Meet Michelle Sheffer, LMSW, BHC

Hello! My name is Michelle Sheffer, a licensed social worker, who recently began working with Clearwater Valley Health Clinic in Orofino and St. Mary’s Health Clinic in Kamiah, as a Behavioral Health Consultant. My job is to help support you and your primary care provider when experiencing behavioral health concerns. This “integrated care” blends care in one setting for medical conditions and related behavioral health factors that affect overall health and well-being. Integrated behavioral health care, a part of “whole-person care,” is a rapidly emerging shift in the practice of high-quality health care.  Providers practicing integrated behavioral health care recognize that both medical and behavioral health factors are important components of a person’s overall health. Medical and behavioral health clinicians work together as a team to address a patient’s concerns. Care is delivered by these integrated teams in the primary care setting, at their health clinic, unless patients request or require specialty services. The advantage is better coordination and communication, while working toward one set of overall health goals.

I chose to work as a Behavioral Health Consultant because I felt that there was a lack of resources in this rural area to help people struggling behaviorally. I enjoy working with people of all ages and connecting with them to hear the stories of their lived experiences. First and foremost, I believe in strength-based techniques to enhance supportive change when using different therapies that are suited to an individual’s unique needs. I like to think of my role as a raft to support someone to a destination of their choosing. The person is steering the raft, and once we reach their destination, they no longer need my support and continue their journey with their newly acquired skills, ideas, or tools. I look forward to meeting many members of the community and lifting them up to meet their goals.