ANYWHERE CLINIC

Judy Chan

 

[00:00:02] I told him, you keep it. Okay.

Speaker1: [00:00:07] So start with just introduce yourself when it comes back. Because if you're just like on.

[00:00:15] Your profile page. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What are your interests? What are your passions? Things like that. Okay. Good.

Speaker1: [00:00:24] All right. So tell us a little bit about yourself.

Speaker2: [00:00:26] I'm Judy Chan. I'm a PR. I've been working with this clinic for about five years, so I really enjoy working with this clinic. I love being a PA. I love seeing improvement in all my patients lives over the last few years. Awesome.

Speaker1: [00:00:44] Do that one more time. Just looking at me. And. Tell us a little bit about where you're from and what you enjoy. You know, just as cheesy, like what are your interests, what are your passions kind of thing?

Speaker2: [00:00:57] Okay. So, again, I'm Judy Chan. I'm a PA from San Diego. I love cooking and baking mainly. I enjoy just going to the beach, relaxing by the pool and traveling.

Speaker1: [00:01:13] What's your favorite natural antidepressant?

Speaker2: [00:01:17] Baking. Pretty much baking and music.

Speaker1: [00:01:23] What's your favorite? Natural antidepressant?

Speaker2: [00:01:26] Baking and listening to music.

Speaker1: [00:01:32] And talk about what it does for your mental. Like, how does that actually help?

 

Speaker2: [00:01:39] New to come. I love to bake and I love to listen to music because it just calms my nerves, alleviates my anxiety, just keeps me going.

Speaker1: [00:01:51] Cool. Do you think that clinicians also deal with mental health?

Speaker2: [00:01:58] I definitely think that clinicians go through a lot of mental health struggles. It's hard for us to accept because we feel that we need to be the superheroes. We also need help ourselves. We're only human. So I feel that we have the most struggles sometimes.

Speaker1: [00:02:16] Awesome. How do you work through things that go.

Speaker2: [00:02:18] On your way? I take it day by day. Every everything that comes my way. I try not to let it overcome my mental health. I take one piece at a time and then each struggle has its own category for me to overcome instead of becoming overwhelmed.

Speaker1: [00:02:40] Tell us a little bit about the work that you do in the community outside of mental health and how you kind of see mental health everywhere through that work?

Speaker2: [00:02:47] Well, in the community, I also work another job. I see mental health is a big struggle, especially during COVID times. Everyone seems a little more depressed, more anxious of everything. So we try to give them resources. We try to kind of give them, like different therapists to go up with and like outlets. Everyone needs an outlet.

Speaker1: [00:03:11] What have you seen some of the struggles societally when it comes to.

Speaker2: [00:03:14] Mental health that people are going through? The struggles is actually accepting mental health and actually trying to have someone to talk to. That's the biggest struggle is reaching out.

Speaker1: [00:03:26] And when they're ready to reach out, how do you find that those visits are able to go when you see someone for the first time? What do you notice that like, okay, I've got to help them through this and that first they might be. Going this way.

[00:03:39] But over time.

Speaker2: [00:03:45] Um, I noticed that usually the first session, sometimes it could be a hesitation. It's that trust that you need to build. That's usually what they need first during the session, when they actually reach out for a mental health visit.

Speaker1: [00:04:03] Are you able to build that trust?

Speaker2: [00:04:06] Just to get to know them first. I'm not jumping right into why they're there, Just to see what what made them come finally to decide that they need that help.

Speaker1: [00:04:22] Tell us about telemedicine and what that has allowed for your patients.

Speaker2: [00:04:27] Telemedicine has made it more convenient for patients. They can actually see me or any other provider at the comfort of their own home. They actually make their appointments more instead of being stressed out. And even if like appointments, they seem to be running a little behind. It's easy for them to contact our staff, so it's very convenient for them.

Speaker1: [00:04:52] Take a deep breath. I know I've been many times.

[00:04:55] I it's like, um.

