Ashley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, licensed in CA and received her Masters from Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey. Overseeing the program at Mission Connection, she utilizes her skills that were obtained working with different populations in fields such as, residential treatment at AMFM, the foster care system, Special Education within a High School, and non-profit agencies. Her belief system is focused upon the strength based approach, where she assists clients in identifying their own undiscovered resiliency. Ashley sees the benefits of utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Solution-focused brief therapy in individual and group settings. www.missionconnection.com
FWM: Tell us about Mission Connection.
Mission Connection is a virtual treatment program that allows individuals to connect with a therapist when, where, and how it is most convenient. This level of accessibility is one of the many reasons why people are choosing to get help through Mission Connection. Knowing our clients lead full, busy lives, we offer both a day and night schedule to truly support our client’s goal to maintain a positive work/life/mental health balance. We offer a wide range of modalities such as psycho-education, DBT, CBT, and experiential groups such as yoga, music therapy, cinema therapy, and nutrition in recovery knowing it takes a wide range of clinical options to support our clients’ treatment goals. Additionally, because Mission Connection is part of the AMFM Healthcare family, if one of our clients needs a higher level of care, we have a variety of options and have a robust team to assist with the next steps. We firmly believe that Mission Connection is the future of mental health care
FWM: You offer a multidisciplinary approach to therapy. What do you offer?
We use a wide range of modalities such as psycho-education, DBT, and CBT. We also offer experiential groups such as yoga, music therapy, cinema therapy and we even help our clients understand the importance of nutrition in meeting their treatment goals. We believe that these approaches can assist with exploring maladaptive behaviors and maladaptive ways of coping and exploring new alternative ways of managing emotions and stress in the here and now. This multidisciplinary approach works through connection, universality, and gaining insight through exploring thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and exploring alternative behaviors.
Each client is unique which means we need to use a custom approach to know how best to treat them individually. Our program is not one size fits all. We have licensed therapists and medical professionals with different strengths and training on our team allowing us to create a custom treatment plan for each client.
FWM: “Vulnerability is the foundation of evolving and growing as an individual.” Explain
When vulnerability becomes taboo and my clients start to lean into the feelings of being uncomfortable, the real work begins. Without vulnerability, I have seen individuals be at a standstill, unsure where to go or what to do next. To lean into discomfort, which is an important part of therapy and personal growth, takes being vulnerable. To evolve and grow takes true commitment and in my opinion, it’s the harder thing to do.
FWM: Tell us about your group activities and why it’s important.
Group discussion is foundational at Mission Connection and the most important aspect is universality. Through universality or in other words, shared experiences, our clients have the opportunity to connect with others in ways they may have never connected previously. A group environment is the perfect place to practice vulnerability and see others lead with vulnerability, show others compassion, and receive compassion, while validating others. When group discussion is cohesive and fluid, individuals help each other to have critical breakthroughs. The power of perception is another benefit of group discussion. Group discussions allow individuals to hear other perspectives and just knowing you aren’t alone in your feelings or seeing how others might view things is imperative for growth. Our group topics are essential. We tend to focus on the present and explore maladaptive coping skills while identifying correlations between maladaptive behaviors and one’s overall mental health. Building insight, offering support, seeking support, gaining coping skills, exploring effective ways to cope, and processing situations are just some of the benefits of group engagement at MC!
FWM: Can you share a few success stories?
Many of our clients complete a residential program at AMFM Healthcare and utilize Mission Connection to support their transition home. With our flexible schedule, clients are able to transition into their responsibilities prior to residential care and have support while doing so. This extra level of support allows clients to begin working again or to complete their schooling. Transitioning from residential and choosing to join Mission Connection is a success story in itself. Continuing treatment after a 30-45 day intensive program isn’t easy, yet it’s crucial to long-term stability. Success stories tend to differ when it comes to mental health. Assisting a client through hospitalization or to a higher level of care is actually a success story since it means a client is choosing to get the help they need toward stability.
Mission Connection worked with a client who transitioned from residential care and remained in our program for 12 weeks. We were able to support her through returning to work, exploring alternative places of employment, and making a new move across the country. Her ability to utilize Mission Connection during these big events helped reinforce the tools she learned in residential care which allowed her to navigate these life changes beautifully.
Recently, one of our clients was going through a custody battle. She was juggling work, being a mom, fighting for her kids, and working on her own stability at the same time… which is a lot for anyone to handle. Thankfully, she knew she needed help and she chose to reach out to us. Through 12 weeks with Mission Connection, she received support through court hearings, difficult decisions, gaining her custody back, and returning to her full-time job.
FWM: Why do people reach out to Mission Connection versus other other programs?
I truly believe the virtual component of our program stands out. The way our society is going, everything is over the phone or over the computer. Zoom is now more of a noun and the accessibility is undeniable. Our program is incredibly flexible. Our clients make their group treatment schedule fit into their busy lives. We have clients who are lawyers, doctors, nurses, parents, and various other professionals who have busy lives but understand the importance of working on their mental health. Finding a flexible and easily accessible program like Mission Connection allows clients to get the help they need to achieve this balance. Additionally, since Mission Connection is part of the greater umbrella of treatment programs at AMFM Healthcare if needed, we can transition a client into a step-up residential service that can provide more intensive, 24-hour care.
