Art Exhibit to Honor Deceased Jacksonville Caregiver

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - (Oct. 23, 2009) - The Gustavo Ernesto Gonzalez Memorial Retrospective Exhibit will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24 at The Art Center Gallery. 

Ernesto Gonzalez, better known as "Gus" to his friends and family, died in May from injuries sustained in a car accident.  He was a longtime employee of River Point Behavioral Health in Jacksonville, where he spent more than six years working as an art therapist in the residential treatment program.

"The opportunity to showcase Gus' artwork is so meaningful to his family and friends," said Woody Winfree, a longtime friend of Mr. Gonzalez and one of the event organizers.  "At the time of his accident, he was earnestly preparing an exhibit of the work he created since returning to Jacksonville from New York more than 15 years ago. While Saturday's retrospective features artwork from his entire lifetime portfolio, we are so happy to fulfill this dream and to honor our extremely talented friend whom we miss so much. This special event takes place on Gus' birthday weekend.  It is so exciting to be able to acknowledge his birthday, his life and his art in this special way."

Gonzalez' friends and family said an art exhibit would be an appropriate way to celebrate his passion and life-long commitment to the craft.  His work, which consists of paintings, drawings, ceramics and photography, will be on display at the event and available for purchase.  All proceeds from the event will benefit The Jason Foundation, Inc., an organization dedicated to the awareness and prevention of youth suicide.

Gonzalez was born in Havana, Cuba, on Oct. 23, 1957, and immigrated to Jacksonville in November 1960 with his parents and brother.  He graduated with Honors from Sandalwood High School and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Florida in 1980 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He also received master's degrees from George Washington University and Ohio State University.

The Memorial Retrospective Exhibit at The Art Center Gallery is open to the public and admission is free.  In addition to Gonzalez' work, the event will also feature complimentary food and beverages, as well as live entertainment.

About River Point Behavioral Health
River Point Behavioral Health is a fully licensed, 99-bed private hospital specializing in the treatment of addictive, psychiatric and co-occurring disorders in adolescents and adults. The hospital is a Baker Act receiving facility. Treatment programs include inpatient drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation, psychiatric stabilization, residential programs, SIPP, PHP and IOP services.  As a community service, the hospital provides free face-to-face assessments and referral services by appointment, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  River Point Behavioral Health is contracted with most managed care organizations, most Medicaid HMOs, Cenpatico, Tricare and Medicare. The facility is licensed by the State of Florida and is accredited by The Joint Commission.

About Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. (PSI)
Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. offers an extensive continuum of behavioral health programs to critically ill children, adolescents and adults and is the largest operator of owned or leased freestanding psychiatric inpatient facilities with over 11,000 beds in 32 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  PSI also manages freestanding psychiatric inpatient facilities for government agencies and psychiatric inpatient units within medical/surgical hospitals owned by others.

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