Lisa Tindal Reflects on 10 Years as Director of MHA Aiken

When Lisa Tindal’s tenure as executive director of the Mental Health of America of Aiken County ended at the end of April, she honored a promise made years ago to her daughter. She also celebrated an opportunity to continue her lifetime of work with children.

Children’s Welfare

In 2009, Lisa was hired to succeed Mental Health America of Aiken County (MHA Aiken) interim director Constance Shepherd because of her work in the child welfare field, coming to MHA Aiken directly from Children’s Place, Inc.

A psychology major with a minor in art from Georgia Southern University, she says she has always had a heart for children and their families. She sees herself as an observer and acknowledges that God designed her with an empathetic heart. Little did she realize how far that heart would expand at MHA Aiken.

MHA Aiken Work

Through the Education and Advocacy Programs, MHA Aiken staff members reach into the community to promote positive mental health. One of the groups designed to support the bereaved is the Survivors of Suicide Bereavement Support Group. This group helps suicide survivors share their losses with other like-minded people.

“I am grateful to have been the leader of this group,” Lisa said. “At our last gathering, I shared with them what they meant to me. They trusted me and allowed me to hear about their loved ones. Through this group, I learned how important just listening is, instead of always giving the ‘right’ advice. As they have shared their sorrow, my heart has been enlarged.”

Operation Santa and Welcome Baby are two more programs directed by Lisa and her staff. She has enjoyed enhancing the lives of those with significant mental health conditions through Operation Santa, not only at Christmas, but also at Thanksgiving and in the springtime. She cherishes the memories of the frequent calls from one of their many appreciative clients and helping the new mothers who have received support through the Welcome Baby program.

Nurture Home

Nurture Home, the transitional housing shelter for women and their children under MHA Aiken, was closed when Lisa began her new job. But Nurture Home pulled at her heart, and she was determined to reopen it. She advocated for funding through the United Way of Aiken County and was fortunate that the United Way president Sharon Rodgers had faith in both Lisa and the program. With United Way and federal funding, Nurture Home reopened.

Over time, Lisa helped change the program with the philosophy that women and their children need consistency and structure in their lives.

“The success of Nurture Home is due to the trusting relationships the staff and the agency have developed with the women residents,” Lisa said. “The success is also due to the women’s understanding that they are no longer victims, and that they have become survivors,” Lisa said.

“We help those women comprehend their abilities to break the generational cycles of abuse and homelessness by standing up for themselves and taking steps toward independence. This is a new concept for many of them. When they see hope, they begin to change,” she said.

MHA Aiken’s two-generational approach produced changes in the children, when they, too, were shown another way to live. “It was wonderful to see the light come on in children who weren’t dealing with their mother’s anxiety or abuse. In Nurture Home, they have a bed, food, and a routine, which provides the structure to allow them to settle down. They feel like they have no future when they come in, but like their mothers, they leave as survivors,” she said.

“At one time in my life, I was basically thrown into the same situation where the women at Nurture Home find themselves. I try to teach them what I learned when I became a single parent and use my faith to help them prioritize their children. These women have changed me by reinforcing my personal healing from trauma,” Lisa added.

Lisa’s Process

Lisa believes she operated by staying on task and doing what she needed to do. She recalled that any time she focused on herself instead of MHA Aiken’s mission, she got off track and “things went haywire.”

For example, when she talked about money in a speech and felt like her focus became a competition with other agencies for limited community dollars, Lisa saw that her affect became muddied. “You cannot lose focus and carry out the mission to affect other’s lives. I may not have done everything in a savvy way, but I’ve stayed the course,” Lisa said.

“I was once advised that people should know why they should care, so I share stories of the people our agency has served. I speak from the heart because I care about this agency and our programs,” Lisa said. “By talking about the people we deal with, I try to show others why they should care.”

She was also told that she is a person who speaks about the hard stuff. “One member of the Survivors of Suicide Bereavement Support group said that before me, no one talked about suicide in this community,” she said.

Saying Goodbye

Lisa enjoyed the visits from former Nurture Home clients when they brought their children to her office to share the happiness in their lives.

“I’ll miss people’s stories. I’ve enjoyed the opportunities to be changed by the conditions of others, and I’ll miss the opportunity to walk alongside those who need help,” she said.

She’ll also treasure the support from this giving community, the women’s groups, the churches, and other community agencies. “I’ve been given lots of support to share my vision, and I was met with listening ears and genuine interest in many audiences,” she said. “I appreciate the opportunity the community gave me to strengthen MHA Aiken to the point where it will continue to grow and thrive. I’m so appreciative of our board of directors who trusted, supported and believed in me through these 10 years.”

Multitalented Woman

When daughter Heather married Benji Brown and son Austin went to the Citadel, Lisa remodeled Heather’s bedroom into a studio for writing and painting.

She turned the numerous sketches of angels from her journaling Bible into paintings. “I envisioned those angels painted on old hymnal pages with facial expressions representing the scripture I was reading at the time,” Lisa said. “Eventually my work progressed into numerous commissions, many coming from those who have lost someone or who are living in a season of hardship.”

Jamie Mothkovich, executive director of the Community Medical Clinic of Aiken County, purchased five angels and other paintings to hang in the clinic. “She made this purchase using her own money,” Lisa said. “She told me that the clinic is better because of my paintings.”

Lisa will continue to write. She’s been published in The Motherhood Anthology: I Love Mom, and has freelanced for Lexington Life. She will also continue to write grants for other nonprofits. Lisa believes that creativity is therapeutic and she will continue blogging and sharing current art as well as accepting commissions at https://quietconfidence-artandword.blog. Recently, she began a monthly newsletter with a focus on redemption for those affected by trauma or past shame.

Honoring a Promise

“I promised my daughter, Heather, years ago that when she had a baby, I would be the caregiver,” Lisa said. “My first grandchild, Baby Brown, is due May 20. My son Austin will be graduating from the Citadel this summer and has accepted a job in accounting with Elliott Davis in Charleston. My husband Greg and I are in a good place, too.

“I’ve helped other families, and now it is time for me to shift my attention to my own family. Our agency will flourish in Bonnie Fulghum’s capable hands. When I am in a helping capacity like I was with my work in MHA Aiken, it takes something really big to make me move to life’s next step. Becoming a grandmother is really big,” she continued.

“Now I want to surround my grandbaby with the unwavering value of loving one another. I want this new child to grow up around a person whose faith increases daily. I’d like to help provide a foundation of enduring faith,” Lisa said.

While Baby Brown is a very lucky grandchild, so are the numerous citizens of Aiken whom Lisa has walked beside. She will be missed by many, but her presence will continue to be felt through her writing and art.