Tom Starling of Mental Health America of the MidSouth presents the 2019 Louise B. Katzman Volunteer of the Year Award to Dana Hentschel, outreach coordinator of Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law in Hendersonville.
Dana Hentschel, outreach coordinator at Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law, was named 2019 Louise B. Katzman Volunteer of the Year by Mental Health America of the MidSouth (MHA) at the organization’s annual meeting and awards luncheon on June 19, 2019 at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Nashville.
“Dana has been a longtime volunteer for MHA because of her passion for older adults,” said Tom Starling, MHA’s president and chief executive. “She believes that our aging mentors, veterans, and parents should be treated with dignity and respect, as reflected by her rolling up her sleeves and participating with our Alzheimer’s and caregiving programs. MHA is proud and thankful for volunteers like Dana, who help us in such meaningful ways. She honors us by accepting this award.”
Louise Brooks Katzman, for whom the award is named, was a longtime member of the Nashville Jewish community. She died in 2014 at age 100. Mrs. Katzman was a professional social worker and later devoted her time and talents to volunteer work, especially in the field of mental health. She was founding chairman of Hickory Hall School for Emotionally Disturbed Children (now Murrell School) and Park Center, president of the Board of Directors of the Mental Health Association of Nashville and served with Jewish Family Service and the Jewish Federation of Nashville.
“I am humbled and honored to receive this award from MHA,” said Dana, who joined Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law as outreach coordinator in 2017. “Today, one in four people have a diagnosable mental illness in the United States. MHA’s programs help people achieve good mental health and work to erase the stigma of mental illness—all free of charge. I’m thrilled that MHA has offered me the opportunity to become a Certified Dementia Practitioner so I can help caregivers learn how to improve quality of care and quality of life for those with dementia. I’m lucky and appreciative to work for a firm like Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law that recognizes the importance of mental health and supports my volunteer work with MHA.”