About
Mission of PRS
PRS’ Mission is to provide behavioral health, crisis intervention and suicide prevention services.
Vision of PRS
PRS’ Vision is to change and save lives in our community by empowering hope, safety, recovery, wellness, independence and community integration.
Established in 1963, our unique role in the community enables us to explore and quickly implement innovative models of service and program delivery while maintaining close relationships with the individuals we serve, their families and the community at large. Those services include:
- Recovery Academies
- PRS CrisisLink
- Community Readiness and Support Program (CRSP)
- Community Support Services
- Employment Services
- Community Housing
- BeWell
- LINC (Linking Individuals and Navigating Care)
- Family Peer Supports
- Loudoun Substance Abuse Peer Services
PRS individuals served are persons living with serious mental illnesses (such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder or major depression), mild intellectual disabilities, substance use disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and anyone who faces life crises. PRS’ experience shows that with the proper services and support, individuals served can and do increase their independence and self-sufficiency. With PRS supports, the individuals we serve are taking critical steps to leading strong and fulfilling lives.
PRS History
PRS (formerly known as Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services) is a community-based 501(c)(3) non-profit incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia, licensed by Virginia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and CARF accredited. Since 1963, PRS has been providing mental health services and supports to individuals with mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, major depression) and co-occurring disorders such as substance use disorder.
In 1963, PRS began as a Social Club for a dozen recently discharged psychiatric patients. On June 11, 1970, the program was incorporated in Virginia as a 501(c)(3) and by 1989, the agency was providing a range of rehabilitative services including vocational, educational, case management, recreational and other services to over 400 individuals.
PRS has grown throughout its history through the strong leadership of three Executive Directors — our founder, Vera Mellen, who was succeeded by PRS’ President and CEO, Wendy Gradison, and currently Joseph Getch, who served as PRS’ COO for over 15 years before becoming CEO on July 1, 2020.
Long-time programs include PRS’ Community Housing, Employment Services, Community Support Services and Day Programs. However, PRS has evolved significantly, particularly over recent years.
In August 2014, PRS and CrisisLink merged to transform the delivery of mental health services in response to the community’s growing needs and the changing mental health landscape. As a result of the merger, CrisisLink is now a core program of PRS, offering crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to the DC metro community as well as nationally. The merger strengthened PRS’ ability to offer 24-hour support not only to our existing clients, but to the community at large. In April 2015, PRS CrisisLink (PRS CL) received a five-year accreditation from the American Association of Suicidology, the highest level possible. PRS CL celebrated 50 years of service to the community in 2019 – a remarkable milestone. Most recently, PRS CrisisLink secured contracts with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to serve as a National Back-up Center and as a Core Chat Center. As a National Back-up Center, in addition to answering the many calls originating in Virginia, PRS now answers calls originating throughout the United States when call centers in those other states are unable to answer calls. As a Core Chat Center, we have now expanded the options beyond telephone and texting for those seeking crisis intervention and suicide prevention services.
Over the past several years, PRS has added programs that: support an expanded population of clients including young adults experiencing their first psychotic episode; provide integrated primary and behavioral health care services; peer supports to families living with a young adult who lives with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder; offer peer substance use disorder services; and expand CrisisLink’s services to include a regional crisis and suicide textline as well as outbound well-check calls to isolated seniors in Fairfax County. These newer services are additions to the continuum of care provided through PRS’ life-changing and life-saving programs.
