Mary “Pam” Younger
LPN, Nurse Care Manager, Children’s Mental Health, School-Based
What motivated you to become a mental health nurse?
I had worked for more than a decade with people with mental and physical disabilities, I then became a home health aide and went into people’s environment where I saw a lot of mental health issues that were being ignored or underserved. I became a home health LPN and continued that work but was not happy. I was overworked and lacking passion for my current position. I had felt a calling/pulling towards mental health and decided that a pay cut to work in an area that I felt would be more fulfilling, would be worth it. I quickly realized that my decision was the right one. I worked for CREOKS in Sapulpa for several years before coming to FCS, where I am now proud to call home.
What do you find most rewarding about your work as a mental health nurse?
My passion is educating staff and clients (and anyone who will listen) that mental and physical health are very much intertwined and that our bodies, as a whole, affect every aspect of our beings.
Why did you choose FCS?
I am excited to be a part of bridging the gap between mental and physical health care.
How do you see the field of mental health nursing evolving in the future?
My hope and faith are that we will begin to see the true connection of mental and physical health. We will see that depression may be caused by a poor diet or poor gut health and that our achy bodies may be caused by anxiety. I see a swing in that direction already and hope that it continues.
