For OCSEA members Katy Sherman and Laura Clevenger, mental health care is always on their minds, every day, in everything they do. As public employee adjunctive therapists at Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital in Columbus, Katy, Laura and their mental health therapist team use their skills in arts and recreation to better the lives of those for which they care. Read their stories of public service and more in the latest edition of the OCSEA magazine at OCSEA.org/PEQ.
As public employees with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (MHAS), Katy and Laura are highly-skilled professionals who have dedicated their careers to artistic healing. Using their specialized artistic fields and therapeutic and psychological expertise, they are able to offer a refuge that, when combined with traditional therapies, provides avenues of healing for patients at the public facility.
“Mental health is important for every one of us. It is so
important that we shatter the
stigma surrounding mental illness
and recognize
that mental
illness does not
discriminate,”
said Katy. She
wants Ohioans to
know that public
employees are
impacting our
communities even
where they can’t
see it.
“Working in mental health
aligns with my long-standing
beliefs that mental health care is
critical to society. I’m not only
thinking of those with diagnosable illnesses but of people who
are getting by but could live happier, more satisfying lives. Public
service allows me to contribute
to the good of the community
while enjoying the benefits of
my work,” said Laura.