Melissa Grove, Legacy Counseling executive director (Photo by Chuck Marcelo)
No matter how dedicated you are, working in the HIV/AIDS field is a draining profession. For so many, many years, people were dying so quickly. Our AIDS activists were fighting to save their friends, and every death took a little more from them. Those involved with HIV/AIDS, whether as activists or caregivers — or both — burned out quickly.
Treatments have improved over the years. People with HIV/AIDS are living longer now, with better quality of life. But still, it is a difficult field in which to work.
And that’s what makes people like Melissa Grove, executive director of Legacy Counseling Center, so very, very special.
Today, the Legacy Counseling staff used the agency’s Facebook page to wish Grove a happy 19thanniversary as Legacy’s ED, and thank her for her service to the agency and to the community:
“Happy 19 year anniversary to our Executive Director, Melissa Grove M.S., LPC!
“Melissa Grove, M.S., LPC, Executive Director, has a background in Geri-Psychiatrics, Supported Housing, and Mental Health management. Ms. Grove has worked with Legacy since 1992 and opened and managed Legacy Founders Cottage since its inception in 1996. Prior to her position at Legacy Counseling Center she managed a sixty bed psychiatric unit for ADAPT of Texas, Inc. Other experiences include working with clients with schizophrenia, emotionally disturbed children, alcoholic Mescalero Indians, adults with retardation, terminally ill elderly and Haitian families. She has done research on the computerized DSM program, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for Veterans, and attachment disorder. A therapist herself, Ms. Grove mans the 24 hour a day suicide crisis line for Legacy.
“Thank you for all of your leadership and commitment to Legacy over the years! From founding the Founders Cottage to opening our housing programs to putting together the largest conference in the nation for HIV positive women themselves, you are touching to many lives of those living with HIV/AIDS in unimaginable ways.
“Thank you!”
On behalf of the staff at Dallas Voice, let me just add that Melissa Grove is one of the nicest, funniest, craziest and most genuine people we have ever had the pleasure of working with. She has also always been wiling to work with us and make herself accessible to us whenever we need her help or input on a story.
Melissa, you make our jobs so much easier, even when you are not having the easiest time. Like your staff, we appreciate you, we love you and we hope to have the chance to work with you for many years to come.
