"My role gives me the opportunity to work with our interdisciplinary team—
nursing, PT, OT, speech, and our Medical Director. I love that sense of “team”, and every day I’m learning something new from one of the other clinicians."
How did you get started in this field? Can you share a bit about your career journey?
I was an undergrad psych and a pre-med student and was looking for something to get my foot in the door in healthcare. I heard about this opportunity for a caregiver in brain injury rehab, and thought that it would be the perfect combination of behavior, healthcare and psychology.
My first chapter here at NeuroRestorative (a part of Sevita) was about 5 years long. I started out in direct care as a “Life Skills Trainer”, which is the name we use for direct care staff, and was eventually promoted to a “Lead”; then I took a role as a Case Manager Assistant; was promoted to Day Program Coordinator and then Day Program Supervisor. I left for a few years to take an opportunity with another brain injury provider in the area, earned my Master’s degree and became a licensed Behavior Analyst.
So when the Behavior Analyst position here became available, I was so excited to come back to where it all started for me. Providing behavior services for NeuroRestorative Maryland and Virigina was a really fulfilling role. Now sitting int the Program Director's seat, I know some of the direct care staff we're hiring today are probably following a similar path, and that's really rewarding.
What brought you back to Sevita?
Sevita is a large organization with lots of opportunity to grow. I’m always looking to develop myself and learn. When I first returned to NeuroRestorative to take on the Behavior Analyst role, I was linked up with a Director, Bennie, in Florida who is also a Behavior Analyst like me. I went to Florida initially to spend some time with their teams, and tour behavior programs, which was such a blessing because I could see for myself what the program should look like and bring that to Maryland.
Also, my role gives me the opportunity to work with our interdisciplinary team—nursing, PT, OT, speech, and our Medical Director. I love that sense of “team”, and every day I’m learning something new from one of the other clinicians. Being able to pick the brains of others who have expertise in a particular area ends up giving our participants the best possible experience.
What advice would you give your younger self, or someone just starting out in their career?
My advice to anyone, especially those who are shy or apprehensive is, “Walk up to the door.” Most people say “Jump right in”, but I say “Walk up to the door” because that was the first barrier that I had in my career.
I was barely 21 years old, and pulled up for my first interview and it was a residential house—that’s one of our NeuroRestorative homes. I thought “This is wrong. This isn’t an office. I don’t want to walk into the wrong person’s house.” I was outside by my car for about 15 minutes in sheer panic. I finally walked up to the door and called out ‘hello’ and I was in the right spot! It was one of our residential locations at the time. I walked in and the Director was there, she was so nice and made me feel at home. I knew it felt like the right fit. I got the job, which started my career.
Sevita is a large organization with lots of opportunity to grow. I’m always looking to develop myself and learn. When I first returned to NeuroRestorative to take on the Behavior Analyst role, I was linked up with a Director, Bennie, in Florida who is also a Behavior Analyst like me. I went to Florida initially to spend some time with their teams, and tour behavior programs, which was such a blessing because I could see for myself what the program should look like and bring that to Maryland.
Also, my role gives me the opportunity to work with our interdisciplinary team—nursing, PT, OT, speech, and our Medical Director. I love that sense of “team”, and every day I’m learning something new from one of the other clinicians. Being able to pick the brains of others who have expertise in a particular area ends up giving our participants the best possible experience.
What advice would you give your younger self, or someone just starting out in their career?
My advice to anyone, especially those who are shy or apprehensive is, “Walk up to the door.” Most people say “Jump right in”, but I say “Walk up to the door” because that was the first barrier that I had in my career.
I was barely 21 years old, and pulled up for my first interview and it was a residential house—that’s one of our NeuroRestorative homes. I thought “This is wrong. This isn’t an office. I don’t want to walk into the wrong person’s house.” I was outside by my car for about 15 minutes in sheer panic. I finally walked up to the door and called out ‘hello’ and I was in the right spot! It was one of our residential locations at the time. I walked in and the Director was there, she was so nice and made me feel at home. I knew it felt like the right fit. I got the job, which started my career.