About Us:
Mission Statement:
It is the mission of Rockbridge Area Community Services to help prevent and treat mental illness, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse, and to enhance the quality of life of individuals who experience these conditions in the Cities of Buena Vista and Lexington and the Counties of Rockbridge and Bath, Virginia by providing individualized treatments, establishing and expanding programs and support systems, and promoting integration into the community.
Developed and governed by a Board of Directors representing each of the four localities served by our programming, RACS has grown along with the many communities it serves. Since 1982, RACS has been the primary resource for mental health, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, and prevention services in the Rockbridge Area. With offices and programs all over the Rockbridge Area and qualified, dedicated staff, we are available to meet the diverse needs of our communities.
Values Statement:
We Value Our Customers
Access: RACS assures services are accessible to its customers.
Accountability: RACS is accountable to the customers and communities we serve.
Dignity, Respect and Equality: RACS assures customers are treated equally, with dignity and respect, and RACS advocates on behalf of its customers for this same level of treatment in the community.
Meeting Customers’ Needs: RACS is constantly re-evaluating its services and service delivery systems to maximize our ability to meet our customers’ and the communities’ needs.
Choice: RACS strives to provide the greatest degree of service choice to the customers we serve.
Participation in Service Planning: RACS encourages customer and family involvement in service planning.
Best Clinical and Business Practices: RACS supports efforts to remain on the forefront of clinical and business best practices and adheres to Quality Improvement Principles in all aspects of our operations.
Recovery: RACS adheres to treatment approaches that support recovery and encourages our customers’ strengths and respects their natural support systems including family and community.
We Value Our Community
Community Relations: RACS is dedicated to developing and maintaining positive relations with community members, civic organizations, and local agencies and businesses.
Community Partnerships: RACS seeks and promotes collaborative relationships with a wide variety of local agencies, businesses, and civic organizations in order to best facilitate service delivery in our communities.
Community Education: RACS educates the community about issues related to prevention, mental health, developmental disabilities and, substance use disorders in order that community members are better informed.
Community Accountability: RACS is accountable to the community for its sound fiscal, business, and clinical practices.
We Value Our Employees
Excellence: RACS supports work environments that encourage excellence and continuous quality improvement.
Highly Qualified Staff: RACS employs and provides training so that we have motivated, qualified and competent employees.
Creativity: RACS encourages the special talents and skills of our employees.
Cooperation: RACS encourages cooperation among employees and programs to achieve the highest level of customer service.
Compensation: RACS provides competitive salaries and benefits to its employees and their families.
Recognition: RACS rewards its employees for a job well done.
Safety: RACS is responsive to safety concerns of our employees and customers and supports safe work environments.
Cultural Diversity Statement:
We, the community of Rockbridge Area Community Services, embrace and promote diversity. We seek to cultivate an atmosphere for all consumers and staff that encourages, values, respects, and appreciates individual differences. Our environment is grounded in the recognition of the responsibility of all members of this community to demonstrate civility and respect to others. Rockbridge Area Community Services does not sanction any form of stigma, prejudice, discrimination, or exclusion. With this as our foundation, we seek to provide supports and services that enhance knowledge and incorporate an understanding of diversity so that everyone may flourish and thrive.
Title VI Notice to the Public:
RACS gives public notice of it policy to assure full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all related statutes. Title VI requires that no person in the United States of America shall, on the grounds of race, color or national origin, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which RACS receives Federal financial assistance.
Please contact RACS to request a copy of the agency’s Title VI program.
Any person who believes that he/she has, individually, or as a member of any specific class of persons, been excluded from the participation in, been denied the benefits of, or been otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which RACS provides assistance, and believes the discrimination is based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, economic status or limited English proficiency has the right to file a formal complaint.
A complaint must be submitted within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act. Complaints may also be filed with the US Federal Transit Administration. Any complaint that addresses RACS may be filed thru email via the link below, by phone or in writing.
For complainants who may be unable to file a written complaint, verbal information will be accepted by RACS at 540-463-3141 as well as by any individual at RACS.
To submit a formal complaint or to request additional information on Title VI obligations for RACS contact RACS as noted below.
Director of Quality Assurance/Corporate Compliance
241 Greenhouse Road
Lexington, Virginia 24450
540-463-3141
Notice under The Americans with Disabilities Act:
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Rockbridge Area Community Services [RACS] will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs or activities.
Employment: RACS does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the ADA.
Effective Communication: RACS will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in DRPT’s programs, services and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing or vision impairments.
Modifications to Policies and Procedures: RACS will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services and activities.
Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a RACS program, service or activity, should contact RACS’ ADA Coordinator as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.
The ADA does not require RACS to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose any undue financial or administrative burden.
Complaints that a RACS program, service or activity is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to RACS ADA Coordinator:
Donald Sherman
Director of Quality Improvement/Corporate Compliance
241 Greenhouse Road
Lexington, Virginia 24450
540-463-3141
RACS will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy.