CANTON
– A trio of clinicians at the United Helpers Behavioral Health Clinic in Canton
have recently advanced their licenses with two becoming Licensed Clinical
Social Workers (LCSW), and a third becoming a Licensed Master Social Worker
(LMSW).
Shawn
Henry and Jeanine Forrester have both recently earned the designation of LCSW.
Brianna Foster recently earned the LMSW designation.
Director
of Behavior Health Services David Nelson, noted that in order for a LMSW to
advance to LCSW they need to have 3,000 hours of clinical service experience.
They must also pass an exam. 
Front row, Brianna Foster, LMSW, Jeanine Forrester, LCSW;
second row, Director of Behavior Health Services David Nelson,
and Shawn Henry, LCSW.
Mr.
Henry has been a social worker for 36 years, but he says it wasn’t until he
came to United Helpers that he felt like he could take the next step in his
career.
“I
just never have the supervision and support needed to take that next step,” Mr.
Henry said. “Here at United Helpers, there is an emphasis on employee
development. This really is a great place to work.”
Mr.
Henry, who specializes in chemical dependency and behavioral health services
for adult clients, earned his Master’s Degree from SUNY Albany.
Ms.
Forrester actually holds two Master’s Degrees, one in Education from St.
Lawrence, and one in Social Work from Syracuse University. She has been a
social worker for seven years and is a general practitioner with a focus on
family therapy services.
And
it’s that family therapy that Mr. Nelson said sets United Helpers apart from
other providers, noting that when Ms. Forrester is seeing a family, it’s as if
that family is just one patient, and not three or four people from the same
household who just happen to all be receiving services.
Ms.
Forrester said their LCSW designation now allows her and Mr. Henry to supervise
interns, which in turn allows the clinic to expand the number of patients it is
able to see.
“It
also gives us an experienced pool of people to hire from,” Mr. Henry said.
Ms.
Foster earned her Master’s Degree from the University of Southern California,
completing the first half of her degree in person, and the second half on-line
after moving to Northern New York. In order to earn her license, she also had
to pass an exam.
She
is also a general practitioner, although she focuses on therapy services for
adolescents and children.
While
the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented counselors and therapists at United
Helpers’ Behavioral Health Clinics in Canton and Ogdensburg from seeing
patients in person, it has not prevented them from holding virtual visits,
something which they continue to do five days a week without a waiting list.
That is something that Mr. Nelson said is very rare for behavioral health
service providers, with some providers having a waiting list that is a year or
more in length.
“We
also have access to intra-agency services such as care coordination,” he said,
adding that an after-hours hotline is also available for established patients.
“I
always tell people that it’s one of us answering the phone,” Ms. Foster said,
referring to the after-hours hotline. “For many providers, that is something
they contract out.”
United Helpers operates behavioral health clinics in both Canton and Ogdensburg with both locations offering confidential mental health services to treat and diagnose those suffering from depression, anxiety, anger, abuse, chronic mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder or co-occurring disorders.
Both clinics are licensed to provide children’s therapy, and also offer individual, group or family therapy, as well as psychoeducation, psychiatric diagnostic assessments, psychiatric medication management, care coordination, coping skills training, and wellness promotion.
To schedule an appointment in Canton, call (315) 386-0264. To schedule an appointment in Ogdensburg, call (315) 541-3042.