Speaker1: [00:04:58] And tell me again a little bit about how telemed is, how people and if you can like, cheerful and smiling like, it's like a really great time for people to be able to address their mental health because it's so easy now. Okay.

Speaker2: [00:05:13] Yeah. Okay. So telemedicine is really it's made it more convenient for everyone. So it's better because they can actually do it in the comfort of their own home. They're more comfortable, they can open up more so they actually like it better. And then it's easy access for them at their own home instead of having to come into the clinic if they actually don't drive as well. So.

Speaker1: [00:05:38] Excellent. Is there anything you miss about the office?

Speaker2: [00:05:40] I do miss like connecting with some of my patients that actually really like a little bit of therapy one on one as well. Some people who need a little more time and they would like to see me in person. I do miss that part.

Speaker1: [00:05:54] And then let's see that again, saying that they still do have the opportunity to see me in person. Some people do prefer seeing a person, Right. So let me ask a different way.

Speaker2: [00:06:04] Um.

Speaker1: [00:06:06] Is it still possible for some people to meet in person if they prefer, and what does that allow them?

Speaker2: [00:06:12] It's definitely still possible. Some some people actually want to meet me in person because they prefer to see me in person. So we can have those one on one sessions. Then we can have that connection in the office.

Speaker1: [00:06:26] And how have you saved rapport and. See in connection, even those through video. How have you been able to salvage that and focus on maintaining? A lot of people think video where we're not going to get the same connection, but do you see that you still can?

Speaker2: [00:06:41] I definitely see. I still can have the same repertoire with some of my patients. They actually feel like really comfortable with me because they actually can talk to me. I still face to face by video and they feel that we're more engaged with it as well. Some people do respond pretty well with it. What do you love about seeing your patients? I love seeing the change. I love like I have some patients from the beginning. There's no time limit with mental health. I always say that with them. It's on your own time. And I've seen people improve six months, some people improve in a year and then they notice that now I'm great in society. It's not it's not something that before I was so scared of, so awesome.

Speaker1: [00:07:32] Can you talk about how in the emergency room where you used to work or were you also work? A lot of the times you don't get that continuity and that's really refreshing and rewarding as if you're talking to friends in your space colleagues about why you like mental.

Speaker2: [00:07:46] Health, comparing it. Yeah, okay. I do work in the emergency room as well. I do enjoy it there. But the thing that they don't have there is I get to I can't follow up with my patients. I enjoy this job because I can follow up and see the improvement of their mental health. So.

Speaker1: [00:08:09] Give me that one more time. I love my work in the emergency room. However you said it. But that's what health is so much more fulfilling.

Speaker2: [00:08:18] Because it's usually what I say anyways. So I do love my work. My other job in the E.R. as well. I work there, but I feel mental health is really fulfilling with this job because they can follow up with patients and I see their improvements.

Speaker1: [00:08:36] So I give it one more.

Speaker2: [00:08:39] Take a deep breath. Anyway, coffee.

Speaker1: [00:08:44] And just keep it positive. I love my work in the air, but men's health is more fulfilling in some ways.

Speaker2: [00:08:50] Because I do have another job. I love my work in air, but my mental health is really fulfilling in a lot of different ways. You get to see improvement of your patients. People are more gratitude. They have a lot of gratitude towards you. There are always thankful that you're there to listen and be there for them. That's my favorite part. That was awesome. Thank you.

Speaker1: [00:09:17] It is. And what are some of the common reasons people struggle with mental health?

Speaker2: [00:09:23] Most of the common reasons is just acceptance that you need help with mental health. It's something that sometimes different cultures don't accept mental health as well. They don't think it's a thing sometimes, but it's definitely a daily struggle for everyone.

Speaker1: [00:09:40] So what would you say? Directly speaking to you, the patient, if you are struggling. This is how you can overcome it. It's really simple. You can see us via telemedicine, via video. Just call out. Reach out and trust that we're going to take our time and make this gentle, safe and easy for you. Things like that. So you're speaking to a patient. How would you counsel someone who's like, I just. I'm not sure. I don't know. Want to see someone. If I need to see someone too scared to see someone. How would you counsel that person?

