Home of the Innocents

Cathrine Mountain
Class of 2015

My internship at Home of the Innocents this semester has taught me about not only the intricacies of working behind the scenes in a psychological services clinic but also about the incredible people who make it run. By assisting the secretary, I often called clients who were referred to us by their primary care physicians and validated patients’ health insurance. Through this, I was able to learn a lot about the rapidly changing health care system and how medical providers are adapting to accommodate more and more clients. With waiting lists that span out six months on average for clients to be seen or evaluated, it is easy to see how some children can fall through the cracks. This seems to be a common theme throughout community clinics across the state.

What made the biggest impact on me, however, was how dedicated the staff members at Home of the Innocents are to working their hardest so that they can accommodate and help as many children as possible. Their expertise and experience in a spectrum of specialties from Psychology and Autism Services to Occupational and Physical Therapy provide an incredible service to the clients that walk through the doors of the Open Arms Clinic.

The warm-hearted staff members that I was able to work with were incredibly kind and invested in their patients. Even just on a personal basis, I feel enriched from being able to work in the office with them and to have experienced their positive outlooks, despite the multitude of obstacles they face on a daily basis. It was truly a wonderful process and community to witness and to be a part of. I truly hope that I can continue to be involved in the incredible impact that Home of the Innocents has on our community in years to come.

Cathrine Mountain is a senior McConnell Scholar studying political science and anthropology. She is from Frankfort, Ky.