About AmericanWork

Our Story

Ken Whiddon
Founder, AmericanWork

AmericanWork was founded Ken Whiddon. Ken suffered from bipolar disorder from early adulthood. He cycled in and out of psychiatric hospitals for 10 years.

Throughout that time, he expressed a desire to work. However, he was told multiple times that he was too sick to work and the best he could hope for was to remain on disability the rest of his life.

Still, Ken persisted in his pursuit of employment, as he viewed work as a path to recovery. He returned to school and later secured an internship at a community mental health center. He then obtained a job at a day service center and went on to serve 10 years in direct service and, later, management positions in community mental health centers.

He eventually served as a Regional Administrator for Georgia’s former Division of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse. He left that job when he decided that he could have a greater impact as a provider of service. He wanted to bring together “public” agency commitment to service and the advantage of private sector business structure and flexibility. He secured an initial contract to provide Supported Employment to assist individuals with mental illness in finding employment and the company was founded in 1999. He named the company AmericanWork, as he wanted the phrase “I can work” within the name.

This was both a reflection of the initial service provided as well as a personal testament.

Even though Ken Whiddon passed away in 2017, his legacy of providing quality, recovery-driven services continues. Today, AmericanWork offers a wide variety of treatment services to help individuals reach their recovery goals.

Our Mission

Improving the lives of people by inspiring personal growth, health and wellness.

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Our Core Values

Compassion

We listen to all perspectives without judgment and stand stronger together.

Inclusion

​We value a culture that is inclusive of all perspectives and promotes diversity at all levels.

Integrity

We set high standards for ourselves and the services we provide by promoting ethical and honest conduct every step we take.

Commitment

We are dedicated to delivering the highest quality services in an open, ethical, inclusive and positive environment.

Accountable

We take responsibility for our actions and outcomes.

Person-Driven

We join the people we serve on their personal journey and partner with them as they plan each step along the way.

Collaborative

We work as a team to accomplish common goals by welcoming each individual’s unique perspective and expertise. 

Patient Testimonials

"I like that they treat you like a person and they care about their clients."

"The work they do is not just a job. They really care."

"They are very helpful and resourceful. They are very knowledgeable and point you in the right direction."

"I just don't know what I would do without them. I'm in such a good place now and I owe
it to them."

"I just appreciate the services; they help me in several ways."

"Since I've been with the program, I have not been in the hospital."

"They really take care of you. They don't put you off or goof around. They take care of you
and help with housing a lot more than other places do."

“It’s helped me a lot because it gives me a place to go during the day. It keeps my mind sharp, focused, and energized. I’d be depressed if I didn’t come here! We do groups. I take this place very seriously.”

“There’s no suggestions I have, they couldn’t improve if they wanted to! They’re awesome! Everybody’s so nice and polite.”

"I love [my counselor], that woman has bent over backward to take care of me...she even makes sure I eat before I go back to the peer group.”

“The prescription they have me on keeps me smiling and it just works.”

"I like that they are assisting me in going back to school for medical coding, and they helped me get started."

"They provide a social outlet for me. I don't want to go anywhere else. I want to keep going there."