Mackenzie Flood | Patient Advocacy and Self-Care on the Frontlines of Mental Health
Meet Mackenzie Flood — licensed social worker at Manhattan’s NYP Weill Cornell Hospital. Mackenzie shares her gratitude for a challenging yet inspiring work environment, how remembering to take care of herself contributes to that of her patients, and the importance of keeping perspective.
Photo by Mackenzie Flood, artwork by The Purple Thread
Share a little bit about yourself & your current work.
I am a Licensed Social Worker at NYP Weill Cornell Hospital in Manhattan. In August, I will have been here for two years!
I was hired to work with psychiatric patients on the medicine units, but due to the COVID pandemic and other staffing issues, I have been fortunate enough to work within different areas.
This includes assisting patients struggling with substance abuse issues and as well as assisting our geriatric population with safe discharge planning and/or coordinating the transfer to rehabilitation centers in the city.
What problem does your organization strive to solve?
NYP Care Coordination Department strives to support patients while they are in the hospital by establishing a professional relationship, assisting in safe discharge planning, all while advocating, validating, and supporting their patients' goals.
What currently inspires you?
My patients inspire me to continue to become a stronger and better social worker. I learn something new every day from at least one patient and/or their family member.
I am also inspired by the incredible work of the front-line leaders I am surrounded by. If 2020 taught us anything, it is that our healthcare workers are superheroes.
I feel so grateful to work alongside the doctors, nurses, aides, and clinical staff when I come to work each morning.
When do you feel most alive?
When surrounded by people I love. I have the best family, and the greatest group of best friends I can always count on to pick up the phone, good and bad days included!
What’s your ideal way to start & end your day?
My favorite (new) way to start and end my days are writing in my Five Minute Journal. I saw mention on Instagram of how this quick, fun, and mindful hobby became part of someone’s daily routine and how therapeutic she found it to be.
I have been writing in my journal for almost two months now, and I feel fresh and organized when starting my day.
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Who is someone you admire & how do you strive to act in a way that they would?
My father is not only my best friend but my biggest supporter.
He taught me how to be patient, be a good listener, and validate other people's feelings. He is a psychiatrist and has devoted so much of his adult life to putting his patients first. He is also the best person to confide in because he can understand and relate to the hardships that come with working in the mental health field.
He is my best friend. We share the same sense of humor and he always reminds me to keep things light.
What is a piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Stop worrying about things you can't control.
I am a worrier by nature, however, as I got older, I noticed that I was starting to take on other people's emotions, whether that was feeling sad because my friend was going through a hard time in her relationship or feeling anxious because my patient was struggling after losing a parent.
I started to see how debilitating this became, and instead of focusing so much on what I can't change, I try to reframe my thinking so that I can listen while also separating facts from feelings that aren't my own.
What are you currently working towards accomplishing?
I am currently pursuing my license to become a clinical social worker so that I can one day open a private practice.
In order to achieve this, I have one more year of clinical supervision and will sit for my exam once I complete my hours. This is something I have been working towards for almost 6 years so I am thrilled to be approaching my goal.
Leave us with a ray of light. A simple reminder that grounds you or helps you through.
"You spend most of your life inside your head, make it a nice place to be."
All photos provided by Mackenzie Flood