Former chauffer is back in the driver’s seat

Bernard J

As an executive chauffer for many years, Bernard J. traveled many roads.

However, for this 59-year-old man who battled Paranoid Schizophrenia, it was the road to recovery that perhaps was the most difficult to navigate.

The “friendly” voices in Bernard’s head would give him directions to destinations in northern New Jersey and New York where his employer needed to go, and at times he’d have to whisper to them, “I have this. I know where I’m going.”

Another trio of voices would tell him to “play it again” when he performed solo jazz standards on his saxophone at a restaurant in Newark, and then compliment him on his performance. During his 20-minute breaks, he would sit in his car and chat with them.

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SERV marks 35th Anniversary

SERV Behavioral Health System, Inc. marked its 35th year of operation on Nov. 13 with two simultaneous celebrations connected via its new teleconferencing equipment.

Employees and outside guests of SERV’s Mercer and Middlesex County offices marked the occasion with a reception in the Ewing office on Scotch Road, while employees and guests of Union, Passaic and Hudson County offices celebrated in the Passaic office.

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SERV installs sign on headquarters building

To celebrate its 35th Anniversary, SERV Behavioral Health System, Inc. marked the occasion with the installation of a sign on the exterior of the three-story Ewing Corporate Center on Scotch Road, where SERV’s corporate offices occupy the top two floors.

The official unveiling with a drape was scheduled to take place at the start of SERV’s 35th Anniversary Reception on Nov. 13 for employees and guests; however, due to inclement weather earlier in the week, a substitute plan was devised.

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When Harry met SERV

Harry, a consumer with SERV Centers Passaic County for 20 years, sits in the back yard of his apartment building on a recent day in autumn.

Ask Harry T., a sports enthusiast and an avid Mets fan, if he is following the 2009 World Series games on television during this first week in November, and he answers, “Nah, I don’t like the Yankees.”

But, if there is a Giants or Jets football game, a Nets or Knicks basketball game, or a Devils or Rangers hockey game any time on television, Harry is usually parked in front of his television set in his two-bedroom apartment operated by SERV Centers Passaic County.

Harry, 44, has been a consumer with SERV Behavioral Health System, Inc. for 20 years. During this time, he has advanced through nearly every level of residential services and programs SERV Centers of New Jersey has to offer for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.

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