Outpatient Clinic continued

Congratulations Cindy - 30 Years at JPS!

Last week, our very own Cindy Turner celebrated 30 years here at JPS. We wanted to know just what it was about JPS and behavioral health specifically that has kept Cindy with us. Her dedication to the field and her patients has provided meaningful encounters that accentuates our mission and vision for the future. Here's what we learned: What is your current job title?

PHP Staff RN. I’ve worked in PHP since July 2014.

What were all the departments you worked for here at JPS?

Health Promotions Department: Staff RN for InfoNurse Hotline; Outpatient Case Management RN for Maternal Child Health; Program Coordinator for Mom & Baby Drug-Free Program

In-Patient Psychiatry: Staff RN (PEC, 2NW, 2SW, but primarily AIU)

Out-Patient Behavioral Health: PHP Staff RN at Leuda/Hemphill and CBHR

What motivates you?

I’m motivated by watching behavioral health patients stabilize and improve their quality of life.

Why do you like JPS and specifically BH?

I like the culturally diverse staff at JPS, and the population we serve. I love having a front row seat to all the education that takes place at JPS and enjoy working with the wonderful attending providers, the bright residents, the caring social workers, and the great techs and peer support specialists. We really do “team” well at JPS.

What trait most defines who you are?

I’m empathetic and caring. I try to interact with patients in the manner I would want my own family members treated.

What is your favorite work memory?

Several former PHP patients have returned to tell staff how much the program helped them. Recently, a former patient who is now a JPS employee was present in his new role. I witnessed as he told the current patients, “This program is great. It will really help you”.

What has changed the most since starting work here?

As a new employee in 1993, I thought JPS had room for improvement regarding how we interact with patients. As we implemented our motto of “Own it, Seek Joy, and Don’t be a Jerk”, I’ve witnessed so many beautiful interactions between the dedicated staff and the population we serve.

What surprised you the most working at JPS?

The many opportunities for personal growth and expanding my career.

What advice would you give a new employee?

Work hard, but be kind to yourself. It will take time to become proficient in any new role, but the great team here is always available to help. This is a great place to work!

What are you most proud of?

I was thrilled when my name suggestion for our new building on Terrell Avenue was selected as the winner! I’m really proud that I’ve spent the majority of my nursing career at JPS!

UPDATE: Start/MAT Clinic

BeginningMonday,February20,2023,allpatientsreferred toSTARTwillnowhavetheirinitialappointmentbewith LindsaySorensen,BHTherapist,forintakeassessmentto getestablished. Please inform any patients scheduled on February 20 and after that they will first complete an intake assessment (appt is about 45 minutes with a SW or LPC and purpose is to gather current and historical information to help inform med management provider on best course of treatment) and then will be scheduled for a new patient appt with the med management provider after intake is completed We should be able to get them in with Lindsay quickly and she can do the intake via phone or video so the patient doesn’t have to make an additional trip into clinic

Thewhy: There are regulatory requirements for the program that necessitate an intake assessment for every patient to ensure we have all the biopsychosocial and addiction history we need to meet Joint Commission standards Patientswhocompleteintakeandnewpatientapptat STARTarealsoconsideredestablishedwithourOutpatient BHMedManagementclinics.

Thewhy: The START intake and New Patient note are the same note template as the BH Clinic intake and new patient notes Therefore, all required information is collected during START intake/NP appt There is additional information in these notes about the patient’s addiction history Many patients at START may have co-occurring disorders and may need to see a BH provider for med management in addition to seeing Lindsay for therapy and/or Joanne for buprenorphine

Additionally, the Epic team is working to fix the “Psychiatry” encounter filter under the Encounters section of the patient’s chart so any encounters completed in the START MAT program will populate under the Psychiatry filter This will enable you to easily chart review to see if a patient is established with START, along with any other BH encounters

Lewis Beckett 02/13

George Hailey-Loftin 02/09

Rebecca Kaminski 02/17

Leticia Molina 02/01

Desiree Peoples 02/14

Erika Perfecto 02/05

Kayla Williams 02/16

Celebrating Black History Month, is an opportunity for people to engage with Black histories, highlight Black leaders and recognize their accomplishments As mental health providers it is important to highlight the contributions and achievements of individuals who have paved the way for a more inclusive and culturally responsive mental health system

Some notable historical Black mental health professionals include:

Dr Althea T L Simmons - the first African American woman to earn a PhD in psychology and made important contributions to the field of clinical psychology

Dr. Edwin Nathaniel Mitchell - one of the first Black psychiatrists in the United States and co-founded the National Association for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture

Dr. Joyce Baptist - a leading expert on culturally responsive mental health care and has been a vocal advocate for increasing diversity in the mental health field

Dr. Monnica Williams - a clinical psychologist and researcher who has made important contributions to our understanding of trauma and culturally competent mental health care

By honoring the achievements of these mental health professionals, we highlight the important role they played in shaping the field and creating a more inclusive and culturally responsive mental health system Let's take that inspiration and move forward collectively to serve and strengthen our communities