Tasa Isaak’s remarkable 30-year journey at Lakeview Center is a testament to her resilience, adaptability, and unwavering dedication to behavioral health. From her beginnings in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), to her move to Chicago as a young girl, and later to Alabama where she married her high school sweetheart, Tasa eventually found her way to Pensacola, where she embarked on her career at Lakeview Center and started her family. Over the years, her career has flourished, marked by innovative leadership, profound community impact, and a steadfast commitment to helping others.

A former colleague’s move to Pensacola and new role at Lakeview Center inspired Tasa to follow suit, leading her to join Lakeview Center as a case manager in Escambia County. “This rigorous role”, she believes, “was a demanding job, but I believe it should be everyone’s first step in behavioral health. Doing community visits and helping people access resources really prepares you for community mental health. It gives you a deeper understanding of the people you’re working with and the challenges they face.”

Tasa then joined the intensive case management team before moving to Lakeview Center’s clinic in Century, where she spent nine years and became the director. She fondly remembers the years spent there, especially the heartfelt moments when she and her team made their clients’ dreams of traveling to Hawaii come true by organizing a memorable Luau.

Tasa comments on another outing at the Century clinic, “When we discovered that some of our clients had never been to the beach, we knew we had to do something. I organized a beach outing for everyone because, even though they lived just 45 minutes away, I felt it was essential to give them that experience.”

Tasa then moved to Lakeview Center’s Access Behavioral Health in Pensacola, working in a Quality Management role and auditor for six years and developing strong partnerships with other community providers. She later returned to clinical practice as the director of adult case management, a position she continues to hold today.

Throughout her career, Tasa has been involved in many pivotal moments, one of the most significant being her response to the terrorist attack aboard Pensacola NAS. On that day, alongside a now-retired colleague, Tasa provided support to the remaining victims inside the building where the shooting took place. Having recently launched Lakeview Center’s Mobile Response Team (MRT), Tasa was called upon to assist those individuals and others remaining at the scene, offering crucial support during a harrowing time. This experience left an indelible mark on her, reinforcing the importance of the work she does.

Along the way, Tasa helped implement Lakeview Center’s LEAP program to assist frequent users of inpatient services and contributed to the launch of Lakeview Center’s Mobile Response Team, focused on mental health crisis care. Her approach to linking, engaging, advocating, assessing and planning has been integral to the success of these programs. She also implemented innovative techniques, such as group and individual medical psychotherapy in Century, which improved efficiency and client care. Today, she oversees Lakeview Center’s LEAP and FACT, Adult Case Management and Forensic programs, demonstrating her versatility and commitment to the field.

Tasa’s dedication was honored in 1999 when she was named one of just sixteen providers statewide nominated for the “Provider of the Year” award by the Florida Council for Community Behavioral Health (now the Florida Behavioral Health Association). Looking ahead, Tasa aspires to continue her work at Lakeview Center in program innovation while addressing the needs of specific populations, such as l assisted living facility beds and forensic multi-disciplinary teams.

Despite obstacles along the way, Tasa has remained steadfast in her mission to provide quality care and support. Her career is marked by key milestones and accomplishments, both professional and personal. Tasa values teamwork and collaboration, having fostered a work-family culture at Lakeview. Her journey in behavioral health is a powerful example of not only the opportunities available at Lakeview Center but her own resilience, dedication and the impact of compassionate care in transforming lives.