Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Trauma Informed Care team’s mission is to be forward-moving and promote mental-health awareness and advocacy in clinic and company-wide settings.
Within the team, there is an intense desire to develop formal training for crisis situations, create important policies and procedures, and to simply be the light in someone’s darkness.
“We aim to be trauma-informed and raise awareness of the importance of mental health in physical recovery, provide resources and support for patients, and train those within Rock Valley Physical Therapy to identify and address mental health concerns,’’ said Trauma Informed Care team member Cole Meadows, PT, DPT, CSCS, Rock Valley’s Omaha, Neb. (Maple Street) clinic. “Our hope in this mission is to promote both physical healing and emotional well-being for every patient we serve.’’
Meadows joins Rock Valley’s Maggie Bohnert, MOT, OTR/L, Clinic Manager/Rock Valley Kids (Davenport, Iowa); Tyler Beauchamp, Athletic Trainer, LAT, ATC, PTA, FMT, Rock Valley’s Cedarwood (Muscatine, Iowa) clinic and Davenport Central High School; Kris Marcks, PT, MPT, CSMT, Regional Manager, Rock Valley’s West Union, Iowa, clinic, as members of the Trauma Informed Care team. Lindsey Schneider, Trauma Informed Care Systems Coordinator and Change Agent/ Iowa State University Extension Office/ assists the Rock Valley team.
Under the leadership of Bohnert, the team gained Rock Valley-based footing in 2023. Months later, Bohnert and Meadows presented – and received – resounding support from Rock Valley Pillars to begin the mission of educating, training, and providing resources for Rock Valley patients to improve their health and wellness.
“I don’t know if I can express the amount of knowledge I have gained from Maggie, Cole, Lindsey and Tyler,’’ said Marcks, a 26-year PT professional. “We all have different personalities and perspectives, so it is wonderful to hear their ideas and opportunities.”
“A person’s mental well-being directly impacts their ability to heal and to participate in therapies (or general healthcare),” added Marcks. “At times all we need to do is calm people’s fears of the unknown as they navigate a physical-health concern they have not had before. Education is huge in that. Being aware of what the person can bring to the table is important, too. Are there past experiences that decrease their ability to focus on their recovery? Do they physically and mentally have the ability to perform the exercises and activities to get better?’’
All involved in the Trauma Informed Care team bring a multitude of skills and life experience to the table:
“I think physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists have a unique opportunity to spend time and get to know their patients,’’ Marcks said. “What other profession can spend 30-to-40 minutes 2-to-3 days a week one-on-one with people, helping them work toward their full function again?”
“I’ve been a therapist for 26 years, but it doesn’t take long to learn how someone’s mental well-being affects their recovery, either positively or adversely. It is something we learn early on that is especially important for timely progress to occur. Two (Rock Valley) Summits ago, Maggie and Cole presented on Trauma Informed Care, and touched on MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) in the clinic. I knew then that Rock Valley needed to be knowledgeable about mental health in our clinics, both for staff and patients (and their families).’’
Every team member believes mental health awareness must be raised at all levels.
“I have a history with mental health; I have a couple friends that were close to me that died from suicide within a few years after high school graduation,’’ Beauchamp said. “I have had a few instances already in my career as the (Davenport) Central athletic trainer where I was approached by individuals, explaining a demanding situation, asking for help.”
“This led me to become certified in mental health first aid, which helped guide me through such difficult conversations and improve my comfortability,’’ Beauchamp added. “I continue my advocacy for mental health each day at work and in my personal life. Recently, I became a certified youth mental health first aid instructor and plan to receive my adult certification soon. Many athletes/parents/coaches at (Davenport) Central understand my advocacy and stance on mental health. I wear a hoodie during sporting events that states on the front “you are enough” and on the back “dear person behind me, the world is a better place with you in it. Love, the person in front of you.”
Meadows says mental health training has been the perfect addition to his practice.
“I began working for Rock Valley Physical Therapy in May 2023 following graduation from (PT) school,’’ he said. “During my final semester, we were given the opportunity to pursue elective courses, one of which was a mental health crisis course through the Mental Health First Aid organization. It was something that I felt inspired to learn about as I had encountered mental health crises and events while on my clinical rotations in a variety of settings, from college athletes in a sports clinic to geriatric patients. I had seen clearly that I was nearly equipped to handle these situations.”
“Fast forward to my first month of working for Rock Valley, I had a patient who had undergone her fourth knee surgery in three years and was struggling internally,’’ Meadows added. “This led to a mental health crisis that was caught in the clinic by me. I fell upon my training and support from my colleagues and helped my patient reach the appropriate resources to help her. In the aftermath of this, discussions with colleagues revealed that we did not have a robust formal company set of guidelines or training for working with people either in crisis or at risk.’’
The group has even made a difference in the fundraising side of battling mental health issues. Under Beauchamp’s guidance, dollars raised from the sale of sweatshirts and T-shirts have gone to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Greater Mississippi Valley (Quad-Cities and surrounding counties) Chapter.
“We raised $755, meaning over 200 sweatshirts/t-shirts were sold,’’ Beauchamp said. “The front (of the shirts/sweatshirts) depicts “Rock Valley Cares” with the “r” being combined with a comma to form a semicolon. The significance of the semicolon is to continue a sentence (life) by using the semicolon, rather than ending prematurely with a period.’’
The mission, the team says, is ongoing but each member loves that there is a foothold with Rock Valley Physical Therapy.
“We want to improve and promote mental health advocacy both within our company for our patients and colleagues,’’ Meadows said. “I do not want to stop there; I want to promote Rock Valley’s position on mental health and make it known in our communities.’’
By: Johnny Marx, Rock Valley Storyteller