Jeanine Loewen

My career in psychiatry began in 2000 when I graduated and started as a mental health therapist, providing services to inpatient populations of all age ranges. I became really interested in forensic interviewing and that field where our criminal system and justice system intersect when it comes to interviewing and protecting the psychological state of each victim. I supported implementing a Child Advocacy Center where SANE exams were taking place and forensic interviews that were able to really influence trials to determine how to influence a case and get justice out of whatever situation was going on. It was a really good field to be in, but you can only do it so long because you have to listen to the stories and not have a biased opinion because they are going to court. I felt that I could do a lot more in the community, and I understood that you can't do it for a long term or else you just don't see the empathy in cases. I moved on to psychiatric medical care where I've been a regional director implementing IOP programs for 18 and above with any type of psychological needs, and I oversee the operations. Currently I have 9 hospitals that I oversee, specifically the psychiatry departments. Under me we have nurses and psychiatrists, RNs, and obviously licensed therapists and clinicians. My day-to-day involves not only the administrative side of programs with the numbers, the facts, and compliance, but safety is always first, and then quality patient care. Leading my teams to support best treatment outcomes is one of the critical components of my role, reviewing training, treatment plans, and patient eligibility. I focus on leading my teams to continue to encourage them to grow in the field, thinking about the mental health side of each and every employee and what kind of education we're providing them to continue to develop. I look at the admin side of where our financial is and how we're supporting our patients for them not to have the burden of a bill and a financial burden. I travel Sunday through Friday and am at a different site every day, looking first at safety compliance, patient care and quality care, staff support, and how we're supporting the community through events and local support and volunteering like Meals on Wheels and health festivals.