Jeannette Barnett was raised in Bertie County, North Carolina. After graduating high school, she attended Pitt Community College where she received a degree in Human Services. She also attended East Carolina University where she studied Substance Abuse Counseling. During this time period she was working full time on the Adult Acute Psychiatric Unit at Pitt County Memorial Hospital. While working on that unit, Jeannette was offered a position as a member of a team headed by Dr. Diane Antonnaci, which established the Dual Diagnosis Behavioral Health Unit at PCMH. Part of that process was developing Policies and Procedures, screening potential clients from State Hospitals who would benefit from services on the Dual Diagnosis Unit, developing ways to partner with the community to allow for seamless continuity of services upon discharge. Also, as a member of that team, she assisted in developing a process for training staff, doctors and members of the community to allow people who were long term institutionalized patients to have an opportunity for a successful transition to community life. It was during that time that she recognized the work of providers in the community and the effect they can have on the overall success for individuals who have transitioned to the community. Seeing a need for these services, Jeannette was compelled to pursue opening her own provider agency. After 10 years of experience in the hospital environment and this field, Jeannette co-founded Paradigm, Inc. in 2002. Since that time, Jeannette, in her position as Program Director, has continued to utilize her wealth of knowledge and experience in mental health services, to expand and build upon her goals of serving the community in this capacity. Jeannette is a vital figure at Paradigm. She always takes time to make every person in our Paradigm family feel special and heard. She constantly comes up with creative ways to address difficult issues. She truly exemplifies the meaning of all Paradigms core values, starting with number 1. "We Believe in Placing the Needs of the person served first!"