Amy Young, Director of Nursing at Rosecrance Behavioral Health, has been named to the Frontline Honors Awards Class of 2025 by Behavioral Health Business.
To become a Frontline honoree, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be:
A dedicated, high-performing frontline worker who delivers exceptional experiences and outcomes
A passionate worker who knows how to put their vision into for the good of their respective industry, the patients and residents they serve, and their families
An advocate for their industry and their fellow colleagues
Behavioral Health Business recently caught up with Young to discuss her time in the behavioral health industry.
BHB: What drew you to this industry?
Young: When I started out on my nursing journey, I knew that my calling would be in a field where I could really help a person decide how they would claim their optimal wellness. When I learned more about behavioral health nursing, it seemed to fit perfectly with where I wanted to go with my career. When I learned more about Rosecrance Behavioral Health and its mission of providing help, hope, and recovery to all – I knew right where I was meant to spend that career.
BHB: What’s a misconception you had about this work before you started – and how has reality differed?
Young: There were so many misconceptions about behavioral health nursing that I heard before I started my career and there are some that I still hear! One of the most common is that behavioral health nursing does not require the same skillset as nurses who primarily work with medical diagnoses. The reality is that behavioral health diagnoses do not occur in a vacuum, so we all need to be able to assess and treat the person as a whole being.
BHB: Was there a moment in your career when you realized, “This work really matters”? What happened?
Young: Very early on in my career, I felt the significance of working in behavioral health. At that time, I was working primarily in a detox unit for those struggling with active substance addiction. One client in particular stood out. She went through treatment several times and always left unsuccessfully, the pull of her addiction was just too strong. I worked with her every day she was in treatment as a young nurse. We were able to figure out that she had some underlying medical conditions, get those managed, and she had a successful discharge. She checked in after three months and was still sober. I realized then the power of walking alongside someone.
BHB: What’s the most valuable skill you’ve developed on the front lines that people often overlook?
Young: I think listening is the most valuable skill that I have developed. It sounds so simple, but it takes practice to really hear what a person is saying and see through what may be presented to really understand the need. Being present to really listen to someone even in the midst of an otherwise chaotic day is a skill that must be honed because it is the heart of behavioral health.
BHB: What’s one decision leaders make that has a bigger impact on frontline workers than they might realize?
Young: Change management is an active decision that leaders make that impacts frontline staff in a big way. In healthcare, there will always be change. Leaders are charged with being proactive and implementing changes that will benefit staff and clients . The way that change is communicated, implemented, and monitored matters so much to the outcome.
BHB: What’s a simple change – policy, tool, or mindset – that would make frontline work more effective?
Young: Collaboration makes our work more effective. There is no one person, service line, or organization that can be the best at providing the services a person may need. A collaborative mindset and a ready network of resources that you can directly connect a client with would go a long way for frontline staff.
BHB: What gives you optimism about the future of this industry, despite its challenges?
Young: People will always be my source of optimism. There will always be challenges. However, there will always be people who stand up for what is right, empower others, and seek out new ways on how to help people get to recovery.