Posts Tagged ‘Staff Spotlight’

Tell us about yourself!

Hello, I am Melissa (she/her), and I am a Registered Nurse at the Anna Westin House for Adults (AWH) located in St. Paul, Minnesota. I’ve been at AWH for almost three years and currently work straight overnights, which I love. Before nursing, I was a medical assistant and worked in a maternity care center and an OBGYN clinic! I also do some volunteer EMS work for a small town close to where I grew up.

Describe the path that led you to The Emily Program.

I’ve always had a passion for healthcare but not always in the direction of typical medicine; due to some poor personal experiences, I have tended to resonate with a more holistic approach. I knew I wanted to change the patient experience but didn’t know what path or field I wanted because I had interests in several areas of healthcare (emergency medicine, pediatrics, labor, delivery/women’s care, and finally, MENTAL HEALTH!). Part of what I love about nursing is the ability to move around to different specialties and passions. I decided to follow my interest in mental health as there is still such a large stigma and I didn’t personally know many people who wanted to take this on professionally.

What led me to TEP is my interest in substance use disorders (SUDs)/recovery support and the incredible crossover and similarities between SUDs and eating disorders (EDs). I had a friend who was working for TEP, and although I really didn’t know much about EDs, I knew she loved the culture of the company, so I decided to interview and here we are.

Tell us about yourself!

Hi! I’m Chloé Southcote-Want, Office Manager (OM) at the Seattle Outpatient location of The Emily Program. I’ve been in the OM role for about three years, but I’ve been with The Emily Program for six years this December in various other admin roles, both at Seattle Outpatient and Seattle Residential. Outside of work, I’m a proud dog mom of two very stubborn Plott Hounds.

Describe the career path that led you to The Emily Program.

My background is in public health, with a focus on community health. Prior to coming to TEP, I had worked at a few non-profits doing everything from fundraising for housing and community projects to larger health campaign marketing. After having a lot of experience in more broad public health, I wanted to get more specific experience on the clinical aspects of public health. TEP was the right fit for that, as eating disorders are such an all-encompassing disorder. There are so many factors and things that I learned in my training that I see every day at work, be that social determinants and barriers to treatment, or systems of insurance. Mental health clinics are a really important part of community health systems and the wider public health system.

Tell us about yourself!

Hello! I’m Annie Root, the Site Director at The Emily Program’s Cleveland outpatient location. I started with TEP in 2018 as a program coordinator for the adult DBT program. Additionally, I’ve worked as an outpatient DBT therapist, intake clinician, and clinical manager before becoming the site director in April 2021.

Describe the path that led you to The Emily Program.

In 2013, I graduated with an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from John Carroll University. Following graduation, I spent the summer at Penn State as an academic advisor, and then as an individual and family therapist at a teen crisis shelter for a few years. Seeking a new challenge, I came to work for The Emily Program in the adult DBT program in 2018!

Tell us about yourself!

Hi! I’m Jenna Schuder and I am a dietitian at The Emily Program’s St. Louis Park location in Minnesota. I am the program RD for the adult intensive outpatient program (IOP), I see clients in outpatient (OP), and I recently became Clinical Manager. I was first a dietetic intern through the University of MN-TEP internship and have now been employed at TEP for five years.

Describe the path that led you to The Emily Program. 

The path leading me to The Emily Program has been an adventurous one! My undergraduate degree is in social work and housing studies. After college, I joined AmeriCorps for two years before deciding to go back to school for nutrition and public health. I pursued an undergraduate degree in nutrition and a graduate degree in public health. It was during my dietetic internship that my passion for eating disorders was sparked. I’ve always been drawn to relationship building and helping professions, so when I did a rotation at TEP it felt like I had finally found the career that encompassed all my passions.

Tell us about yourself!

Hello! My name is Caitlyn Starcher, but everyone calls me Cait. I have been at The Emily Program’s Columbus location for almost three years and have been involved in pretty much every one of our programs at one point. My current position is half outpatient therapist and half intake clinician. Since our location is growing, my position will be changing soon and I will become half outpatient therapist and half outpatient FBT (family-based treatment) therapist. I received my Master of Social Work from The Ohio State University.

Tell us about yourself!

Hiyee! I’m Courtney. I’m the Site Director for our Seattle residential location. I started this role in December 2020, but have been with The Emily Program at our Seattle outpatient site since June 2016. I was the Clinical Manager for the Seattle outpatient nutrition team and the majority of my client experience was as a dietitian, primarily with our DBT PHP/IOP program. Prior to that, I worked at another ED residential program in multiple roles (milieu therapist/EDT, diet tech, individual therapist, dietitian). I’m both a therapist and dietitian, and it has been really fun to bring both of those lenses to my new role as Site Director.

What do you like most about your job?

I selfishly love this work because it’s forced me to take a good hard look at myself and my life and really ensure that I’m walking the walk and talking the talk. You cannot pour from an empty cup. To do this work, YOU have to be your top priority. Knowing your limits, holding boundaries, doing your own therapeutic work, doing what you need to do so you can be your very best you – that is how to have a positive impact and how to have a sustainable career. I’ve been incredibly lucky at The Emily Program to be surrounded by both clinical and executive teams who wholeheartedly support this and hold me to following my own advice.