By Christina Lipetzky, Intermountain Director of Human Resources
Every day, I get the opportunity to interact with superheroes. It’s not a requirement, an obligation, or a directive. I get to. And these superheroes – let me tell you about them. They’re the people showing up to work every day with a spirit to help others, an energy to make a difference in children’s and families’ lives. It’s a difference extending to our fantastic community of Helena, Montana and many communities beyond. Our superheroes are talented, bright, and compassionate. They choose admirable jobs, which does not come without its emotional wear and tear. The key phrase is choice – a choice to be a part of a team making an impact. It is not only a job, it is a passion.
Choosing a career – let alone a career that makes a difference – is not an easy task. The age old question comes to mind: “What do I want to be when I grow up?” In its place, I believe we need to ask ourselves more challenging questions:
What motivates me? What inspires me in the drive to succeed? What challenges me? When do I brim with contentedness?
Here at Intermountain, our superheroes arrive at work each day with a zest to create meaningful relationships with children and families, as well as their colleagues. Our locations in Montana–Helena and Flathead Valley–offer both residential and community services. Each person plays a vital role in the continuum of care for children and families.
Direct care personnel–those regularly interacting with children and families through their therapeutic treatment–often arrive with backgrounds in social service fields and past experience working with children. Participating as a teammate in the Residential Program, direct care personnel work in cottages, a home-like setting for the children, utilizing our developmental-relational approach in daily living and education. Community Services offers another wide array of direct care opportunities, including School-Based Services, Home Support Services, Occupational Therapy, Therapeutic After School and Summer Services, Outpatient Therapy, Psychiatry Clinic, Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Therapy and many more.
The chances to have influence do not end with direct care professions. Personnel with a desire to make a difference find opportunities in finance, administrative support, facility maintenance, IT, food services, among others. These are the superheroes providing “behind the scenes” support, connecting the dots to complete the picture of an entire organization.
These superheroes do not wear the standard bright spandex superhero outfit. They do not wear capes or masks. They’re your neighbors, classmates, and fellow community members. Committed to creating a positive impact in our community, they followed an aspiration, a goal, an ambition. They molded a passion into a career, impacting the lives of children and families by upholding Intermountain’s mission, “Healing through healthy relationships.” It is not impossible and you, too, can be a superhero making a difference in an area you choose.
Christina Lipetzky, M.A., P.H.R., is the Director of Human Resources at Intermountain. She is a graduate of College of William and Mary and holds an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. She began her career in human resources in the healthcare industry and, at Intermountain, she is responsible for overseeing the Human Resources Department, providing support and guidance to staff and the organization.