Healing A Broken Mental Health System: Leah Sampson Of Three Oaks Behavioral Health and Wellness On 5 Things That Can Be Done To Fix Our Broken Mental Health System
An Interview With Stephanie Greer
Educating our communities on the importance of mental health hygiene. Decreasing the stigma around having mental health challenges.
The current state of the mental health system is a conversation that echoes in the halls of policy-making, the corners of social advocacy, and within the private struggles of individuals and families. As we continue to witness an unprecedented need for robust mental health support, the shortcomings of the existing system become more glaring. It is within this backdrop that we seek the insight of those who are at the forefront of behavioral health. In this interview series, we are talking to behavioral health leaders, policymakers, mental health practitioners, advocates, and reformers to share their perspectives on healing our broken mental health system. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Leah Sampson.
Leah Sampson is Chief of Clinical Operations at Three Oaks Behavioral Health and Wellness.
Leah has over 15 years of leadership in the mental health space. Her life’s work is dedicated to making spaces for other mental health providers to be their best selves.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your childhood backstory?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. My Dad was a real estate broker and my mother retired from Kaiser Permanente Hospital. My childhood was surrounded by family, immediate and distant, who dedicated their lives to service. It feels like a natural progression that I have dedicated my professional life to lifting others.
I was accepted into many schools for college, but landed on Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, NC. I came to Bennett and in my sophomore year, my father passed away. My father was paying for my tuition and with his unexpected to death, I was forced to leave school.
I decided to stay in Greensboro instead of going back to Los Angeles. I was working and living with my boyfriend who became abusive, and after being with him for 6 years, I left when I became pregnant. I couldn’t imagine raising my child in that environment. I stayed with a friend and began therapy. My therapist introduced me to a program for homeless pregnant women, and I entered that program and had my baby.
The CEO of that program encouraged me to go back to Bennett to finish what I started 5 years prior. The program helped me get back in school and graduate in a year and half with honors, with my son in tow! As a part time job, I started working at the program that helped me and eventually was promoted to VP of program operations by the time I resigned from that position.
I often heard when I was getting my master’s in social work that the greatest social workers were developed out of their own adversity. I believe that to be true. I have thrived in this field because I have seen the bottom in my own life, I have experienced great hopelessness, and I have felt
the kindness and generosity of someone having empathy and grace towards me.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“I found God in myself; and I loved Her. Loved her Fiercely” — Nzotake Shange
I have experienced the power of believing in myself and it’s something I share with my clients.
Everything we need to heal is on the inside of us. This quote reminds me if I go so deep within myself I will find God and She will supply all the strength I need to fulfill my purpose. One may not believe in God, and also can believe that there is something greater than themselves that anchors them and gives them the energy to move forward.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. It is often said that “the mental health system in America is broken”. What does that statement mean to you? From your perspective what is “broken” today?
America’s healthcare system is based on the paradigm of the medical model. The medical model says, “I have a physical illness that a medical professional can provide an intervention for and then the illness is gone.” There has not been much room in this model to account for the mental health of a patient. Within the last 10–15 years, I think that there has slowly been a shift of acceptance towards the impact of mental illness on the “average” human. Insurance companies still do not cover mental health treatment the way they cover a physical illness. The brokenness stems from a lack of education around the impact of mental illness in our communities.
What about any bright spots? Do you think there are any elements that we get right in today’s world that we wouldn’t want to reverse unintentionally?
My answer may surprise you…social media! Social media, for better or worse, has offered a level of exposure to mental illness that was not around a decade ago. It is allowing folks who need support to have easier access no matter where they are. It has given people outlets and connections that would otherwise not be there. Socials have provided information and therapy to people who may not have even thought about mental health.
In your opinion, what are the 5 most impactful things that could help heal the broken mental health system? These could be on any level including training, workforce, policy, culture, equity etc.
1 . Rework health insurance. Some people have health insurance but can’t afford to see a therapist because their deductibles are too high, but they had to pick that plan based on what they could afford.
2 . Pouring more state dollars into community mental health programs to be able to recruit and retain mental health professionals. Community mental health workers are the lowest paid in our field with the highest burnout rates.
3 . Health insurance plans reimbursing providers at rates that allow them to sustain their practices without having to make the decision to not accept insurance because of unreasonable denials.
