Collection of Rise Above essay contest honorable mentions

10/18/19 03:23:pm

Rogers team members were invited to submit statements and stories about what it means to help patients rise above the challenges of mental illness and how they and their colleagues help Rogers set the standard for behavioral health care. The following essays were honorable mentions in the Rise Above essay contest:

Monica Robertson, RN, BSN

We have a patient in our program who needed to have Applied Behavioral Analysis services to meet his needs in conjunction with our treatment. His therapist Stephanie Pennacchia sent his insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield, different applications for a single-case agreement as well as clinical rationale for this level of care. I truly feeling like she has risen above as she is advocating on her patient’s behalf to have his insurance cover this treatment as the family cannot afford it. Going above and beyond regarding day-to-day skillset with treatment is one thing, but when you work just as hard for services outside of Rogers, you have risen above, in my opinion.

Brittany Barker, RDN

If someone asked you what a registered dietitian at Rogers Behavioral Health did, would you feel confident in your answer? If not, don’t feel bad. The registered dietitian role is commonly misunderstood throughout many different workplaces. However, the role of a registered dietitian (RD) at Rogers Behavioral Health is even more unique than the typical RD role elsewhere. Here’s why.

At Rogers, I get the opportunity to work alongside other treatment professionals and provide my clinical expertise just as they do. Though one of my responsibilities is to be sure patients receive nutritionally and medically appropriate food, that is a very small part of my role. Much of my time is spent meeting with patients, interviewing them to learn more about their nutrition and the problems that poor nutrition has caused for them and then find them solutions for these nutritional problems. This is called nutrition therapy.

My role as a RD for Rogers is unique because our patients are unique, and thus, so is the nutrition therapy. This truly is my favorite part of working as an RD here. I enjoy reaching out to my team and finding solutions to complex problems while gaining insight into how other disciplines solve the problem. I feel fortunate that I’m able to use my skills as a dietitian to help patients challenge and change their unhealthy thoughts about food and weight that are holding them back from a live worth living. The RD role at Rogers is also unique because we use many concepts from cognitive behavioral therapy to help our patients make needed nutritional and lifestyle changes.

We give difficult news and information to our patients while keeping the environment nurturing and therapeutic. We help our patients start eating foods they once avoided out of fear and anxiety. We discuss weight information with our eating disorder patients that have an intense fear of weight gain. We communicate nutritional concerns to our treatment teams and collaborate on our treatment goals. And sometimes we just spend time building rapport and listening to our patients while validating their needs if that is what is needed.

Beth Shaw, therapist

I just had a visit from a man today who was in my treatment program twice for alcoholism. He celebrated seven years sober on March 31. He told me that on that day, he had all four of his grown children over for a special dinner to celebrate this success. Up to this point only some of his children felt comfortable even staying in contact with him due to his past alcoholism. He comes in once a month to talk to my group about his addiction and how he has attained recovery. He’s been doing this for the past five years!

Michele Schmeckpeper, health information specialist

Rising Above in the Health Information Department at Rogers Behavioral Health

As the Health Information Department works together to provide access to accurate and complete medical records, we strive to correlate timely continuing care documentation which is essential to set the standard for delivery of behavioral health care. Our cooperation with multiple departments and providers develops indispensable relationships which assist in coordinating medical documentation completion.

Rising Above across the organization is inspirational as we can all make a difference in various capacities to impact the challenges of mental illness and addiction by doing our very best to contribute to successful outcomes.

Stephanie Pruefer, LCPC, CADC

Our team at Hinsdale continues to strive for patient care and recovery. The clinicians exemplify attentiveness, compassion, and recovery for the patients as their number one goal. We aspire to help the clients at their most down, vulnerable, or hopeless times and show them how to connect to their values and be where they want to be in their lives. I love working for this organization and working alongside my colleagues!