When the late Dr. Henry Hearnsberger passed away on February 28, 2006, his son, John Hearnsberger of Hot Springs immediately went to work to honor his father's memory and continue his commitment for taking care of people with severe and persistent mental illness. Without any fanfare, John quietly established an endowment to benefit Small Group Therapy, Inc., a non-profit provider of psychiatric treatment services in Hot Springs where the late Dr. Hearnsberger's influence is still felt. "Rarely does a day go by that I do not think about Dr. Henry Hearnsberger and the lessons he taught me about psychiatric illnesses", says Wanda Raper, the Chief Executive Officer at Small Group Therapy. "Dr. Hearnsberger was a very compassionate psychiatrist who believed strongly in the potential of people with mental illnesses. He was very passionate about our work and was a vocal advocate for mental health treatment in Arkansas. To this day, we miss him at Small Group and are still influenced by his approach to treatment and the things he believed so strongly. When Small Group Therapy was smaller and new to the business of providing psychiatric treatment services, Dr. Hearnsberger was our mentor, our teacher and our friend." The fact that John & Marcie Hearnsberger established an endowment to continue his father's work at Small Group Therapy, Inc. came as no surprise to Raper. "John is as passionate about our mission here as his dad was and, is equally committed to the long-term success of our organization." The way John went about establishing the Dr. Henry Hearnsberger endowment reflects his ongoing commitment to making a real difference in Hot Springs and, in the lives of its residents. "Even though John is the Small Group Therapy Board of Directors Chairman, he didn't tell me about the endowment until after he had done it", said Raper. "When John announced it at the Small Group Therapy Board of Director's Meeting, it was a brief, humble announcement and one that Dr. Hearnsberger would have been proud of", she continued. "From start to finish, the act was so typical of John Hearnsberger and reflects the values that the late Dr. Hearnsberger instilled in John and all of his children." Donations to the Dr. Henry Hearnsberger endowment can be made to the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation, P. O. Box 56, Hot Springs, Arkansas 71902 or mailed to Wanda Raper, CEO, Small Group Therapy, Inc., 311 Whittington Avenue, Hot Springs, Arkansas 71901. |
311 Whittington Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901
Phone (501) 623-3477 | FAX (501) 624-7498 | ceo@sgwt.com
Administrative Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
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