Speaker2: [00:10:10] I would definitely counsel them by saying, Let's just start off with seeing someone in person then to see who you match up with. Some people have more of a connection with certain people. I offer it to them usually. Do you prefer a male provider? Female provider? Some people are more comfortable that way with male providers versus female. Give them options of different things that can make them comfortable so they know options or if they're comfortable in their own home. I would tell them you also have a television option as well. Okay.

Speaker1: [00:10:48] And how about overcoming stigmas and barriers? That there's something.

[00:10:53] Wrong with me. How would we directly tell a patient? Know that this is not a sign of weakness. It's. Reaching out shouldn't.

Speaker1: [00:11:04] Feel stigmatized, but rather empowering.

Speaker2: [00:11:08] I always tell my patients like it's not something that something wrong with you. It's something that you need to overcome, like struggles inside you that you just need to figure out. It does take time to kind of piece together what is that barrier? And our goal is usually to break down that barrier to get to get you more comfortable with your mental health.

Speaker1: [00:11:36] When you talk to Kelly Ryan and other people who Judy shared a lot of your experience with others who have done this work, how do you share that experience? How do you convince them This is pretty dark work you should get into?

Speaker2: [00:11:47] Yeah, I'm still here, so I always share it with them. It's it is rewarding. That is my favorite part, is that I get to see people's mental everyone's mental health improve. If they just stick to the work, it takes work. That's what I tell patients to. It's not just medications and everything, and that's it. It's it's also to taking work with therapy, taking work every day just to improve your mental health. So if they do the work, I notice that their life is more stable, they're happier, less anxious, less depressed, things like that, too. So it's pretty rewarding. Awesome.

Speaker1: [00:12:32] And how do you help facilitate that work? So looking for an answer like, you know, we help with medication management when it's needed, but more so focusing on all the holistic factors that go into. Why we're struggling. We help people understand that. We help them therapeutically, process those things, find more. Okay, So how do you help people? How do you facilitate that growth?

Speaker2: [00:12:54] So we facilitate it by just also doing medication management. I also give them options with different therapists, different therapy techniques that we have to offer in our office or therapists around town. We also now offer ketamine therapy as well, which helps a lot of patients, and we've seen a lot of improvement as well. So, uh.

 

Speaker1: [00:13:27] Can you share a little bit about? Again, the convenience of telemedicine. Talk about your experience as a mom and you know, you have to go to the ER and work, right? But with tele psychiatry or with, if you could say, with any clinic. I get to be more present to my baby. I get to presence in my family. What has telemedicine allowed you in your lifestyle?

Speaker2: [00:13:53] Well, telemedicine has also made it convenient for me in my lifestyle because I'm a new mom. I have a one year old at home and it's nice that I can see her in between patients if she needs me. Mostly, of course, I have someone watching her at home. She's not watching herself, but it's nice to just see your face and not have to go to a hospital and everything and be gone from her for hours at a time.

Speaker1: [00:14:23] Talk a little bit about the stressors of working in the hospital and working in the.

Speaker2: [00:14:27] Air and what that's been like. Working in the hospital is very stressful. It's increased my anxiety, of course, but it's just because everyone has gotten really sick over the last few years. Just seeing everyone pass. There's a lot of people passing now dealing with those struggles and how to cope with it can kind of be a downer for me in the hospital, but I've learned to kind of talk through it with my colleagues and get get through it.

Speaker1: [00:14:59] So awesome. Can you talk about how having a change of pace working in mental health has been very refreshing.

Speaker2: [00:15:05] In some ways? It's nice change of pace from the hospital to a mental health clinic because it's nice that I can actually slow down instead of running around making sure that everyone's lives are okay. I can take a second, take time with my patients and actually know about their day and see how they're doing in their lives.

Speaker1: [00:15:30] Can you talk about just the culture of working within a mental health company and what that does for everybody? What we prioritize for our patients, we prioritize for ourself and our team as well.

