September is here! The heat is finally starting to die down, and the colorful leaves are heralding the coming fall. Rivia Mind is busy as ever participating in mental health support and awareness with our community. We recently sent out a newsletter to those subscribed explaining what we would be up to this month. For our blog readers, here’s a breakdown of what you can expect from us:
September is National Suicide Prevention and National Recovery Month
September is a big mental health month on two points: It is National Suicide Prevention month, as well as National Recovery month. Substance abuse and suicide are two different aspects of mental health, though they can be intertwined as substance abuse can raise the risk of suicide. However, both suicide prevention and substance abuse recovery are issues we are passionate about at Rivia Mind.
This month, we have blogs coming out about both suicide prevention and recovery from substance abuse. You can also subscribe to our newsletter or check back with our blog to learn about more ways that we will be participating this month with respect to these causes.
Upcoming: National Psychotherapy Day – September 25th!
Mark your calendars for September 25th, as it is National Psychotherapy Day. This national observance day was established in 2012 by students and mental health professionals who wanted to raise awareness of mental health and normalize psychotherapy. And in recent years, therapy has become much more normalized and talked about. The less stigma there is around therapy, the more likely people will be to seek out therapy when they need it.
This is also the perfect time for us to appreciate our skilled and compassionate therapists who work with Rivia Mind. These therapists dedicate themselves not only to their patients but to reducing the stigma around mental illness.
Rivia Mind Across the Web!
Our team at Rivia Mind is well versed in all things mental health, so it’s no surprise that we often lend our insight and experience to blogs and articles across the web. You can find two instances this month of CEO and co-founder, Dana Wang, M.D. sharing her thoughts on different articles.
In an article for Very Well Mind, Dr. Wang talked about the traits of “echoism,” a common response to narcissism that can involve the echoing party failing to voice their wants or needs. In particular, Dr. Wang talked about the lack of balance in active listening in a relationship that may be characteristic of echoism.
“In the beginning, a romantic relationship may feel like you are dating the nicest person in the world. They care about what you want, are respectful, and are a wonderful listener, but over time, you start to feel like you don’t really know the person you are dating. You almost get a sense that you are only taking from the relationship and not giving anything back.” You can read the full article at Very Well Mind.
In an article published by Forbes: “AI for Mental Health: Pros, Cons, and Considerations for Businesses,” Dr. Wang expressed her concerns about the idea of using AI for therapy. On the one hand, Dr. Wang posited, it would increase availability for new patients seeking therapy. On the other hand, the isolation that has often come with increased technology use has had concerning impacts on mental health as a whole and AI systems still cannot completely replicate human connection.
“I hope AI therapy is subject to intensive testing not just for short-term outcomes but also for its long-term impact on our society as a whole,” Dr. Wang concludes. You can read her full thoughts in the article at Forbes.
A Look Back at APA2023
Last month, we were delighted to have our first experience with the American Psychological Association’s annual convention! Our VP of Operations/Chief Compliance Officer, Nicole Whallon, along with Relationship Coordinator, Chase Bridgers, were able to attend APA2023 in Seattle this year. There, they were able to interact with some of the biggest names and brightest minds in mental health and psychology. And of course, they were able to represent Rivia Mind and the work we do. We look forward to being able to return next year!
The Rivia Mind Team Is Growing
Every month, our team continues to grow with professionals who are passionate about mental health and helping patients achieve their life worth living. This month, we welcome the following new additions to our team, both mental health and administration professionals:
- Dana Ehrentru, LCSW – Therapist
- Brian Coringrato, DO – Psychiatrist
- Danica McCann, LCSW – supervisory
- Michelle Walsh – Revenue Cycle Manager
- Agnieszka Lepkowska – Patient Operations Manager
- Kelly T. Scott, PMHNP-BC – Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
- Nikita Shah, MD – Psychiatrist
Interested in joining the Rivia Mind team? We also have a few open positions! Those include:
- Psychiatrist, Nurse Practitioner, Therapist, Social Worker – Remote
- Registered Dietitian – Women’s Reproductive Health & Eating Disorder Nutritionist
- Nurse Practitioner Supervisor
- Staff Psychiatrist (Hybrid) NY Licensed – Full Time
- Credentialing Coordinator
- Relationship Coordinator – Connecticut – Remote with Travel
You can find more of our open positions on our job board.
Employees of the Month
Finally, we close by shouting out our outstanding and talented employees of the month. Every month, we choose two employees of the month: one clinical employee and one operations employee. This month, the employees are Kelly Lidz, PMHNP-BC, Senior Nurse Practitioner Supervisor; and Priscilla Poon, our People Operations Manager. We are so grateful for everything that Kelly and Priscilla do here at Rivia Mind.
Want to learn more about what Rivia Mind has been up to? Check back with our blog regularly or subscribe to our newsletter! And if you need a mental health provider, contact Rivia Mind today for a free 15 minute consultation.
