As part of our mission to ensure parents and teens feel comfortable working with Ascend, we have a commitment to transparency. In order to help you learn as much as possible about our programs, we highlight different staff members each month so you can get to know your treatment team and learn more about what goes on behind the scenes at Ascend.
For this month’s spotlight, we’re highlighting a day in the life of Brie — one of the Admissions Coordinators who help new clients and their families get settled at our facilities. Learn more about what she does when you check out her profile!
Admissions Is a Critical Part of Our Process
Our admissions process is incredibly rigorous to ensure that Ascend is a good fit for every prospective client. We conduct individualized evaluations that include physical assessments, psychiatric assessments, and academic assessments that help us determine whether Ascend can actually help an individual, create custom treatment plans for them, and meet teens and parents where they’re at during the treatment process.
Brie is a critical part of this process as an Admissions Coordinator because she connects clients and their families with our clinical team. She’s the direct channel through which prospective clients get as much information as possible about our programs.
A Day in Her Life
When Brie comes into work, she starts with a quick run through her emails to prioritize her daily tasks. Then, she’ll prep for scheduled calls with parents and meetings with our clinical team. Once meetings are taken care of, you might find her discussing insurance information and benefits with families, setting up tours, updating assessments, and determining bed availability.
While most of her day is spent on the phone guiding parents through our admissions processes, she also collaborates with our clinical directors, nurses, and facility managers to gather information about program updates and ensure everyone is informed of any allergies, medications, and dietary restrictions for incoming clients.
Where She Got Her Start
Brie got into the mental health field through special education. From there, she worked as a behavioral therapist before transitioning to admissions at Ascend. Mental health has always impacted Brie’s family because her sister struggled with mental health concerns. Her personal experience has been a huge inspiration, encouraging her to give back to the community and motivating her to work incredibly hard on behalf of our young clients.
Building Her Expertise
Since Brie has experience in both special education and behavioral therapy, she’s an invaluable asset on the admissions side of our team. She’s already knowledgeable in many de-escalation practices, setting boundaries, and supporting frustrated and anxious parents through an often long and tedious process.
She can also readily explain mental health and medical terminology to both parents and teens, so they don’t feel as intimidated when starting the admissions process. With education and knowledge on her side, she helps prospective clients feel more comfortable during a difficult time.
Why Ascend?
Brie believes that Ascend is a unique place to work because we work so hard to assuage the difficult feelings that come along with residential and outpatient treatment at every stage of the process. Whether clients are just starting admission or it’s their final week in treatment, every team member is here to ease their anxiety before, during, and after their time with us. Brie typically spends time with as many prospective clients as possible, discussing next steps, answering questions about the programs, and preparing their expectations.
She loves seeing the care that our staff puts into the treatment of each child, and the visible results as our clients bloom under that care.
We Love Brie
In addition to her knowledge and expertise in mental health, Brie is an amazing addition to our team because of her inherent kindness. She’s cultivated this trait to new heights while working with parents struggling through such a difficult time. Her empathy and compassion ensure that every family feels valued, heard, and understood.
Brie knows that everyone is struggling with something and she makes space to be understanding in every situation. While it can sometimes be difficult to manage parent expectations when anxiety overwhelms them, her ability to communicate with them from a place of kindness means she can gently support parents during tough conversations and decisions.
Passionate In & Out of Ascend
While Brie spends hours each day committed to helping clients on the next steps of their journey, she’s also taking some time to step out on the dance floor. In her free time, she dances salsa and bachata. We love to see the fancy footwork that helps her balance work and private life!
Who’s Up Next?
Did you enjoy this brief look into the life of an Admissions Coordinator on our team? It’s time to see who else is an essential part of the Ascend community! Check out previous spotlights about our educators, mentors, and clinical directors. And don’t forget to check back each month for a new spotlight that explores another department or role within the Ascend structure.
