Explore Lisa L. Robinson's journey in the Mental Health & Substance Abuse Centers Industry

Well, my roots and upbringing are heavily influenced by some strong women and men that didn’t allow anything to stand in their way. They push me and themselves to strive for greatness. You hear that often but my family actually lived it. We started from scratch and were able to build something. Throughout the journey to success, you need to learn how to ride the wave of both failure and success. You have to understand that failure can always teach you something. I have realized that becoming a business owner, manager and founder of something is great and is contributing in the community in so many ways. That’s particularly true for other female clinicians and other female staff members, people of color, other immigrants, this is who we employ. They really represent our clientele and the vision which is to pay it forward and keep building within the social work and mental health community and the society at large.  – Lisa L. Robinson

So, I was born in London, England. My family is of Jamaican descent. My grandparents and great aunts had an opportunity to come to the U.S in the 60s. One of my aunts was a social worker who was really involved in the Roxbury community. She was one of the first black females to go university there but still had student loans until she was 80. I came from people that were so involved in social justice in their own communities, whether it was in Europe, here in the U.S. They taught me how important it is to give back while still trying to maintain your own success whether it’s through financial, spiritual or emotional means. We try to create this legacy of self-care, understanding. Self-care means to you look at both yourself and the people around you. It’s not just about you, it’s about the family, community you live in. One supports the other. This is an inherent lesson I was brought up with growing up in Boston and in the UK because we used to go back and forth and see cousins. When I was around the age of 12, we moved from Roxbury to a different place which was a complete culture shock to me. I think the first night we moved out I couldn’t sleep because it was too silent. I was used to hearing the traffic, sirens and I missed it. All the experiences I had growing up really had an impact into shaping who I am. I kept constantly reenforcing these foundations lessons from my great grandparents and mother that you’ve got to give in order to get. That’s how I started. – Lisa L. Robinson

My first job was in the human service fields at age 14. I grew up assisting patients in personal hygiene tasks, that was my first job. Not to be vulgar but that was the reality. That was my contribution at 14. I tried to remain humble even though the other kids were doing other stuff. I felt like I could build a good connection with those clients. Being able to see the benefit of doing something many people wouldn’t do, being humble and patient were some of things my mother and grandmother kept telling me. Patience is a huge virtue. I have a visual disability, Macular Degeneration. I have the juvenile form of it called Stargardt Disease. I was born with it. My family first thought I had hearing loss but it was actually vision. I was diagnosed when I was 5 and was legally blind by 12. My eyes by a miracle regenerated. I went to a fantastic ophthalmologist specialized in this disease. She also was a huge inspiration for me to keep pushing and trying even when odds were against me in a normative sense. My mother and the other females around me never told me that I couldn’t do something. I kept pushing and what ended up happening because of that is that I studied harder, I surpassed my classmates. That discipline, faith and belief created this resilience. After high school, I pursued a career in journalism and Spanish. I was also a bilingual therapis. However, journalism didn’t feel fulfilling to me. I wanted to have that connection to see somebody grow and thrive. I went back to my roots, what I was doing at 14. I was able to get into the health care industry and became a case manager in New York city. From there, I went to Columbia university, graduated with Master’s of Arts and a Master’s of Education in Counseling Psychology.  – Lisa L. Robinson

The core piece of being an entrepreneur is the inspiration, being able to sculpt and mold your talent, drive for your passion, discipline and patience. I was able to embrace and absorb that for myself. My grandparents were entrepreneurs as well. They owned a restaurant back in the UK. They thought it was impossible to do that but pushed through and made it. My auntie Joy owned a corner store. I was amazed she was able to do that. So, there was already a sense of entrepreneurship in the family. What I wanted to do was to combine my desire to help people and entrepreneurship. The first day at Columbia University I realized I wanted to open a practice. That was how we started. They say that not everybody is cut out to open a business and I think that’s true. Not everybody can be an entrepreneur but you can still be about your business, about something great. You don’t have to have a Fortune 500 company to be a success. I was at the right place at the right time but also made a lot of sacrifices. I was married, got divorced and I don’t have kids yet. It was the right time to be able to build on this at the right credentialling and licensing. I was very planful and organized. Becoming a business owner naturally became a part of me. I highly suggest to everyone looking to be one to stop with the envy or fear of missing out. Maybe you’re really successful where you’re at and are building upon that. Also, one of the questions we have to ask ourselves as business owners is whether it’s better to be a sole proprietor or expand. I think those are true questions and things you should embrace and not feel ashamed about having to make that decision. You are successful regardless of the way you want to play it out. – Lisa L. Robinson

