Amanda Custer, one of the original clinicians on our Team, has announced her retirement after twenty-eight years of service with the Charleston Mental Health Center.  Ten of those years have been solely dedicated to our emergency services personnel as one of our clinicians who started this Team in 2007. In 2013, when the clinical part of our Team was separated from the Peer Team, Amanda continued to serve as the leader of the newly established First Responder Assistance Program and continued to volunteer as a clinician/peer trainer and advisor for the Lowcountry Firefighter Support Team.  Amanda has also continued to be one of our main clinicians serving those referred by our peer team members.

There is so much more to be said about Amanda and I know there is not space here to speak of all her contributions and the good times we have enjoyed together.  Amanda has helped so many, including me, and is loved by all who have been fortunate enough to receive her counsel and friendship.  There have been many great times and many tearful times as she has helped guide the development of a behavioral health program that is second to none.  Without Amanda, our Team would have struggled and, without Amanda, the statewide F.A.S.T. Team may not even be a reality.

In 2013, when we were retooling our Team, all of us met together and decided to take “A Leap of Faith” to move into the future in separate places, but together in spirit, to serve our firefighters and other emergency services personnel and their families.  We decided to take that leap of faith in each other, in all of you that have supported us in our belief that we can make a difference and, in God, for He always has a hand in what we do.

The most exciting part of this announcement for us is that Amanda has agreed to continue to wear her red shirt and will continue to serve on our Team and help us in the mission of helping others.  Look for other announcements in the coming months as Amanda will share her plans for her professional future.  For those of you that would like to offer your comments and best wishes, feel free to do so here or send her a note at amanda.custer@scdmh.org .

Gerald