A few years following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Amy Henke, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, moved to New Orleans, Louisiana for an internship with Louisiana State University – Health Sciences Center. She found that families in the city had been hit hard time and time again with adversity and challenges ranging from large scale natural disasters to man-made catastrophes. The strain on the economy and the region’s resources from these colossal and pervasive incidents resulted in ongoing mental health conditions and psychological stress to the community.
“New Orleans is a proud area of the country,” said Amy. “In many cases, there is a stigma attached to mental health. I found that it was my job not only to treat the children who came to my clinic, but also to help redefine mental health and drive away the idea that mental health conditions are a sign of weakness.”
Until the age of seven, Amy was raised by her mother in a low socioeconomic neighborhood in North Carolina with limited access to health care. As such, Amy can identify with many of the children she treats who come from low income families. She wanted to work where she was needed most, so she chose to move to New Orleans. However, due to financial concerns, she was considering leaving the area – until she found out she was accepted for loan repayment services from the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). “The Corps allowed me to stay in this vibrant, spirited community. Because of the assistance they provided, I can continue working with my patients – and even watch them grow up.”
Amy worked with a patient who had lost his father after Hurricane Katrina. He and his father were best of friends, forging an unbreakable bond after surviving the disaster and being left in the city for days before being rescued. They learned to work together and depend on each other. When his father passed unexpectedly a year later, this boy, not knowing how to cope, retreated into a deep depression. He abandoned social activities such as sports and after school events. With his mother working even harder to support them both, he needed someone who had the time and expertise to work with him through this internal struggle, so he was referred to Amy’s clinic. Once he finally let go and stopped trying to be strong for his mother, the boy expressed his feelings of loss, and then Amy and her patient set to building a commemorative scrapbook of the experiences he and his father had shared. A year and a half later, she ran into her patient in the hospital – he had broken his arm playing football. He still has that book, and he told her he plans to keep it forever.
Amy enjoys working with children, but the most rewarding part of her service is easing the minds of her patients’ families. “The release in their eyes when I tell them that it will, ultimately, be ok is validation for the work that I do. When I give them explicit action items that they can take to help their own children, they feel empowered – which impacts the children more than they know. Parents are the primary influence on their children, so giving them the mental and physical tools to take part in the healing process is integral to the work that I do,” said Amy.
In addition to working with the health center, Amy is a member of the Society for Pediatric Psychology and volunteers for Youth Run New Orleans, an event which partners middle and high school students to train and prepare them for the annual 10k race. This gets the children involved and motivated to take charge of their health – both physically and emotionally – with the community coming to support the event.
“I love New Orleans. I will always be a North Carolina girl at heart, but now this city is so much of who I am. I love the strength and the spirit of the community, and I plan to stay here for as long as I can,” said Amy.
