Dorthy “Dot” Stephens
Fortwood Center Senior Vice President of Services, Dorthy “Dot” Stephens, retired Monday after 22 years of dedicated service.
Ms. Stephens began her career at Fortwood Center in 1991 as a therapist. Over the years, she has worked to uphold the Center’s tradition of providing quality and compassionate care to individuals facing mental illness and social challenges. In her role as the Senior Vice President of Services, Ms. Stephens oversaw care for more than 3,000 children, adolescents and adults in the greater Chattanooga community.
In April, Fortwood Center officially merged with the Helen Ross McNabb Center. Stephens was instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition for staff and individuals served by Fortwood Center.
Throughout her career, Ms. Stephens was active in her community, always using her leadership position to educate others about the challenges of living with mental illness. She is well-known in her community as a leader in the mental health field. She served as the chair for the Center’s United Way campaigns several times. Ms. Stephens also serves as an adjunct professor in psychology with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in school psychology from UTC.
Ms. Stephens looks forward to enjoying retirement with her husband, Walter Stephens, and spending more time with her family.
Fortwood is a service of the Helen Ross McNabb Center, a premier not-for-profit provider of behavioral health services in East Tennessee. Since 1948, the Center has provided quality and compassionate care to children, adults and families facing mental illness, addiction and social challenges. As the Center begins its 65th year of providing services to communities in East Tennessee, its mission remains clear and simple; “Improving the lives of the people we serve.” For more information, visit www.mcnabbcenter.org or call 865 637-9711.