The Be Well Bulletin is intended to share with you, our friends,
some of the important things Provident is seeing, doing, and learning.
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A Message from Marianne Fournie,
Provident's New Board Chair
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Dear Friends:
I am delighted to begin my tenure as the new Board Chair for Provident Behavioral Health. I’m stepping into big shoes as I follow Dr. Edward Lawlor, who has been a dynamic and forward-thinking leader and an excellent servant to our board, staff, and clients.
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I come to the board after a 50 year career in nursing, working in operations as a head nurse, chief nurse, and system director of nursing operations, so I bring new experiences in recruitment and hiring to the table. I thought I was getting ready to enjoy a nice retirement, but I couldn’t say no to this opportunity!
I will apply what I learned working in emergency services, where we regularly helped patients with urgent behavioral health needs. It showed me how critical Provident's role is in the community.
I will also focus on the recruitment and retention of staff as well as our current menu of services. We are kicking off an older adult task force this year and are also excited to be further investing in our work in schools.
I'm excited to get moving!
Marianne
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Provident Crisis Services Chosen to Monitor
ASPEN Program for Youth in Jefferson County
Provident Crisis Services (PCS) has been selected to monitor the ASPEN (Access to Services Providing Essential Needs) program during off-hours for the Jefferson County Health Department and Jefferson County school districts. Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of students needing mental health resources. In 2018 in particular, the number of youth suicides increased in the community.
The online ASPEN platform was established to allow students, with parental approval, to self-screen and assess their needs for services. Students log into the portal and complete a survey, and if their results indicate a need, school counselors and licensed counselors connect them to resources.
Click here to read the full story
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Provident's Danielle Perk Featured in
New York Times 988 Crisis Hotline Profile
In December, the New York Times selected Provident for a “Witness” profile that focused on the success of the 988 Crisis Hotline. These profiles are typically short and provide firsthand accounts of significant current events. They chose Provident and spoke with Danielle Perk, a therapist who staffs the hotline. The profile is shown here on the left. Her quote in the profile:
Her quote in the profile: "I started working at the crisis hotline to help people. We get calls from people struggling with grief, anxiety, depression. Sometimes callers just need someone to talk to. The holidays are difficult for a lot of people, and there is a pressure to feel happy, which can make it even worse."
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Provident Crisis Services Selected
to Monitor 988 Inquiries for DMH on social Media
Beginning in January, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) started running statewide advertising for the 988 hotline on all major social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. During this campaign, which will run through May, PCS has been selected to monitor the chat and messaging feature for the DMH Facebook page so that inquiries are not missed.
Our staff are tracking any comments or concerns from individuals expressing emotional distress or indicating thoughts of suicide. We were asked to provide this support due to our past work with the Online Peer Support Community (OPSC) pilot program through DDH and Vibrant.
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Expert Insight:
The Role of Leadership in Creating
an Inclusive Workplace Culture
Provident welcomed Rachel Ridings to the team this past fall as our new Culture Champion and Recruiter. Part of her role is to be a voice for DEI&B (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), so she will chair the Provident DEI&B committee and share insights with our team frequently about what we can do to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace. Most recently she wrote about the role of leadership in creating an inclusive workplace culture.
You can read the whole article here.
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What We're Reading:
Adult Primary Care Physician Visits Increasingly Address Mental health Concerns
Health Affairs reports that an increase in the need for mental health services combined with shortages of much-needed mental health specialists has resulted in the growing involvement of primary care clinicians in treating their patients with mental health concerns. From the article:
"Based on a sample of 109,898 visits representing 3,891,233,060 weighted visits, we found that the proportion of visits that addressed mental health concerns increased from 10.7 percent of visits in 2006–07 to 15.9 percent by 2016 and 2018."
Read the whole article here.
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Each day, you’ll be surrounded by dedicated, committed people focused on a common goal of making a difference by helping others lead healthier, richer lives.
We take our jobs seriously, treat each other with respect and integrity, and learn and grow in our careers. These are just some of the reasons why Provident has been named a Top Workplace by the St. Louis Post Dispatch for five consecutive years!
Current openings include Behavioral Healthcare Coordinator (St. Louis), Behavioral Therapist (DeSoto), Office Administrator (p/t, St. Louis), Psychiatric Registered Nurse (St. Louis), and Therapist (St. Louis).
Click here to learn more.
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Become part of one of the region’s
most-respected behavioral healthcare teams
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Provident Behavioral Health | 314.533.8200 | info@providentstl.org | ProvidentSTL.org | | | | |