It’s because all this work it’s not about me. When you go into the mental or behavioral health field, you’re not going in it because it’s about you. The healthcare corporates are mostly doing it for them, the numbers of clients, money etc. It’s just another place for people to do nefarious things. Furthermore, I and the clinicians that I’ve hired wanted to do more and give back because everybody has his/her own story. The reason I started “Trust” is that I realized I was really good at doing the same thing that I had been doing since I was 14 but wanted to expand this view of paying it forward. Someone recently asked me if I did it all by myself. The answer is no, I didn’t do this all by myself. You need a village to raise a child and this child needed a village to come out. So, I’ve got to recognize all the people that helped me to come up, my staff. It wasn’t just me; I was the leading point. We wanted something better for us and why not make it happen by getting together and doing it for real? We’re the backbone of the behavioral health system. I’m talking about women, other marginalized groups, LGBTQIA+, people from low socio-economic status, they face many issues while working hard to become clinicians. Just because we have master’s degrees doesn’t mean we don’t struggle. I know I struggled. So, why isn’t there a place that is genuinely made for us? That’s what I’m saying. Opening my individual practice would just about me. I would also be helping the clients but how else could I have expanded this potential? I wanted other people like me doing this in the community. It creates a ripple effect. When you meet a clinician you trust, you’re going to get a full experience and treatment. Most of the time, nothing is guaranteed but three months with somebody that is real, understands where you’re coming from, has lived your experience similarly will eventually make you feel better. Don’t you want to be with that person or have more access to that? The more I and my clinicians give, the better the community gets at the end.  – Lisa L. Robinson

Firstly, you need to hire the right people. I think what happens for the corporate employees is that there is a trepidation about leaving these corporate structures because we’ve been told to work there and they’ll take care of you. A couple of months in, you’re tearing your hair in, you feel burned out. There are so many strict rules and policies that make your experience working there really hard. The clinicians need support, therapy as well but why can’t it be integrated in the environment? Why can’t the boss be understanding, set up realistic goals that you can actually achieve? Why aren’t they having those conversations? How can a person give back to his staff? I think it’s important to have a step-by-step plan. If you’re going to branch out, do this in phases, plans, goals. If you’re in a community agency or hospital and want to just branch out but are afraid of doing it all alone at first, don’t worry because it’s normal. Take the step of joining a group, get settled in, be in a place where you’re appreciated more, where you can do your work easier and have the clients that you want, have less burnout clients, have a relationship or schedule. Then make a plan for your long-term. One of the things about “Trust” is that we plan both how a clinician can grow in their mid-term and long-term. For example, we have a ACLS program and we set free supervision, are setting up study groups for people so they can get their independent license and have a plan to be able to grow. You help yourself and the practice too. Eventually, we’re going to help people open up independent practices if that’s where they want to go. Being a part of the “Trust” community can also elevate you to becoming a supervisor. – Lisa L. Robinson

First of all, I should say that I’m never slow, I’m always thinking about the next thing. I asked myself how could I make this better for everyone? I also needed a place where I felt like I belonged and other people want that too. I had a location for the practice. I had a sole proprietorship from day one but I started off by myself in an independent practice and started building contracts, talked with multiple insurance providers. That took some time. I had to advocate for myself and other women of color to be able to access some of these contracts. Thankfully, the medicate contracts that we have also recognize the value of including people of color, bilinguals, etc. That opened a lot of doors but I had to fight for that. – Lisa L. Robinson

