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Importance of mental health: New LMHC CEO Baker continues quality care

Fergus Falls Daily Journal - 8/4/2017

Aug. 04--Donna Baker didn't always see herself in mental health, but she soon discovered that psychiatry and community service drew her to it. Baker didn't always see herself as the new CEO of Lakeland Mental Health Center either, but her new found interest in business management pushed her in that direction too.

Baker has been working at LMHC for 29 years and many of those years were in direct service, community outreach positions.

"At the point when I was in direct service I would say no, I did not see myself becoming the CEO," Baker said. "However, as my career evolved and I evolved in supervisory management positions, I thought more about it in recent years. It was what prompted me to get my master's in management, because I like the business end with the service end of my career."

Baker stayed with LMHC, because of the various career opportunities it has given her and because of the connections she made with clients.

"What keeps me connected even as I moved in supervisory positions and away from direct services is that client contact. That keeps me grounded and reminds me of why we do what we do," Baker said. "I like a great deal when clients will pop their head in and say hello or call and say hello and just the folks I have met through the years."

Baker loves that clients will reconnect periodically to update her on their life accomplishments, highlights or just to say, 'here is what has happened last since we talked.' For instance, one client will call periodically call and say, "Hey! I have another grandbaby!"

"When they do that, you know the importance of our services," Baker said. "In some ways, we become that support in their life and I think we may feel like we might not do a great deal with the connections we make, but it's important to them and that stability or that person who cares keeps them connected."

About 25 percent of the population at one time or another will have a mental health diagnosis and Baker believes that statistic holds true at one point or another. She said knowing this, the chemical health services, mental health and crisis services are more and more significant. Although Baker is excited to begin her new chapter as CEO, she will forever be grateful for her time in direct service outreach programs.

The first position she had at LMHC was their new program working with people who were homeless and mentally ill. She was in charge of engaging the people in services, meeting them on the streets and other places they were staying. From there, she gained experience in various other outreach positions.

After years of outreach, Baker gained experience in management with her master's degree in 2003. Again she wanted to do something new and she was looking for a management opportunity, but she was nervous that she would have to leave Lakeland to pursue that. Fortunately, Lakeland came through for her again when they went through a big change in structure, because they were growing as an agency.

"Again, it was a wonderful opportunity to stay, but also to use my degree," Baker said.

Now that Baker is CEO, there are many aspects of the position she is excited about and she is ready to take on the challenges that come her way as well. Baker looks forward to the broader viewpoint of the services Lakeland provides along with other mental health centers in surrounding counties.

Baker's viewpoint as CEO also extends beyond the county level and into the healthcare system in the state and nation in general. She said that mental health services are changing significantly within treatment care and health care is changing nationally. These changes will trickle down to funding of mental health services and influence service efficiency, collaborations and community partnerships.

"I think collaborations and community partnerships already existing will become even more important," Baker said.

She talked about how communication between behavioral or medical health care will have a team approach to their care so that it is consumer centered.

"Anyone providing care to that person will be on the same page and sharing information and a treatment plan so that everyone is working together for the holistic good of that person," Baker said.

If a patient has a therapist, psychiatrist and/or medications, those providing the care will work together and communicate what actions to take to reach a common goal for the client.

Despite the positive change, one potential challenge that grabs Baker's attention is federal decisions on health care finances.

"We are all certainly aware of what is happening nationally and funding may be impacted by the decisions made by the legislature and what the Senate decides to do with the Affordable Care Act," Baker said. "It could affect a great deal of our client base, because we see a lot of Medicaid eligible clients and it could impact the services these clients receive. We need to be on top of that, advocate for it and be a strong voice to make sure folks can continue to receive the services they need to continue to function independently in the community."

To Baker, the services that the mental health center provides are too important to not protect. She said that even 20 to 40 years ago, if someone was diagnosed with a chronic mental illness, it was accepted as a fact that they would need services for the rest of their life. That's not the case anymore, and it's because of the services that Lakeland Mental Health Center provides and the philosophy they stand by.

"Our philosophy is instilling hope in recovery," Baker said. "And being the voice of hope and recovery. It's a different mindset in my time of delivering these services. Now we can instill in people that we provide services that are time limited, because we know you can recover and get back out there to your life, education or job and find your support in the community. We want our services to begin with an end in mind and to start planning how you can get back to life and not need our services for forever."

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(c)2017 the Fergus Falls Daily Journal (Fergus Falls, Minn.)

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