We had the good fortune of connecting with Robine Padberg Hill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robine, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
The barriers there are in terms of being able to provide (quality) therapeutic services and create change. As a psychotherapist and clinical social worker I am constantly reminded of the stigma and shame around being in therapy. The fact that a client or family gets referred to us, does not automatically mean they are willing to engage. Ideas such as being weak or crazy to be in therapy often need to be discredited, and it can take a long time to build trust. Working with the Latinx community, fear is another barrier we encounter. The past and current social and political climate have made it a lot harder for us to get our foot in the door, understandably so. We often work with undocumented people so the first time we meet is incredibly important. This is really our opportunity to answer any questions, make the parents feel at ease, reassure them how we are planning to insert ourselves in their lives and fully respect their boundaries. Community mental health work and in home therapy is vital for this community in my opinion, because we need to be able to meet them where they are at, limit their risk taking, which sometimes means not having to leave the house. How we show up for the session, being aware of power dynamic and privilege we carry is a big piece to the puzzle.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Pathways Transition Programs Inc.’s clinical staff provides a comprehensive array of assessment and therapy services for children, adolescents, adults, and families. Our services are both therapeutic and psycho-educational, fostering and supporting change and growth through healing the wounds of trauma and life challenges, as well as training and skill development for enhancing coping and resilience. Through the Spanish speaking program I started in 2019, Pathways is able to take on all of the Spanish speaking referrals and give children and their families equal access to care. Pathways is a CORE agency that provides consistent and quality bilingual therapeutic services in Metro Atlanta through their Spanish speaking program, focusing on implementing fundamental change for the Latinx community in the city. We are currently servicing Hall, Gwinnett, Clarke, DeKalb, Fulton and Cobb County. In 2019 I started the program serving about 15 families, right now are serving about 115 families, which is an incredible accomplishment in only 2 years. I started at Pathways Transition Programs in March of 2017 as the only bilingual community based clinician. I covered several areas from North Fulton, to Gwinnett County to DeKalb county. In 2018 I noticed that the demand for bilingual clinicians was too much for me to handle alone and I struggled keeping up. To be able to serve this community with the quality services they deserve, I knew there needed to be a major change. In January 2019 I pitched the idea of a Spanish speaking program to senior management and they were on board and supportive from the beginning. With their support, I have been able to build this program logistically, do outreach, gain popularity, hire staff, and most importantly take on a significant amount of referrals to provide therapeutic services. The biggest struggle for me since starting the program was really finding the right staff to serve this community. It is very important that we provide consistent, quality services. The clinicians in the field and supervisor need to be on the same page in terms of being culturally competent and knowledgeable on the challenges the community face that affect their overall social functioning. We currently have a team of 6 clinicians, 2 paraprofessionals and me as the supervisor. What I would like the world to know is that we are here to serve! All of the team members care so deeply about this community and go above and beyond to make sure they feel supported and can thrive. If people have questions about the program, our services, what insurances we panel with, you can email me at rpadberghill@pathwaystp.com.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am plant-based so there are a few places I love to take people to when they are visiting. For coffee & doughnuts you will have to try Revolution Donuts, and the bagels at Emerald City Bagels are just so fresh and rich! I’m a sucker for a good pizza so lately Junior’s Pizza has been our go to, and you can never go wrong with a good cheat like Slutty Vegan! I love strolling on the Beltline and ending it with a drink at Krog Street Market, spending a lazy Sunday to watch some Football at the Midway Pub and going to Buford Highway to eat all the treats, especially Pho and Dumplings. After COVID-19 is over I am mostly looking forward to a good show at the Fox Theatre as well as the local little events we enjoyed so much like Oakhurst Porch Fest or the East Atlanta Strut.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband is an incredible support. He is a filmmaker, so very busy and constantly on the go, and even though we both have been working from home due to COVID-19, he makes sure he prioritizes the space I need to do my work and support my clients. He takes care of our 10 month old son 3 days a week on top of his busy schedule, and I have rarely heard him complain. Also my awesome tribe of girlfriends in and outside of Atlanta. I grew up in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and lived in Mexico and Boston in my twenties. The women that I have met along the way are so inspiring and supportive and I couldn’t do any of this hard work without their daily messages on WhatsApp, Instagram or FaceTime. I’m feel very blessed with such a beautiful community of women.

Website: https://www.pathwaystransitionprograms.com/

Instagram: @pathwaystransitionprograms

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pathwaystransitionprograms

Other: rpadberghill@pathwaystp.com

Image Credits
Trei Hill

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