Meet Empowerment Systems

Today we’d like to introduce you to Braden Biggs and Deke Beveridge.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Braden and Deke. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Empowerment Systems, Inc. was established in 1990 by Jack Beveridge as a resident expert in the health care field. We began as the Pinal-Gila Behavioral Health Association (PGBHA) to administer Medicaid funding for behavioral health services in Pinal and Gila counties. We supported the growth and management of a comprehensive network of mental health and substance abuse providers until 2005 when our Regional Behavioral Health Authority contract with the state department of health services expired.

At that time, we made a strategic decision to use our resources to focus on multi-dimensional wellness and health education rather than behavioral health treatment. We completely restructured the organization and formed Empowerment Systems, Inc. as the new/updated 501C3. We also created a separate corporation to establish the Empowerment for Life Foundation as a Qualifying Charitable Organization to serve low-income benefit recipients supported by donations that earn state income tax credits.

Current operations focus on multi-dimensional wellness through a suite of programs like our Community Outreach Resource Connection (CORC) Center, the Empowerment Learning Collaborative, and our Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid classes.

In our CORC Center, trained assistors connect community members with resources such as AHCCCS (Medicaid in Arizona), KidsCare, Marketplace Insurance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Unemployment Assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/food stamps) and more. As an Arizona@Work One-stop affiliate, we offer employer and job seeker assistance. Our CORC center also works with the homeless and at-risk population by helping to provide state-issued ID Cards, Driver’s Licenses, and other Vital Records at no cost and in partnership with the Arizona Motor Vehicle Department.

The Empowerment Learning Collaborative is an opportunity for college students to intern at Empowerment Systems. Students come from ASU, U of A, NAU, GCU, Midwestern University, and junior colleges throughout the state to work with staff on a variety of community-based projects. Our focus has traditionally been healthcare-related; however, we are currently expanding to provide internships in Psychology, Journalism/Communications, Political Science/Public Policy, and Non-Profit Management. Working with our partners to improve access to care and providing educational opportunities remains our priority.

In 2019, we introduced our suite of classes for both Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid. Currently, we have two nationally certified instructors who promote and teach these eight-hour sessions. Mental Health First Aid classes equip our communities with the ability to respond to a potentially life-threatening crisis with a friend, family member, co-worker or community member. The training provide the skills needed to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.

It is strongly encouraged by the National Council for Behavioral Health that employers, police officers, hospital staff, first responders, faith leaders, community members and caretakers take this class. Topics range from (but not limited too): stigma reduction, suicide awareness and prevention methods, common signs and symptoms of mental illness, common signs and symptoms of substance abuse, how to interact with a person in crisis, and how to connect the person with help.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
An agency that has existed for 30+ years is bound to have ups and downs. Being a non-profit, we constantly deal with the various levels of government and the increases/decreases in funding and appropriations of different administrations. Our biggest challenge now is just simply putting ourselves in a position of expertise and being a recognized leader in our field. By continuing to forge new partnerships and collaborative opportunities, we have seen an increase in presence, donations and access for our clients.

Please tell us about Empowerment Systems.
Our mission statement is Empowering People to Improve Lives. We achieve this through a multidimensional approach to wellness that addresses virtually every aspect of life: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Social, Occupational, Spiritual and Environmental. Our overall vision is to be a recognized leader and advocate for helping individuals, families and communities achieve optimal health, prosperity, and wellbeing.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2066 W Apache Trail Suite 116 Apache Junction AZ 85120
• Website: www.Empowermentsystems.org
• Phone: 480-367-6937
• Email: bbiggs@empowermentsystems.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowermentsystems/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowermentsystemsinc
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmpowermentSys1

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