Sarah Butler - Championing Rural Mental Health

Sarah Butler

Championing Rural Mental Health

by Melissa McCance

Due to sensationalized portrayals in movies and over-the-top television shows, mental health issues and their treatment are the most misunderstood area of health care. Although there certainly are people with extreme mental illness, sometimes it’s simply a matter of too much happening in a person’s world at one time. Sarah Butler, PMHNP-BC (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified) is the director of behavioral health services at Hillsdale Hospital, and she is making great strides towards ensuring that those who need help get it.

A graduate of Pittsford High School, Sarah began working at Hillsdale Hospital in 2001 and then earned her R.N. degree at Jackson Community College (now Jackson College) in 2005. She later returned to school at Spring Arbor University, earning her B.S.N degree.

Her first nursing job at Hillsdale Hospital was in the orthopedics department where she worked for about seven years. Wanting a change of pace, she tried moving to the night shift in the mental health unit as the nursing manager, but after three months of working nights with three very young children at home, Sarah realized that schedule was not sustainable.

“So, then I moved to the day shift in this unit, learned the ropes, and fell in love with it. Absolutely fell in love with it.”

Wanting to extend her career in mental health nursing, Sarah earned her master’s degree from Maryville University and became a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a position she has held for almost three years.

In her job, Sarah evaluates, diagnoses, and treats mental illness in a variety of populations including the patients in Hillsdale Hospital’s adults-only, 10 bed inpatient unit.

Outpatient services were added last September, and she is leading the mental health services provided to outpatients in the hospital. Twice a month, Sarah visits the Hillsdale College campus to see students and faculty, and, twice a week, she sees inmates at the Hillsdale jail. In addition, she works in conjunction with Hope House to provide psychiatric care while the Hope House staff addresses their residents’ substance abuse issues. Sarah has a deep commitment to and enthusiasm for her work and loves all the diverse populations who are her patients.

“Each and every one is so different, and they’re so great. Every place I go . . . I like them all. The world of mental health is so incredibly misunderstood. What I like most about it is helping people travel that journey because people are scared—scared to death—about what they’re feeling and what they did.

Many people are afraid to work in psych because of the misconceptions and stereotypes. It’s not like ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ We have many types of people, all walks of life, and some are brilliant, brilliant people who are just going through a hard time. What I like best about it is educating and explaining and helping people know the world of mental health.”

One thing that she does find frustrating is the lack of resources for mental health and the fact that accessing those resources can require more than a struggling individual can manage. If someone is profoundly depressed to the point where just getting out of bed is a challenge, getting dressed and driving to an appointment or completing a stack of forms will probably not be a realistic goal. There is also a serious problem with access to services in rural areas for children and adolescents.

A new tool that Sarah feels has a great deal of promise is GeneSight, a genetic testing service that helps pinpoint which psychiatric medications will be the most effective for a particular patient. Not only does it point the provider to medications that are most likely to help, but it allows ineffective or inappropriate medications to be screened out.

When asked what she would like to see happen in the future for the mental health services, Sarah said she would like to have a therapist brought on board for the outpatient practice as well as more substance abuse resources.

To a field that can be extremely challenging and demanding, Sarah Butler brings dedication, expertise, and compassion. She is making an enormous difference through her work in the Hillsdale Hospital psychiatric unit and across the community. Her prime motivation is guiding struggling people to navigate and overcome the challenges in their lives. Life these days can be overwhelming- Hillsdale County residents are very fortunate to have Sarah on their side.