Griffin Paquette, Nurse Manager in MiraVista’s adult inpatient psychiatric unit, knew at a young age she wanted to make “a difference in people’s life” and eventually found her life’s work in nursing.
“As a young child I knew I wanted to do something that made a difference in people’s lives,” Griffin said. “I fell into a different career before I finally made the choice to go back to school and obtain my nursing license. I fell in love with caring for underserved populations when I started working at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department. I’ve been in the medical field for approximately 7 years.”
She said that she was drawn to MiraVista because of its mission of “Care. Reimagined.” Also, she adds, “the passion and compassion I felt from the staff when I came to interview for the first time.”
“Collectively, our main goal is to provide our patients with a compassionate environment, empathic views, and collaborative efforts to support them with as many tools as possible to not only succeed but thrive in the community,” Griffin said.
She said patients may arrive on her unit “scared, withdrawn, and sometimes angry,” but their stay is transformative.
“From the first day they arrive I see them begin to relax, come out of their proverbial shell so-to-speak,” Griffin said. “By the time the patients leave they are smiling, have sometimes even made friends with other patients on the unit, and present as excited about their future.”
She called it “vastly important to take care of one’s mental health.”
“Our mental health impacts not only our overall physical health, but our minds are also extremely powerful and can work against us,” Griffin said. “If we are not reaching out when negative thoughts start to perseverate within our own minds, we will start to believe these thoughts are real as they continue. We need influences from outside ourselves to remind us that support is available to address these recurring thoughts and that we are loved and wanted in this world.”
Asked about the importance of early intervention, she added, “If we neglect our mental health, the small anthill of doubts, worries, insecurities, negative thoughts, can turn into a mountain of self-doubt that begins to feel impossible to overcome.”
To learn more about MiraVista and our compassionate care for those challenged by substance use and/or mental health, please visit www.miravistabhc.care or call 413-701-2600.