Speaker2: [00:15:40] And that's rewarding. I mean, working in a mental health facility, just like we're doing right now, it's rewarding. It's nice to actually compare notes with each other, seeing how what's a different aspect someone else would take and how to improve other people's lives too. So it's nice. Awesome.

Speaker1: [00:16:03] All right. That's pretty good. Just ahead, how are we doing? Time.

Speaker2: [00:16:07] Okay, good.

Speaker1: [00:16:08] Is there anything else?

 

Eddie Graham

 

[00:00:09] Thank you for coming out and doing this for us. I appreciate it.

Speaker1: [00:00:13] Absolutely.

Speaker2: [00:00:16] All right. You just introduced stuff like I am your grandma psychiatric nurse practitioner with, let's say, with common clinic a little bit about I specialize, although I see everybody for their mental health. I specialize in seeing.

Speaker1: [00:00:37] Thank you. Hi, I'm Eddie Graham, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner for the clinic. Yeah, right. Hi, I'm Eddie Graham, Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner for the clinic. Although I do see everybody, I specialize in pediatrics in my free time. I enjoy hiking with my dogs, swimming, and trying to learn golf.

Speaker2: [00:01:01] All right. And tell us about why you chose a field in mental health. Why was that important to you?

Speaker1: [00:01:07] I chose the field of mental health based on a complete accident. I was actually challenged by someone at a nursing school to take a test. I took that test and I actually got hired for multiple hospitals. One was medical surgical, and I also got hired for mental health, which just kind of piqued my interest a little bit more. And due to the unknowns, to be honest, and it's been a flourishing career ever since, it's really enjoyable. You get to help people on all levels. You meet them where they are, you get to help with the resilience, fostering growth. And of course, it's also really satisfying to get to see somebody go from maybe depressed or angry or agitated to a more relaxed and enjoyable part of their lives.

Speaker2: [00:01:57] Um, talk about your experience working with children and why mental health is so important for youth.

Speaker1: [00:02:04] So as far as children, I actually started working with kids out here as a football coach. And believe it or not, I felt it was really important that they had the outlet because a lot of kids from Las Vegas, they either a have the one parent household or B, both parents have to kind of work at the same time to survive. So in order for those children to have that outlet, it kind of showed me the necessity for them to have, whether you would call it a role model or at least have the outlet to put their efforts into. And as far as children, the field is underserved completely. So being that I've worked in an acute care hospital for children as well and helped open up a residential program, you really got to see the growth that these children get into. We've actually helped children go to college. We've helped them get jobs. We've helped them become members of society where they would have originally felt like they were outcasts. And it's just once again, a very satisfying experience for everybody involved. Awesome.

 

Speaker2: [00:03:08] Thank you. And can you talk about how.

[00:03:13] You know, although there are.

Speaker2: [00:03:15] Limited options for children seeking mental health support, we're here. We're ready to see whoever needs it. If your child is dealing with mental health struggles, give us a call. Com clinic. And we'd be happy to be there for them. So a little bit of a promotional talk, but, um, our do we see kids at home clinic?

Speaker1: [00:03:37] Absolutely. Yeah. So com clinic. If anybody needs help, we're always there. 24 seven. All you have to do is reach out. And as far as children are concerned, please, any time there's any problem, whether it's something that you feel would be a problem or that presents as an absolute problem, we're always there. And it's not myself. It's going to be one of the members of the team that would be here any day, rain or shine. All you gotta do is give us a call. The beautiful thing about it is we can also work via telehealth where we can meet you where you're currently at. You don't have to come in all the time. We always expect to see you at least once or twice. But any time, rain or shine, we're here for you.

Speaker2: [00:04:14] And you said something interesting that often with children, they don't speak about what they're going through. Parents and family members need to see the signs. What are some of the signs of kids going through mental health struggles?

Speaker1: [00:04:29] So when a child goes through mental health struggles, there could be very simple, isolated excuse me, isolation, there could be agitation. There is the lack of socialization where that child may have once been everybody's friend. They could also start hiding parts of their body, meaning arms, legs. Sometimes people get scars across their chest and they hide those. Sometimes there is a complete change in the personality outside of their group of friends. There is the lack of sleep, sleeping too much overeating, under eating. We see Sometimes children will become very aggressive with both their behavior and their verbal relations. There's also sometimes, very simply put, the distancing from family or the lack of sharing. And by sharing, it could be where it would be objects or their emotions.

