September 16, 2021
Tell us about yourself, Jason.
My name is Jason Jannett, however, I go by Jay. Prior to coming to Concert Health as an intern, I worked for 14 years as a social worker in a variety of settings after obtaining my BSW in 2007 from The University of Tennessee. I am currently enrolled at Regis College in the MSW program. I hope this degree leads me to a long career of both direct patient work as well as manager work (preferably at Concert). I am currently geographically located in Central Florida.
Can you describe what your typical day as an intern at Concert Health is like?
There is no typical day in Healthcare as a social worker! The day can really ebb and flow based on patient and business needs. However, a day may have both some work directly with patients as well as working on work that may benefit patients in the future.
An example of the work that I do directly with patients is helping patients address their Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Needs. These may be things like finding resources that provide financial assistance to patients or perhaps finding more stable housing for a patient. I really enjoy this work as it allows me to interact directly with patients, hear their story, and help them where they are at.
An example of something that may benefit patients in the future is researching resources in a particular area and developing a community resource directory (CRD). This is a directory that all Behavioral Care Managers (BCMs) can utilize to help their patients find resources in their community.
What has been your most valuable learning experience at Concert Health?
There have been several. The direct patient work has really benefited me. I really like interacting with patients that may be from different populations that I am not accustomed to working with. For example, I have helped patients in Brooklyn, NY and Bronx, NY address their SDOH needs. I did not think I would ever be working with patients in these locations, and they have such unique needs based on their environment!
Being able to have supervision with my task supervisor and clinical supervisor to discuss these cases has also been helpful. Both are brilliant clinicians and hearing their expertise and constructive feedback on my patient interactions is beyond invaluable.
Has this internship helped you accomplish goals in becoming a clinician? If so, how?
Yes, for the reasons stated above as well as others. One great thing about Concert is that it allows you to contribute to the growth of this company as well as the growth of yourself. There are vast opportunities for trainings and interactions with great clinicians if you are willing to make yourself available.
How did your internship provide you with the support to develop clinical skills?
Absolutely! One thing that has really benefited me was the various trainings that are offered by Concert. For example, I was able to attend a training on Problem-Solving Treatment (PST) therapy, as well as Safer Suicide Training, and 4r2s training (a treatment model for working with children with an ADHD diagnosis). This is in addition to the various “lunch and learns” and other trainings that are offered to me. All these things help me develop and hone my clinical skills.
What was a highlight of your internship?
I think working with patients and helping them address their needs. There are significant barriers that exist in addressing patient needs via telephone and overcoming these barriers to provide linkage to resources that benefit the patient and help them increase their baseline of functioning is beyond rewarding.
What was something that challenged you? Sometimes it is difficult to find resources for some patients. Resources may not exist, or may lack funding, or may not be very plentiful. I was once told by a Professor in my undergrad that social workers either “find a way or make a way.” That is something that I have always tried to have as a guiding principle for my work with patients, but it does not mean that it is not difficult.
What types of group learning activities did you engage in during your internship? Please explain in detail.
The trainings I have attended, especially the PST training, was very interactive and involved a lot of role plays. I found this was beneficial as I was doing these role plays with therapists that were already in the BCM role. They already have developed a clinical skill set so getting their feedback on my clinical work was very valuable to me as an emerging clinician.
Another thing that takes place monthly is a student mutual aid group. This is very instrumental as it is (the best way to describe it) a support group for fellow student interns. Interacting with other interns is very beneficial as it allows me to hear their successes and challenges and we can bounce ideas and solutions off each other.
Can you describe your experience learning and working in a remote environment, from both a patient care and supervision perspective? Did your opinion of remote work change after completing your internship?
Prior to coming to Concert, I worked for seven years in a virtual workplace and am currently attending school in a virtual environment. Therefore, I had a clear idea of the expectations and discipline needed to work in this environment. I think Concert embraces the virtual environment very well. I think the fact that the virtual environment is so embraced at Concert really increases their ability to grow their business and help the most patients. I feel I am most comfortable in this environment, and Concert further cemented this belief.
Has participating in this internship refined your career goals, or changed your path all together?
The only thing that has changed is I now know the company I want to work for. I think Concert has a bright future and I want to be part of it!
Why should future students consider Concert Health’s internship program?
I really do feel that the main component of Concert’s service delivery system, which is Collaborative Care, is the future of the industry. Just in my time as a social worker, I have seen a shift into more interaction between providers. To get experience in Collaborative Care is beyond valuable and preparatory for shifting industry trends.
What advice would you give to future interns? Why?
I think that one must be both organized and adaptable. These sound like competing ideologies, but they are not. This is something every social worker must be and an intern at Concert is no different!