60th Anniversary Party Steve Wilson Recovery Center Wrap Up
/About the Program: Steve Wilson Recovery Center
The Steve Wilson Recovery Center provides comprehensive subacute mental health services and support to individuals in their recovery journey. The program offers a therapeutic environment led by a multidisciplinary team, comprising nurses, clinicians, substance use specialists, and recovery staff, who collaborate to support clients’ wellness and independence goals.
From Anne Bakar, Telecare President & CEO:
"Last week, I traveled to Oregon for a moment I've been looking forward to for a long time—the renaming of our Gresham program to the Steve Wilson Recovery Center, celebrating both Telecare Corporation's 60th anniversary and the legacy of someone whose vision shaped so much of what we do.
Steve Wilson wasn't just our Medical Director—he was a visionary who fundamentally changed how we think about recovery in mental health care. Growing up, my father founded an innovative psychiatric hospital in the 1960s, and mental health was a constant topic at our dinner table. I learned early on that recovery wasn't just possible—it was the whole point.
Steve Wilson, along with Stacey Calhoun, David Heffron, Joan Meisel and many other Telecare collaborators, took that belief and built something extraordinary: our Recovery Centered Clinical System, a framework that puts hope, dignity, and individual choice at the center of care.
What strikes me most about Steve's work is the timing. He helped develop this approach when institutionalization was still the norm—when many believed people with serious mental illness couldn't recover. He proved them wrong. He built an approach where staff are fully invested in each person's journey, where treatment honors individual goals, and where people are met exactly where they are with compassion and respect.
There's a reason our logo is a tree—it represents growth, deep roots, and the kind of adaptive strength that recovery requires. In these challenging times, when we're seeing some movements back toward institutionalization, Steve's vision feels more important than ever. Recovery isn't just our history—it's our North Star. It's the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to shape their own life, to have real choices, and to pursue their own hopes and dreams.
It is also incredibly exciting to see the ways our current program leaders are building on this foundation with our Chief Medical Director, Kent Eller, MD; by incorporating new measures of effectiveness, integrated substance use treatment, and robust training to enhance engagement.
I'm grateful to Oregon's First Lady, Aimee Kotek Wilson, for joining us, and to the devoted teams who live these values every single day. Standing in that building, surrounded by staff and community partners who carry forward Steve's legacy, I felt deeply proud of the path we're on. And I am optimistic about the next chapter of the Steve Wilson Recovery Center, and our innovative public/private partnership in the great state of Oregon.”
Event Activities/Highlights
Hosted the RCCS Steering Committee in the morning
Celebrated the 60th with all Steve Wilson Recovery Center staff
Official ribbon-cutting ceremony with Aimee Kotek Wilson, Oregon’s First Lady
More food, fun, and celebrating!
Continuing the Celebration
This celebration was one of many taking place across Telecare as we honor 60 years of service. Together with our clients, customers, staff, and partners, we are proud to reflect on our history and excited to look ahead to the future. For more information on Telecare’s services, click here.
