Sidebar

The Beginning...

In February of 1984, our founder, Judith A. Zarend, began her career in Mental Health when she was hired by Project Transition; Ypsilanti State Hospital (YRPH) via a contract with Jackson-Hillsdale Community Mental Health Board (JHCMHB). She began establishing social recreational groups for those mentally ill individuals who were being released back into the community from YRPH. After a year of successful groups, the Director of JHCMHB, James O’Brian, suggested she start her own business and contract directly with his Board. Judi first established a Doing Business As (DBA) advisory board, and they assisted her with her journey into the corporate world. Segue incorporated as a 401(c)3 on November 15, 1985 and the voyage into the mental health community began.

The Journey…
In September of 1985, while still a DBA, Segue, Inc. established the Fairweather Lodge in Jackson with the assistance of YRPH and JHCMHB. This project consisted of transitioning eight (8) long-term hospital patients back into the community, and training them to live and work together in a residential neighborhood. These individuals resided in their own home without 24 hour supervision or staffing. Support staff came in at various times during the day to assist them with problem solving and training for career opportunities. The consumers, together, formed their own Corporation (Omni Janitorial) in 1986 and ran a successful company.

The Birth of Assertive Community Treatment…
In September of 1986, Segue, with the help and encouragement of Greg Gallagher from JHCMHB, brought the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Program to Jackson County. During this time in Jackson’s Mental Health History there were no programs designed to effectively treat severe and persistent mentally ill adults, with the exception of frequent hospitalizations. With the determination and perseverance of Dr. Alex Lebedovych, Segue became the proud parent of Assertive Community Treatment in Jackson County.

The success of the program became apparent with consumers suffering less crisis and reduced hospitalizations. With the assistance of Don Fiero, Director of ACT, the program grew to include three additional ACT teams, one of which is located in Hillsdale County, and another devoted to forensic treatment, currently serving over 200 consumers. What started out as a 2-person office, with Larry Taylor as our very first employee, now employs over 35 employees.Mary Welcher, Chief RN joined Segue, and through her devotion to the clients, has greatly enhanced the ACT services by developing and providing quality, caring, nursing programming to meet the needs of those we serve.

Segue, Inc. Continues to Grow…In 1988, EARS was established as a phone line for people in crisis to call for assistance. This would later become known as Behavioral Health Connections.

In 1990, Segue established the Drop-In Center in Jackson as a comfortable social-recreational center for consumers to enjoy. Activities and a place to go that fosters peer interaction, friendships, support and independence has been enjoyed by many area consumers under the guidance of long-time employee, Linda Sandefur. The success of this program prompted the development of a sister Drop-In Center in Hillsdale County.With great pride, Segue has turned over the program to the consumers and effective October 1, 2001, the Drop-In center will be consumer owned and operated with their own Board of Directors and their own contract with LifeWays (JHCMHB).

New Opportunities...Behavioral Health ConnectionsSegue continues to look at new opportunities to expand the company and to meet the needs of the Mental Health Community. In 1995 Behavioral Health Connections was established as an Access and Referral Service for persons seeking treatment. Under the energetic supervision of Shannon Kreger, Director of BHC, our services continued to grown and expand by offering Crisis Intervention Services, Crisis Stabilization and Community Outreach Initiatives to meet the needs of the community, LifeWays and other community providers.BHC is currently serving Jackson and Hillsdale Counties.Segue did, according to its’ business plan, keep pace with the ever growing Mental Health needs of the Communities we serve.

History Update 1997
The hiring of COO, Diane Reynolds, has greatly improved the quality of services provided to the staff and customers of Segue, Inc. Diane has added Quality Management, Human Resource Development, Safety and Information Systems components to our services. Her contributions have resulted in a remarkable change and growth for the company.
LifeWays transitions itself into a Managed Care Organization.Segue, with a desire to continuously grow and provide the needed Mental Health Services in Jackson, wrote a proposal, and was awarded the contract for the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program known then as The Lighthouse. The sister company, Adagio, Inc., offers quality services to individuals in areas of Rehabilitation, and Community Employment Services.Adagio, Inc. is a separate 401(c)3.

Moving on…
In 1999, the Director of ACT, Don Fiero implemented a crisis transport team to fill an identified gap in Mental Health services in Jackson county and is working on a crisis transport service for children and youths within the Public School System who are experiencing situational crisis.

A never ending tale…Segue will continue to grow and to seek ways to offer our services to those in need. We truly enjoy the benefits of having a diverse, dedicated and creative staff who serve our mission and make a difference to persons suffering from mental illness everyday. To them we are grateful.