4 . Educating our communities on the importance of mental health hygiene. Decreasing the stigma around having mental health challenges.
5 . Teaching emotional intelligence in all levels of school, employing mental health practices like meditation, art, communication skills, and emotion regulation. This would require that school counselors be an integral part of the staff hiring budgets.
If all of the items on your list were magically implemented tomorrow what change might we see in the world? What are the signs (big and small) that would show us that the system is being healed?
I would hope to see more thoughtful and considerate human beings. More people taking a beat before saying something or typing something harmful to someone else, less violence, and a movement towards tolerance of difference.
A big sign would be less war, less division with our leaders, and more talk of collaborating. I would hope our communities would be more tolerant of each other. It would be great if everyone had a therapist to talk to!
What is a project you or others are working on today that gives you hope? How can our readers learn more about this work?
The project I am most excited about (and one that I have no idea where it is actually going) is the expansion of Three Oaks. Our mission is to provide space for mental health providers to heal and, in their own healing, provide excellent care for their clients. We often consider Three Oaks a cafeteria table and we keep making space for people to come and take a seat at the table and grow as they see fit. I’m amazed that a company started 7 years ago with one provider has grown to a company of around 160 people. I’m excited to make room for people to lean into the work they were called to do and be restored from burnout and any other workplace trauma they are coming from.
How do you see technology shaping the future of mental health care and its accessibility?
Technology has played an important role in mental health care. For our practice, telehealth has been a major benefit to increasing our access to people across the state of NC. Through our telehealth team, we have been able to provide access to folks in rural parts of the state where there weren’t any mental health options. It also allowed people to remain connected when we were all under COVID-19 restrictions. I was able to see my clients in my garage, my backyard, and even in my closet during quarantine; it allowed my clients to see my humanity and to also know I still had the capacity to hold space for them during a time that was isolating and hard.
In your view, how do social factors like poverty, education, and culture affect mental health care and its effectiveness?
Speaking as a woman of color, growing up mental health was not talked about. It didn’t matter if I was sad or anxious, I was taught, you get up and do what you have to do. Different cultures respond differently to mental health concerns which is why cultural competence is an important factor in being effective as a mental health practitioner.
Poverty restricts access and the amount of support one can receive. When I worked in community mental health, most of my clients did not have insurance and were authorized for one visit a month. The clients I saw had extensive trauma histories, substance abuse, and significant mental health diagnoses; they needed more than once-a-month engagement. Needs were never met because too much happened within a month for treatment to be effective.
In light of the growing mental health crisis among young people, what innovative approaches or interventions have proven most successful for children and adolescents?
This approach isn’t new or innovative, but it’s human. The best approach to working with children and adolescents is to meet them where they are, give them autonomy to make their own decisions, and allow them space to have a voice. That’s the key to working with anyone; allow them to be a human in the room and not something that is labeled broken or unworthy. Every client is a human with complex feelings and their own story. It’s our job as mental health providers to walk alongside them as they heal and learn who they want to be in this world.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. 🙂
I would love to have a meal with Dr. Gabor Mate, he’s a brilliant physician and I’d love to pick his brain about all things trauma. His work has been influential in my own practice and I’d love to hear his wisdom. A close second would be Stacy Abrams, she has been such a force in the political scene and she is an example of creating change from the bottom up. I’d love to share strategies for change with her.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can find me at www.threeoaksbehavioralhealth.com. I’m also surrounded by a brilliant group of practitioners who write blogs and commentaries that can be found on all our social media platforms!
Thank you for your time and thoughtful answers. I know many people will gain so much from hearing this.
About The Interviewer: Stephanie Greer, PhD is the Co-founder and CEO of Akin Mental Health — a company dedicated to guiding families on their journey supporting a loved one with mental health challenges like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and severe depression. Stephanie is passionate about this topic from her own personal experience growing up with a mother who struggled with bipolar 1 disorder and found a path forward to overcome the obstacles and live well. Stephanie’s professional experience includes a doctorate in neuroscience as well as design research roles at Hopelab and Apple. Stephanie brings this personal passion together with her world-class science and technology background to support families across the US in their personal journeys supporting loved ones with mental illness. To learn more about Akin Mental Health and join our community, visit us at akinmh.com.
Healing A Broken Mental Health System: Leah Sampson Of Three Oaks Behavioral Health and Wellness On… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.