catholic family services

School shootings have prompted debates about gun control and conversations about mental health, but the recent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., has added another voice to the discussion: the high school students themselves.

Catholic Family Services has opened an outpatient mental health office in Herculaneum to serve children and families in Jefferson County.

The office opened after Catholic Family Services received a three-year grant of more than $500,000 from the Jefferson Memorial Community Foundation. Therapists will provide individual and family therapy services to those seeking support and those who may be mandated for treatment.

Though weeks have passed since massive flooding occurred in Missouri at the end of December, the trauma that it caused remains.

Catholic Family Services took part in the multi-agency resource centers for flood victims in January along with other Catholic Charities representatives. Tom Duff, executive director of the professional counseling agency, said help is available to anyone dealing with trauma and grief resulting from the losses that occurred in the flood.

Skydiving, bungee jumping and swimming with dolphins might sound like typical bucket-list wishes, but for 42-year-old Willie Deuster, it's just a way of life.

With such an extensive list of adventurous experiences, one would never guess that Deuster was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects the use of his limbs and makes a wheelchair a necessity for getting around.

It's no wonder he gained the nickname Wild Man Willie with all of his thrill-seeking adventures. In fact, the name stems from Deuster's very first adventure -- skiing -- nearly 10 years ago.

Thomas Duff has been named the new executive director of Catholic Family Services.

Duff, a licensed clinical social worker, has more than 14 years of experience working as a clinician and administrator. Since 2006, he has served as a treatment manager and director for United Methodist Children's Home in Mt. Vernon, Ill. He oversaw programmatic and fiscal integrity for a number of programs. Duff is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Illinois Sex Offender Management Board. He also serves as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Illinois.