AUSTIN, Texas — Kedar Priest is a practice administrator with Integral Care in Austin, Texas. She works to ensure the people in the community are getting the mental health care that they need, whether they result from drug and alcohol abuse, developmental disabilities or basic counseling. 

Priest says one of her main jobs is ensuring that her staff feels supported so that they are ready and able to give others the care that they need.

“So really, we are checking them in with them very frequently, you know, to ensure if there’s, you know, a difficult case that they are able to debrief, you know, and talk to someone to gain support as well," Priest said. 

Candace Kosted is a crisis counselor at the facility. She says what helps her most is trying to relate to what somebody might go through in a crisis. 

“Whatever I have going on personally, sometimes whenever I see somebody in a crisis, what is grounding for me is being able to connect to whatever they might be feeling and sort of putting my own personal problems aside, but also sometimes tapping into those to be able to have more empathy," she said. 

Working in the mental health service industry isn’t easy, with early days and long hours. Priest says many that get into the industry are “naturals” and just want to help others. She discussed how her own family influenced her decision to get into the industry.

“Specific to my family. One of my uncles struggled with alcoholism for a very long time. And he also was in and out of prison multiple times throughout his life. And a lot of times I reflect on his life. He’s no longer with us. Yeah. It’s really hard to see your family members struggle, you know, for years. But also knowing that there is interventions, right? There is support. That does work. You know, that’s part of the reason why I’m here," she said. 

If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis and needs support, Integral Care offers a variety of crisis services, including a 24/7 hotline, mental health urgent care, suicide prevention and more. They provide care for both adults and children, and remain open for urgent care seven days a week.