Speaker2: [00:05:28] Sounds great. And can you do you think it's important for family members to look for these signs, since kids don't really tend to talk about what they're going through?

Speaker1: [00:05:37] I think every parent should at least have a baseline for their child throughout their upbringing, whether it's at age six months to 17 years. And during those time frames, it's important to recognize that there's changes both hormonally, both developmentally, both mentally excuse me, as well as mentally. And if we are able to see the behavioral changes and the evolution at each step, that child can be helped if necessary or at least lifted and kind of put on to the correct path that their parent or by their own volition, that they're seeking to get on to.

Speaker2: [00:06:14] Two things one, for all children to have a healthy outlet, to go and talk about things and and understand their mental health better.

Speaker1: [00:06:22] It's absolutely important for kids to be able to express themselves, to have healthy forms of expression, and to feel that there's an open line of communication with their parents, that there's counselors in school, people like ourselves in the field, or even just a hotline for them to call when they are feeling down, they're feeling cast out, they're feeling anger, they're feeling anxiety. Without that, it just continues to basically dig in and it can become a lifelong issue if it's not noticed.

Speaker2: [00:06:53] How do you open up children who have a difficult time communicating.

Speaker1: [00:06:58] If there's a child that has a difficulty in communication? Personally, I like to try to meet them where they're at. See if there's any interests where we can both kind of meet, even if it's something as simple as movies, video games, favorite foods, favorite drinks, what they like to go see, do sports they enjoy sports stars, whatever it may be. And it is important to have that because when you can establish a good rapport, you can actually allow that child to have a basis for someone that they can trust, someone that can at least open up to. Sometimes it's difficult for a kid to open up to their parents being that they see them as an authority figure. Granted, we are also an authority, but we're a third party to a point, so we're able to kind of pry a little bit without getting under their skin and making it more of a aversion than welcoming atmosphere.

Speaker2: [00:07:49] Awesome. Do you think all kids who are going through mental health struggles need medication?

Speaker1: [00:07:54] I don't believe all children need medication. Frankly, I'm a big fan of therapy before we resort to medication unless absolutely necessary.

Speaker2: [00:08:01] I love that. Um, and can you say I don't believe all children who have mental health struggles take medication? Because clearly all children don't need medication. Do you just do that?

Speaker1: [00:08:12] Yeah, absolutely. Good point. All right. I don't believe all children that have mental health struggles require medication. Frankly, I'm a big fan and proponent of therapy firsthand. And if absolutely necessary, then we would resort to medication. Love it.

Speaker2: [00:08:32] Um, and how about just one more call to action? If your child if you think your child is struggling with their mental health, don't wait. Just reach out. Give us a call. We would love to be there for them and help you understand how they're doing and lead them towards progress.

Speaker1: [00:08:49] If you ever have any worry that your child may be struggling with any mental health concerns, please give us a call any time. We'd love to help. Last thing you want to do is have that child with unknowns or a problem that may last into their future.

Speaker2: [00:09:06] Um, and then give me a mental health care. Anytime.

Speaker1: [00:09:09] Anywhere. Mental health care. Anytime, anywhere.

Speaker2: [00:09:13] Um, that's there. Anything else you want to for us?

Speaker1: [00:09:17] I'm good. Thank you so much. I couldn't hit that last one. That first, the mental health struggle.

Speaker2: [00:09:24] Now, you did it. Good. And the magic of editing is you will just make it look and sound great. Yeah.

Speaker1: [00:09:31] Yeah. As long as I'm not cross-eyed, we're good.

Speaker2: [00:09:34] Lower than that. Course I will go.

Speaker1: [00:09:37] Got it. Let me just grab my stuff. Thanks, brother.

[00:09:40] Appreciate it. The.