“The Stakes of the Mental Health Crisis is a Mental Health Crisis in Itself,” Triage Specialist, Camille Dukes Hester Explains

By Sabriya Dobbins, Founder of Project Passport

Currently working as a Therapeutic Triage Specialist at Alamance Regional Hospital of Burlington, NC, Camille Dukes Hester has seen it all. She is the woman who is there to support people when they are often at their lowest. Many times, the clients she sees are facing their first psychotic break and it can be quite scary for them to experience. However, Camille is always ready to jump into action and to problem solve whatever the patient needs while working with other specialists to determine the best mode of care.

Prior to working in mental health, Camille was a hairdresser for over 20 years, but a tragic family situation changed everything. Her grandparents were both diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the exact same time and the family was devastated. Determined to piece together her family in the face of tragedy, Camille made one of the biggest leaps in her life by pursuing her degree in Social Work.

“I wanted to do what I could to facilitate change,” she explained.

Camille knew that she wanted to be prepared for any challenge so she intentionally took on vastly differing internships to diversify her experiences. She worked with vulnerable populations like refugees and immigrants along with the homeless population. She stated, 

“Homeless people are the most resourceful and brilliant people. If you ever want to grow and learn more than you have ever before, work with homeless people.”

With the support of a professor, she enrolled in the joint MSW program of UNCG and A&T University. Camille is now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) on the path for full licensure. While working as a triage specialist today, she credits her skills to her diversity in internships during her college years. Camille says,

“Being able to be that important link in the emergency room when people are going through the biggest crises in their lives is so phenomenal.”

One of the most difficult parts in serving those with severe crisis situations, is respecting and understanding the choices of her clients despite how far it is from her beliefs. Camille takes the time to put herself in the shoes of each of her clients so she can figure out how to better assist them. She knows it is not about feeling sorry for them, but it is about truly understanding what they are experiencing in order to help them.

She struggles with the mental health system as often times, patients with generalized anxiety or depression are often placed in wards with people with more severe disorders like schizophrenia. Camille finds that it only exacerbates their issues and that different care systems must be in place for differing client types. According to Camille,

“The stakes of the mental health crisis is a mental health crisis in itself. It is like a jumbled knot with so many entangled pieces and moving parts…and pieces that have stopped other moving parts. It is going to take so much work to truly make a difference in mental health. Many facilities are focused on mental health policy and not services.”

A case study she shared really brought her point home. Camille explained that client mental health status is the criteria between deciding if a person goes to inpatient or outpatient care. Hospital facilities almost always recommend inpatient care. If a 5-year old client is facing something that is behavioral, and there are no major issues, this does not mean they have to be an inpatient. Unfortunately, they end up on involuntary commitment and now belong to the hospital and cannot leave. When Camille tries to find a facility for the child to transfer into, the facilities usually refuse because the child does not qualify to be inpatient. Needless to say, the client is virtually stuck in the hospital, negatively impacting the family and the staff.

When asked about her own self-care, she shared how see sees patients for 12 hours a day hence, there is no possible way to ignore the weight she bears even at home. The stress can easily take a toll on her if she does not stay ahead of it. Camille is frustrated when people simply tell professionals not to take their work home with them because everyone is human. Therapists are even at risk of experiencing the symptoms of their clients.

In closing, Camille shared that she loves to advocate for mental health where she can. Whether she goes down to the general assembly or expresses her views in her workplace, she fights for those who need it most. She believes there are not enough mental health champions in the political system, therefore the population she serves is overlooked. The interesting thing is that anyone can end up as her client no matter what background they come from. Proud to partner with Project Passport, Camille states, 

“Project Passport is the perfect thing that is needed to fill in the mental health gap in the general, holistic wellness sense. I am so excited to see where it goes!”

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Project Passport is a mental empowerment retreat and event company created to help women connect with one another and gain the tools to improve their lives in the best way possible. Each retreat experience has a unique theme with carefully designed activities to help participants grow and experience transformation. We are making mental wellness the norm, one retreat at a time. Learn more at project-passport.com.