44 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com Grace Hardin may be young – only 25 years old – but she’s learning every day to balance life, responsibilities and her own mental health care. She works at the right place for it, too. Hardin is the practice care manager at iTrust Wellness Group, where mental health medication specialists work alongside patients to create a medication regimen to achieve their life’s wellness goals. Where better for a young woman to find herself as she continues her education? Born in West Virginia and raised in Charleston, Hardin moved to the South Carolina Upstate almost seven years ago to pursue her degree. “My undergraduate journey has been unconventional due to some ongoing health issues,” she said. “But I have loved my educational experience and look forward to finishing my degree in humanities with concentrations in fine arts, psychology and women’s studies.” Each focus already has proven valuable to her career with iTrust. Also valuable have been her own experiences with mental health: “I struggled with feeling like my own mental health symptoms might interfere with helping others in the field. What I’ve found is quite the opposite – the experiences I’ve had with my own mental health have actually equipped me with more empathy and insight to better assist others who are asking for help.” The human brain has always fascinated Hardin. “I’ve long had the thought in my head of wanting to pursue a career in the mental health field. I had little idea what that would specifically look like until I started working with iTrust Wellness Group,” she explained. Her daily work life is a mix because no two days are ever the same. She works closely with the practice’s clinical director to onboard and train new providers. She writes and implements office policies and works with the leadership team on process optimizations. She’s been with the iTrust Wellness Group for nearly four years and plans to stay for a while. “I love being faced with different challenges and finding ideal solutions, especially when it leads to better patient outcomes in the mental health community,” she said. As she continues working with iTrust, Hardin knows she needs to be intentional about boundaries in order to maintain a healthy work/life balance. “For me,” she said, “this looks like regularly spending time with friends, reading a good book, writing some poetry and journaling my thoughts from the day.” She added, “Ultimately, I consider myself very lucky to work where I do and be able to contribute to this aspect of health care that I care so deeply about. I firmly believe that mental health care should be accessible and of high quality in order to help others. I am endlessly grateful to be a small part of that journey for others.” By Leah Rhyne Grace Hardin ITRUST WELLNESS GROUP Greenville and Seneca 864-520-2020 itrustwellnessgroup.com @itrustwellnessgroup I love being faced with different challenges and finding ideal solutions, especially when it leads to better patient outcomes in the mental health community." " MEN WI N HEALTH Photo by Carin Scates Photography.
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