Cathy Cassell, LCSW-C receives official citation from The Maryland General Assembly in recognition of 30 years with Channel Marker.
Channel Marker, Inc. recently honored Cathy Cassell, Executive Director, for 30 years of employment with the agency.
Cassell began her career with Channel Marker on February 11, 1991, in an entry-level position as a Rehabilitation Coordinator. Since that time, she has also served as County Director, Program Director, and was appointed Executive Director in July 2020.
Cassell says of her time with Channel Marker, “It has been such an honor to work for this organization for most of my life. Channel Marker has a soul, it’s genuine, and the care for others is evident throughout the organization. I get to work every day with a strong team of professionals and we provide services to citizens who deserve to be treated with the respect and dignity that we would want for our own family and loved ones. We couldn’t do this without the collective support of our community. I believe in this organization and I can’t wait to see what our future holds.”
Throughout her career with Channel Marker, Cassell has led the agency on multiple surveys with national accreditation, implementation of an electronic health record, expansion of new service lines, and has worked to develop strong community partners to improve behavioral health integration with physical health care.
Senator Addie Eckardt has observed Cassell’s dedication to Channel Marker. “Over the past thirty years, I have had the privilege of working with Cathy, who is passionate about the provision of quality services to those citizens who struggle with mental illness and addiction. She stays involved with the behavioral health coalitions, providers, and advocates around the state. Despite our local communities going through hardships during the COVID pandemic, Cathy has been a steadfast leader throughout the uncertainty and she made sure Channel Marker was there to serve our citizens of Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties.”
Cassell credits much of the success of Channel Marker to a strong, dedicated workforce. In addition to many direct-level and administrative staff who have long tenures of service, Channel Marker boasts 174 years of combined service in its executive leadership team. Cassell and her team have a powerful vision for the future of Channel Marker and would like to see the agency continue to adapt to changes in the healthcare system, provide quality services for clients and families, and develop and maintain a strong workforce.
“Channel Marker will celebrate 40 years of service to our communities next year,” says Cassell. “We want to celebrate not only the success of the agency, but the successes of all of our clients as well. Our clients are why we are here. Their resiliency and ability to persevere are stories of hope and triumph. They are what we are about.”
Cassell received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Salisbury University and her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland with a specialty in clinical mental health. She went on to become a licensed certified social worker–clinical through the State of Maryland. Cassell is a lifelong resident of Talbot County and lives with her husband Marty Cassell, also a clinical social worker, and their four sons.
Founded in 1982, Channel Marker provides mental health and wellness support for adults and youth with severe mental illness in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties. Through a wide range of on-site, residential, and community-based services specifically tailored to the needs of each client, more than 55 clinical and mental health services staff serve an average of 400 clients each year. Funding for their work primarily comes from Medicaid with support from generous members of the community, the State of Maryland, and private foundations.
