March 1 was Employee Appreciation Day! We are celebrating our team members all month long by sharing their stories. Read more about Frank Harvey, Clinical Supervisor, and how he collaborates with his team to meet student needs.
What is your favorite thing about working for Thrive Alliance Group?
I have been in the mental health field for over 35 years and employed as a clinician and supervisor for Thrive Alliance Group (TAG) for the past 8 years. My favorite thing about working for TAG is our commitment to providing skilled therapeutic services to students and ongoing support for each school district we serve. Our focus on providing staff with quality supervision and support has made it one of the best working environments in my career.
What keeps you coming to work each day?
I provide in-district therapeutic services to middle school students in Newark, New Jersey. Working with students from an underserved community, though challenging, proves rewarding each day; providing therapeutic services to students, who otherwise would not have access to quality mental health care.
The therapeutic process can be a slow one, but I have been here long enough to witness the social/emotional progress of so many of our students.
How do you make an impact on students’ lives?
Building the relationship with students is primary before ANY impact can be made in a student’s life. Therefore, I believe anyone working with students must focus on the relationship first to reach clinical, behavioral or educational goals.
Last year, we rolled out our BetterTogether guiding principles. Which one of our values resonates with you most personally and why? (Integrity, Accountable, Collaborative, Inclusive, Supportive).
In clinical work, all of these principals are at play simultaneously. If I had to pick one it would be “supportive”. Students in counseling should experience the clinician as a supportive entity, a relationship built over time that allows for challenging thoughts and behaviors geared toward growth.
What does a “day in the life” look like for your role?
My day typically starts with supporting students who arrive at school unprepared for their day due to various stressors. Then I can move onto scheduled sessions with students on my caseload. Throughout the day this “schedule” is frequently disrupted by crises that need to be addressed, from student conflicts to safety assessments. Additionally, much of the work of the in-district clinician is collaborating with teachers and leadership to address student needs.
Can you talk a little bit about your career trajectory and what led you to where you are now?
As I stated above, I have been in the mental health field since 1986. My career began working with chronically mentally ill adults. It was my experience during graduate school internships that led me to working with children and families. I then trained in family therapy and worked with seriously mentally ill children since 1999, mostly in hospital and day program settings. In 2015, I was offered to come work for TAG and jumped at the chance to work with inner-city youth on the “front end” to prevent the need for higher levels of care.
What has been your proudest moment or accomplishment in your role?
The proudest moments come when students you work with so intensely move on to high school and college or careers, then get back in touch years later to let you know how they are thriving. It’s rewarding to think you may have had something to do with their success.
What is something about you that not many people know?
I originally entered Rutgers University to study Oceanography/ Meteorology. After one elective course in psychology, I was hooked!
