Entering the mental health care field? Here’s my advice

By Kim Palchikoff

Monday, May 16, 2016 | 2 a.m.

We should all be thrilled that more than 500 health science professionals — including psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, nurses and social workers — are graduating this spring from UNLV, UNR and the University of Nevada School of Medicine and heading into the workplace. Many will be dealing with patients who have mental health issues.

A large part of their success will come not just from being a competent practitioner but from nurturing patient-doctor relationships that are based on honesty, mutual respect and (gasp!) enjoyment. Treating mental health patients does not have to be depressing, no pun intended. So here are some suggestions for the graduates as to how they can build that relationship, offered by an experienced patient with bipolar disorder: me.

Always remember to take five, as in five minutes to talk to your patients about life beyond the reason they came to see you. Getting treatment for mental health issues can be frightening, which is why a lot of people avoid it. The best medical providers I’ve had take a few minutes to inquire about my life before addressing my medical problems. They look me in the face. They smile. They seem genuinely happy to see me and know my name. We are not our illnesses. We are people who have illnesses, but who have other lives as well. We have interests, passions and families. Get to know us.

Be complimentary. Remind us frequently of how great we are, as we tend to forget, especially when we’re drowning in our sorrows. Even a simple high-five for showing up and for wanting to get better will contribute to a more positive office experience, which is crucial to a better outcome.

Don’t kiss your clients. This does not make for good relations with patients. The American Psychiatric Association’s Code of Ethics spells this out, as well, in plain English. In case you’re wondering why I am pointing this out, apparently it’s a problem in the industry.

Find humor in your work and joke with your patients. We may be mentally ill or addicted to drugs. It doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate a good laugh that hopefully will lift our spirits. We like upbeat doctors who make us want to return for follow-up visits.

Be humble. I may not have degrees in medicine or the health sciences, but you and I are on the same side, fighting the same fight. We are a team. I like mental health providers who share with me some of their own struggles they have overcome; it makes them more human and makes me feel more normal.

Go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure your client has the best chance of success. Make that extra phone call to the insurance company or stay late for an emergency client visit if necessary. Sure, there’s nothing obligating you to do these things. But hopefully there is a reason you went into a helping profession and it’s not just to save the world, but a genuine desire to ensure your patient gets the best outcome possible. I had a doctor who called me at home to check on me when I was not doing very well, even on the weekends. He did not get paid for this.

Be educational. As I’ve said before, we may be mentally ill, but we are not stupid. I had another (rare) doctor who had a computer and printer in his office, in addition to couches and chairs. When I wanted to see research on this medication or that one, he quickly printed out the information and went over it with me. That was useful.

Be sensitive to roadblocks that can hinder a patient’s road to recovery, such as prescribing pricey medications we can’t afford or referring us to see a psychiatrist as soon as possible when there are none with quick openings. There is a severe shortage of psychiatrists nationally, and in Nevada in particular, which translates to a lot of waiting lists. Sometimes a phone call from one medical provider (you) to another can often move up the appointment time. You don’t have to make this “courtesy call,” but it does happen a lot in the medical world, so please consider making these phone calls and taking them as well.

Now the cliché:

Give back to your community. Teach a course in mental health, learn some Spanish, work for the state of Nevada, or if you go into private practice, take on a few low-income Medicaid patients every year. Most important, do your best to share your passion for mental health with high school or college students from time to time so that more of them, like you, will fall madly in love with a very honorable, rewarding and interesting line of work. We need new recruits.

Finally, stay in Nevada, a state desperately in need of talented mental health practitioners and psychiatrists. We may be a rural state with a lot of mental health problems, but you will retire knowing that you have saved more lives than you ever thought possible, and that will be rewarding more than you will ever know.

Congratulations, class of 2016! It’s good to see you.

Kim Palchikoff is studying social work at UNR and writes about mental health. Her Twitter handle is @NVmindsmatter.