The Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services (MHDS) Board is posthumously recognizing Alexis Piero as the 2024 Mary Ann Bergeron Hall of Fame honoree for her service, commitment and significant contributions to her field.
Piero, who died in November, was one of the first peer counselors hired in the Adult Outpatient Substance Use Unit in MHDS. While she served in the role for only four years, her passion, commitment, strength and story of hope gave her a unique ability to connect with others seeking help for substance use disorder.
She trained community members how to administer naloxone to reverse a suspected or known opioid overdose. Piero was committed to breaking down barriers that prevented individuals from seeking services. She was an integral part of Henrico’s first mobile substance use disorder team, which brings free health resources into two neighborhoods in the county each week. Piero represented the agency in countywide initiatives such as the Addiction Task Force and Marcus Alert Workgroup, and was featured in Henrico’s Visible Video series.
In 2023, Piero was awarded the Pioneer Peer Award by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services, which highlighted her ability to educate, assist and advocate for those with substance use disorders and who identify as part of the LGBTQIA2s+ community.
Piero will be inducted into the Mary Ann Bergeron Hall of Fame at 4 p.m., Thursday, June 20 in the MHDS building at 10299 Woodman Road. Now in its third year, the awards program is named in honor of Mary Ann Bergeron, the founding executive director of the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards who served the association from 1989 to 2014. Bergeron died in 2021. Her legacy lives on in the work conducted by the behavioral health authority and 39 community services boards across Virginia. A permanent display of the Mary Ann Bergeron Hall of Fame is located at the MHDS offices on Woodman Road. Visit henrico.us\mhds\about-us for more information.
