For the past year, Behavioral Specialist Helen Manning has been part of the team at Monarch Healthcare’s Richmond Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) program. After starting with Monarch Healthcare in a part-time role at a group home, she transitioned into her current full-time position as a behavioral specialist, bringing with her 20 years of experience in the behavioral health field.
Richmond PSR helps individuals build skills for daily living, strengthen social connections and gain confidence as they work toward greater independence. Through educational groups, community outings and hands-on learning opportunities, individuals develop practical tools that can support them in everyday life.
In the following Q&A, Helen shares what brought her to Monarch Healthcare, what a typical day looks like at Richmond PSR and why helping individuals recognize their strengths is so meaningful to her.
Q: What brought you to Monarch Healthcare?
“One of my coworkers from my previous job was always telling me, ‘You got to try Monarch.’ She told me Monarch cared about their staff and their workers and that it was more of a family environment. When I started working weekends at the group home, everybody made sure I was okay. They didn’t throw me into it and say, ‘You’re on your own.’ They made me feel like, ‘We’re here to help you.’ That’s what made me decide I wanted to stay with Monarch, knowing they weren’t just going to drop me off by the wayside.
Helen says she has also appreciated Monarch’s commitment to helping employees grow professionally.
“When you show interest and you have a desire to do something, they will make sure that you get the qualifications. Monarch is helping me get my bachelor’s degree.”
Q: What first inspired you to work in behavioral health?
“I had someone in my family who was having some challenges, and I wanted to learn more. Once I started learning more and working with my own family member, it made me want to work in the field. If I can show this love toward my family member, I feel like I can do it toward other people that aren’t my family.”
Q: What does a typical day look like in your role?
“I never know what I’m going to get from day to day. Some days individuals come in loving and smiling, and some days they come through in an uproar because of what they experienced through the weekend. But you have to know how to talk to them. If they’re in an uproar, I need to be calm and peaceful. So I try to present myself always in a calm, peaceful way to them.”
Q: What do you wish more people understood about psychosocial rehabilitation?
“We’re not babysitting the individuals. We help them get reintroduced back into society. They learn how to budget their money, communicate with other people, communicate with family members and advocate for themselves. If someone has triggers that make them angry, we help them work through that. We help them cope, see what’s causing it and learn how to stay calm. We’re really teaching the individuals how to live daily life every day.”
Q: What kinds of activities and skills do individuals work on at Richmond PSR?
“We talk about coping strategies, coping with stress, learning how to budget and learning how to take care of yourself. It’s various different subjects that we talk about. It’s not all the same. Some individuals are on medication, so we help them learn what their medication is for, how to read the labels and how to advocate for themselves. We also do community outings. We take them bowling, we go to stores and we help them learn skills they’ll use in everyday life. We don’t want them to feel like, ‘Oh, you’re just coming here and the only thing you’re going to do is be in class.’ We have to make sure they have fun as well.”
Q: Can you share a meaningful moment from your time at Richmond PSR?
“One of the sweetest moments was when we completed our Zen room here. The grant for the room was received before I came to Monarch, but I was here to see the day it was completed. We have two recliners, computers with headphones so they can listen to music, a waterfall and an aroma light. There’s also a privacy panel, so if two people are sitting in there, they can have some privacy. When the individuals walked in and saw it, their faces lit up. They realized, ‘Oh, this is for us. This is for me.’ To see how their faces lit up when they walked into the room and saw they had their own private space to go relax, that moment was awesome.”
Q: What would you say to someone who may be hesitant about participating in a PSR program?
“I would tell them to come for a visit. Walk through and see what’s going on here. If you’re sitting where you are and nothing is changing, it’s not going to change. But if you are around other people that may be going through some of the same things and you see that they’re thriving, it will make you want to change. Don’t sit where you are. Get out of that environment and come for a walk-through to see what’s going on here.”
Helen’s passion for helping individuals build confidence and independence reflects Monarch Healthcare’s commitment to person-centered care. Through her work at Richmond PSR, she helps individuals learn practical skills, form meaningful connections and recognize that they are capable of more than they may realize.