PRAIRIE GROVE -- At age 49, Lee Pridmore, a former gift shop manager, was at a crossroads in his life and was looking for a new profession that he considered contributory to society.
Having a history degree from Hendrix College in Conway, Pridmore decided to go back to school in 2009 to earn a master's degree in social work and today, has been practicing for almost nine years.
Pridmore, who lives in Greenland, serves as a licensed clinical social worker from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays at Prairie Grove Health and Wellness Clinic, a school-based office run by Community Clinic at Prairie Grove Elementary School. The other days he is available at Community Clinic locations in Fayetteville and Springdale.
Working as a gift shop manager prepared him in some ways as a social worker, Pridmore said.
"People will tell strangers things that they won't tell others," Pridmore said.
The same process applies as a clinical social worker, he noted.
"Sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger. I don't try to sell counseling. They have to be at a place where they want to risk a game change. I like the ability to be able to walk with people when they make sense of their lives and want a better quality of life."
Many people think the Prairie Grove Health and Wellness Clinic is only available for students at Prairie Grove School District but the clinic is available to the public as well.
Kathy Grisham, chief executive officer for Community Clinic, said behavioral health is integrated with the medical care provided by the clinics.
Behavioral health is not a stand-alone program but an internal program for the clinic's patients, she said.
"The important thing is that they (behavioral specialists) are a part of the medical team in addressing problems before they become chronic or if a problem already is chronic, it is addressing it in a way to make you healthier and to create that change," Grisham said.
Pridmore said referrals may be a student with a pressing issue, such as crisis management. Other concerns patients talk to him about include sleep problems, anxiety, depression, stress or behavioral issues. He is not licensed to prescribe medicine and if patients need long-term care, they are referred to another provider.
Mental and physical health at times is similar to the cart and horse argument, Pridmore said. A person's physical issues can affect mental and emotional well-being, he said. Vice versa, mental and emotional issues can be an underlying cause of physical problems.
When someone comes to him, he said he talks to them about their symptoms and asks them about goals they have.
"The first thing I tell them is that they are the boss and they are the expert about themselves. I'm not here to judge them but here to help them with whatever they choose to bring."
Pridmore has been with Community Clinic for almost two years and said he likes the school-based clinic environment.
"I like how the school system and clinic work," Pridmore said. "This is a very positive clinic. It has a neighborhood feel."
Carmel Perry, director of Prairie Grove School District's coordinated health program, said Pridmore works with school counselors and has been instrumental in helping students work through problems.
"He works with families as well as students and I can tell you that he is very, very good and the people who see him really like him," Perry said.
Prairie Grove Health and Wellness Clinic has been open about three years and takes patients by appointment. In addition to the Prairie Grove clinic, Community Clinic also has school-based health centers in Springdale, Fayetteville, Lincoln and Siloam Springs.
The office accepts most private insurance, Medicare, ARKids and has a sliding scale fee for those without insurance who qualify based on income. No one is turned away, regardless of their ability to pay.
General News on 02/08/2017