These are three strong words meant to describe someone with a very soft heart, someone like Shantelle Whitehead, PsyD. Owner of her own mental health practice, avid community volunteer, and gracious friend to Rogers Behavioral Health Foundation, Dr. Shantelle is driven by making a positive impact on people’s lives.
When asked what she enjoys most about being a clinical psychologist, she says without hesitation, “When people let me join them in their healing journey. I have the best job in the world!”
As the founder of Dr. Shantelle and Associates, a growing mental health practice with two locations near Chicago, Dr. Shantelle says she hires clinicians on their hearts as much as their skills. “They all believe in giving back to the community by doing pro bono work,” says Dr. Shantelle. “I have the most amazing clinicians with the biggest hearts.” She calls them her “Dream Team.”
Dr. Shantelle and her team have seen the impact that Rogers has had on her clients, referring to nearby Hinsdale and Skokie outpatient clinics as well as residential care in Oconomowoc. Upon touring Rogers’ primary campus, she noted that she could feel how much our staff cares for our patients.
Alas, this is at the very core of Dr. Shantelle’s heart and why she chose Rogers to be the primary beneficiary of her charitable giving. “Rogers is the only place I want to give. Your staff cares about people. Just like my Dream Team. Just like me. That feeling is in Oconomowoc. It’s in Skokie. It’s in Hinsdale. It’s in all of Rogers. I trust Rogers, and I’ve seen how it changes people’s lives. I know that my gift can make an impact.”
As the demand for mental health care continues to rise, Dr. Shantelle is seeing her practice fill up quickly. Eager to ensure the health and wellbeing of those in need, she is in process of adding two more clinics in the Chicagoland area. This, along with hours of her time giving mental health workshops in her community and crisis support for teachers and administrators in area schools, she believes supporting Rogers is just another way she can help.
“My heart is in the Foundation’s grant program,” says Dr. Shantelle. “Insurance coverage for behavioral health can be so limited. For many, the mere thought of going to Rogers could be out of reach. I want more people to have the ability to get this level of treatment.”
If you still have any doubt about how soft her heart is, consider this, “I just hope that other clinicians can hear my message and think about giving to Rogers, too. As mental health professionals, we go into this field because we want to make an impact. I’m not sure people have thought about what else they can do to help. I’d like to encourage others to give what they can. It really will make a difference.”
