Kim Clemmons

My journey at Comprehensive Healthcare began when I relocated from Idaho to Washington State in 2017. I was fresh out of graduate school and wasn’t sure exactly where in the behavioral health field I wanted to work, but I knew I had the skills to help people – compassion, empathy, patience, and the ability to actively listen to others. That said, when I joined Comprehensive Healthcare as a Designated Crisis Responder, those early days were challenging and unpredictable, in a good way, and full of different learning opportunities.

I surprised myself by jumping into my first role as a Designated Crisis Responder. It’s one of the toughest roles in behavioral health, but I was good at it. I have lived experience in this area, and I was already comfortable talking about these subjects. I was able to sit with people, listen, and say “It’s okay to feel this way. Other people have felt this way and, you know what, it can turn out alright.

At the Crisis Triage Center, we provide services for individuals who are using substances. There can be a lot of stigma around that, and what makes me really proud is that people believe in us. They trust us and, if they need help, they know that they can come here. Simple as that.

Working in behavioral health can be tough, but more often it is so rewarding. You come into work every day knowing that you can help an individual, that you can help a family and that you can do something meaningful for the local community. Just to have an open door, a person to speak to, a place to reset and get the support you need to continue your recovery – that means so much to the people we help.

‘Of course, it is challenging. Working in behavioral health, you hear difficult stories and it affects you. As I have developed in my career, I’ve realized that you have to manage life outside work, too. People burn out if they don’t learn how to switch off. Each time I’ve stepped up, I’ve consciously thought about how I deal with the challenges that my new role brings and make sure I look after myself as well as others.

I think this is one of the reasons why Comprehensive Healthcare has been such a good place to work for me. They do a really good job of looking after their staff. We have visible leadership, they feel close to what’s happening and they are working extremely hard to ensure that they are listening to people and understanding the issues. It is never easy, but I’m proud of where I work and the culture we are creating here.

There are terms commonly used in behavioral health, such as “client-centered” and “trauma-informed.” What I love most about Comprehensive Healthcare is those aren’t just terms; this is our culture. When I hire staff from other agencies, they talk about how different it is. I love that. I love it for myself, I love it for my staff, and I love it for the clients we serve.

Moving up to Crisis Triage Center (CTC) Program Manager, I always try to make sure that I give the same compassion and understanding to the people on my team as they give to our clients. I don’t want people to burn out. I want everyone in the team to feel as though they have the support and infrastructure they need to develop, to create great outcomes for clients, and to step away and take care of themselves when they need to. That is so important here. We help our people put structure around self-care.

I hope I continue to progress with Comprehensive Healthcare and, honestly, I see myself working here for many years to come. It is such a rewarding environment. They support you because they want you to be able to help others.

For me, a lot of it comes back to the word Integrity. It is one of our values and it is certainly something that I see people putting into action. Integrity in the work that we do and integrity in the services we provide. They do what is right, even when it is tough and even when there is nobody watching. Personally, that is something I want to be a part of.

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