by Cathy Diekmann
It was literally a packed house when the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce gathered to celebrate Inspiration Health Services’ (IHS) first year in business with a ribbon cutting on January 21, 2020.
Guests stood shoulder to shoulder, listening intently as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Paul Klaverweiden Jr., described the IHS mission, model and services. “Our model of care encourages each patient to be an active participant in their unique path to wellness.”
Klaverweiden says the first, and most important step in achieving wellness, is for patients to engage in their treatment. “We meet people where they are, not where they ‘should’ be. This gets them engaged in their personal treatment plan and increases the probability of recovery.”
Once the patient is engaged, they are engulfed in supportive therapies, community connections and other resources that promote wellness.
The next step is for the patient to emerge – to grow personally beyond the life they once knew. Klaverweiden explained, “This could involve obtaining education, a job, better housing or financial independence.”
In the final step of their process, patients are energized to inspire others to seek their respective path to wellness. Klaverweiden explained how this plays out. “Often the spouse, parents and other family members of the initial patient will seek treatment. That, in turn, supports the initial patient’s wellness and the strength of the family overall.”
IHS treats individuals from age 5 to senior citizens for a variety of needs including psychiatric evaluation, psychiatric medication management, addiction recovery and medication-assisted substance abuse treatment. IHS staffs a medical cannabis educator who can guide patients to proper treatment options for qualifying conditions.
Klaverweiden shared a sad truth about his practice, “A lot of the kids we treat have been exposed to substance abuse in their homes – several have seen their parents die from an overdose, so they’re dealing with grief issues as well.”
Despite these tragic realities, the IHS team seems abundant in joy and hope. The ribbon cutting event was peppered with plenty of laughter and hugs. The practice has plans to expand. The need is there. So are the solutions.
