Fiscal year 2009 has been one of the most challenging, yet satisfying, years in my twenty-five tenure as CEO. Challenging, because we are living through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Most of the counties and states we contract with are indire financial straits. They, in turn, have reduced rates of reimbursement, decreased contract amounts, or asked us to defer billing to the next fiscal year, which has cash-flow implications. I attribute our growth in this challenging fiscal environment to our ability to plan carefully and take advantage of credible business opportunities.

 

Fiscal year 2009 has also been a satisfying period on many levels.  Our anticipation of the looming crisis, along with prudent decision-making, helped us to avoid some of the more radical actions taken by similar organizations in order to balance their budgets.  For example, we have avoided significant staffing cutbacks, and retained valuable benefits, such as the employee retirement match. Fellowship Health Resources, Inc. (FHR) has focused on its comprehensive three-year strategic plan (FY 2008 – 2011), identified critical directions and incorporated them into its strategic plan for fiscal year 2010. Listed below is a representative sampling of the organization’s many achievements this past fiscal year:

Reflecting back on the past fiscal year and all that we have accomplished, I am truly grateful for the support of the Board of Directors, our employees, our service recipients, our donors, our family

members, our funding sources, and our community partners. With their collaboration, Fellowship

Health Resources continues to fulfill its mission of hope and recovery to individuals living with

mental illness, addictions, and other life challenges.