Kelly Monson, Vice President of Child Development and Family Engagement for YMCA of the North, has been named a 2023 Frontline Honors honoree by Behavioral Health Business.
To become a Frontline Honoree, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a dedicated, high-performing frontline worker who delivers exceptional experiences and outcomes; a passionate worker who knows how to put their vision into action for patients of all age ranges and behavioral health professionals; and an advocate for patients of all ages, their industry, and their peers.
Behavioral Health Business caught up with Monson to discuss their time in the behavioral health industry.
BHB: What drew you to this industry?
Monson: My career path started when I was an undergraduate at Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University, Mankato) with a work study job in the university’s lab school. I explored my interests in child development, brain development, working with families and social justice, which together led me to advocacy work and a graduate degree in public and nonprofit management. I never considered working anywhere other than the public sector, to serve and support the community.
BHB: What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in the industry?
Monson: Being an advocate for this work is difficult and exhausting. You can’t give up and you need to mentor and prepare the next generation of leaders. Celebrate the small wins, because each small win adds up. That is what keeps you going.
BHB: What’s your favorite part about your job?
Monson: It’s easy to highlight the favorite part of my job: it’s the children and seeing their faces when they feel success. I also love playing a part in inspiring the next generation of leaders.
BHB: What do you want society (or the general public) to know about your job?
Monson: My job is demanding and rewarding at the same time – and it’s often complicated to explain, because what I do changes on a daily basis depending on priorities and needs! One of the most challenging things I face is overcoming barriers – real or perceived – in order to get to solutions that will benefit our community. Often, we and the community know our desired outcome; it’s a matter of aligning all the resources and moving parts to get us there.
BHB: What may be one thing leaders don’t know, that you wish they universally knew, about your job?
Monson: As caregivers, we make decisions every day that truly impact the trajectory of someone’s life, so we want to make sure we are doing all we can to equip our teams and our participants for shared success. One of our recent initiatives was a partnership with Bend Health, a provider of pediatric mental health care for kids, teens and families, to offer YMCA child care team members Bend Cares training to support behavioral health needs. Through this partnership, we gave our team tools to recognize mental health concerns and helped children be successful in their care environment.
To view the entire Frontline Honors Class of 2023, visit frontlinehonors.agingmedia.com