jerry Vagnier and Mona Blanton-Kitts also thanked Gov. Lee for the state’s investments in mental health care and substance use treatment. Client Benefits Specialist Delois Bernard recalls this special visit:

“What an honor and privilege to meet Governor Lee. His presence at the McMinn County clinic was truly a memorial event for our Center as well as our city. I am excited to know Governor Lee is aware of the importance and need for mental health services. How encouraging for me as a customer service representative, who loves her job, has the support from our leaders at McNabb and our Governor.”

In April 2022, the McNabb Center welcomed Governor Bill Lee to the McMinn County clinic. During his visit, the Center’s leadership shared with Gov. Lee the great work of the McMinn County staff and discussed…

We used to have a Back to School Bash at the C&Y Center and we all really enjoyed being able to serve our clients and families in such a fun and different way for this…

Things have changed a lot over the years about working at the McNabb Center. Some of our longtime employees share what they remember about their early days at McNabb:

When I was a case manager starting out, we had pagers assigned to us. I always had it attached to me and the only way I would know that someone called is when my phone extension would buzz or the number I needed to call. It was also before GPS and MapQuest, and I had to call all my clients to ask them how to get to their house and write down their instructions.

– Lindsay Stone, Senior Director of C&Y Mental Health Programming

Employee since 2005

Remember when:

• We had beepers and had to search for a payphone at some random location in order to return a call?
• We used map books and had to understand latitude/longitude just to find our client’s address?
• We had paper charts and had to send out an all staff to request a record because it was sitting in someone’s desk drawer and our notes were due?

– Michael Waltke, Assistant VP of Organizational Excellence

Employee since 2003

Things have changed a lot over the years about working at the McNabb Center. Some of our longtime employees share what they remember about their early days at McNabb: When I was a case manager…

I remember when we had the Military Services Ribbon Cutting and a Veteran in need of services heard about the opening on the news and came to get services that day.  He was served instantly, during the ribbon cutting (privately of course), with no hesitation by staff.  Just one example of McNabb doing what they say they do.

—Shelby Graves, Executive Assistant

Employee since 1995

I remember when we had the Military Services Ribbon Cutting and a Veteran in need of services heard about the opening on the news and came to get services that day.  He was served instantly,…

I remember in 2019, I got a call from the News Sentinel informing me that the McNabb Center had won first place in Knoxville’s Top Workplace large company division. I went to tell my supervisor and I was happily jumping up and down with excitement! She looked at me a bit strange as I have never jumped up and down at work before!

—Jill Barnes, Senior Director of Administrative Services

Employee since 2001

I remember in 2019, I got a call from the News Sentinel informing me that the McNabb Center had won first place in Knoxville’s Top Workplace large company division. I went to tell my supervisor…