DECATUR, Georgia – January 26, 2015 The Brighter DeKalb Foundation announces an addition to the Board of Directors, Amanda Michalik. Brighter DeKalb Foundation is a nonprofit organization in metro-Atlanta, Georgia established to help youth and adults reclaim their lives by supporting a full continuum of behavioral health and developmental disability services provided by the DeKalb Community Service Board (DeKalb CSB).

Serving on the Board of Directors, Michalik will focus on enriching the lives of DeKalb county residents dealing with mental illness.  “My family has dealt with their fair share of mental illness and addiction – it’s very hard on families and individuals,” said Michalik.  “It is evident that people with mental illness are not getting the help that they need.  I’m motivated by the opportunity to be a part of a foundation that supports creating better communities aimed at helping individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities.”

Michalik has a great interest in creating awareness and advocating for mental health. She also believes access to mental health services is essential to creating healthy, thriving communities and she is committed to supporting efforts to provide these services to her community.

Michalik has over 12 years of Healthcare Information Technology experience, focused in process improvement and program and project management.  Michalik holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Iowa, and a Masters of Health Systems Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech.

The Brighter DeKalb Foundation helps youth and adults reclaim their lives by supporting a full continuum of behavioral health and developmental disability services provided to more than 10,000 citizens annually by the DeKalb Community Service Board (CSB) in DeKalb County, Georgia.

DeKalb CSB is a public, nonprofit organization that provides a wide range of evidence-based behavioral health and developmental disability services.  Through more than 20 locations across DeKalb County, DeKalb CSB helps children and adults recover and resume productive lives.  DeKalb CSB employs more than 500 staff, and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).   For more information, visit www.dekcsb.org or call 404.508.7875.