Gaddis to Join CHCS

We are excited to announce that Cassandra (Cassie) Gaddis, LSCSW, CST, CTF-CBT, LIMPH-NE, LMSW-NE will join Community Healthcare System (CHCS) later this month. Gaddis comes to CHCS with 9 years of experience in the social work field including child welfare, implementation and supervision of clinical services, and medical social work. Gaddis will provide counseling service the beginning of September at our Onaga and St. Marys Clinics.

“We are so pleased and fortunate to welcome Cassie to this role at CHCS. Improving access to mental health services in our communities has been and remains a high priority for our System,” said Merica Surdez, CHCS Chief of Provider and Clinic Operations.

“We continue to see a tremendous need for behavioral health services in our rural communities and Cassie’s background and experience in assisting children, adults and families will help fill that void,” Surdez said.

Gaddis explained: "I believe in the strength of providing a client supportive reflection, psychoeducation, and empowerment to help an individual feel better equipped to help themselves. I want my clients to feel more in control of their life circumstances, feelings, thoughts, and actions."

Gaddis is a nationally certified Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (TFCBT) with experience serving children, adults, and families. Gaddis often utilizes components of CBT, mindfulness, skill building, psychoeducation, and client-centered therapy. Gaddis also has years of experience treating depression, anxiety, and trauma related disorders.

Gaddis is also a certified sex therapist (CST) with specialized training and experience treating children and adolescents who demonstrate unsafe sexual behaviors or boundaries, treating survivors of sexual assault or other unhealthy sexual dynamics, couples struggling with intimacy in their relationships and other sexual health and mental health related concerns.

Gaddis obtained her Child Development Accreditation in 2007 and spent several years working in the child care field. In 2012, she graduated from Washburn University with a Bachelors in Social Work. Following graduation Gaddis worked as a case manager for children and families in the foster care system.

In 2013, she returned to Washburn University to obtain her Master's degree in Social Work (MSW). While in graduate school, Gaddis worked as a home visitor for the Healthy Families program where she helped new and expectant parents adjust to parenthood by providing emotional support, community resources, and child development education.

Upon obtaining her MSW degree, she began her career as a therapist in a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for kids and adolescents. At that time, Gaddis began working towards her specialized credentialing goals and within 3 years, had earned her TFCBT, CST and licensed specialist clinical social worker (LSCSW) certifications, the highest level of social work licensure in Kansas. She then worked as the assistant clinical director of that facility for several years until she accepted a position as a social worker at Stormont Vail.

Gaddis states that earlier in 2023, she realized she missed providing clinical therapy services and accepted the position with CHCS. “I am excited about this position and I am eager to bring services to a community that is so much in need.”

Gaddis has 3 children as well as 3 dogs and 3 cats. Gaddis says she is a home body and could spend hours in her sewing room piecing together a quilt. She also enjoys camping, gardening, canning and food preservation, and anything that makes her feel more grounded and in touch with nature.

Gaddis will be seeing patients, both in-person and via telehealth, in the Onaga Clinic on Mondays and Tuesdays and St. Marys Clinic on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Patients may contact any CHCS clinic to schedule an appointment with Gaddis.