It’s hard. They don’t just give it away. So, you have to really know how to market yourself, network, talk. You have to be dedicated to the work because they pay attention to that. If I had a place like “Trust” when I left the corporate healthcare world, I would’ve been through the roof because I felt so burned out at the time. I’m talking about having to work 60 to 70 hours per week. I don’t want to talk badly about any institution because we all need each other, the agencies, groups, private practices but I think having a place like “Trust” cuts the stress and insecurity. I’m a risk taker because that’s who I was. I just pushed myself out there because I had to learn to adapt with my vision. I had to learn to build connections and take a plunge. I’m not going to lie. I fronted all the money myself by saving, cutting costs, it was very hard. – Lisa L. Robinson

I think that you have to judge success by your own standards and priorities. If you’re judging it by what others have better, it will lead you down the road of ruin and delusion. Don’t do that. You have to look at what’s realistic. There were times when I didn’t think I could do this anymore. I was giving a lot but what kept me driving was that anytime I had doubt, someone would come in and thank me. Today I got a text from a former patient of mine thanking me because she believes she couldn’t have graduated without me. This display of gratitude from my clients and staff members used to pull me back in. I have a staff member so close to my heart. I never thought I could have a black female supervisor that would be so committed into making this work. Having so many people saying the same think makes me feel like I have found exactly where I belong. I made this but I made it so that we all can belong somewhere together. – Lisa L. Robinson

I don’t want to blow my own horn or anything but my branding is effective it’s because I’m honest. One of my new hires said that she was as angry as I was about what was going on socially and in the mental health behavioral provider community. I understand she was coming from a genuine place. We have a stance here too. If we’re the ones doing the work, receiving the services, why can’t we be at the top? Do we need to be holding on to these corporate structures because it makes us feel more secure? Can I believe in myself enough to be able to create something safe for me? My branding is coming from a place of honesty and passion. I use my anger in a constructive way. I didn’t want to just stay complaining about what I’m going to do. What I did about it was creating a company where I and people who think like me felt like we belonged, even though it took me three years to achieve it. I believe that complaining won’t solve anything but taking action will. – Lisa L. Robinson

It took me a lot of time and patience. Many of our allies helped us build the foundations of the business but the business is for all people. There are people desperate for what “Trust Therapeutics” is offering because they are tired from the status quo. Many corporates want to be diversely inclusive and just do a picnic once a year and call it a day. You don’t see people like me at the top. They want to be inclusive but don’t understand the benefits of having the experience, contribution of people that don’t look like the typical white guy. There’s value there. I think that’s how we’re competing. This is for real, we’re not just talking, we’re walking. Some of my clinicians ask whether I still see clients and of course I still do. This new part of the economy, approach to hiring has to be employee-centric anyway. I challenge the CEOs to ask themselves what are they doing in order to understand what is an employee centric policy. It has nothing to do with them cutting off a couple thousands of dollars a year from their salary. It actually has to be you in the trenches with your team, your soldiers. I am there with them every single day. We try to keep it intimate within our company. We have supervisors managing small groups of clinicians but in general, everybody knows they can come home to their family. – Lisa L. Robinson

In the beginning, I had to wake up at three or four in the morning and working until 8 at night. I was pulling all-nighters when I was twelve because of my vision so I was already used to it. If you want this dream, you have to put in the time. It’s not for everybody and maybe you can reach success differently. You might not end up owning a group or agency but can be in a group like ours that helps you get the independent success that you want. I think that’s the opportunity I wish I had and want to provide for other people. It’s bold because you get to be part of this community but also get to be independent. No matter what phase you are in your career, whether you’re just becoming licensed or are looking for a new place, there’s an opportunity to work with us with guidance, support, supervision to become an independent licensed professional. You’ll work with your own work load and be able to earn and build network connections and we’ll be able to help you become independent yourself. If I had somebody looking out for me who understood what equity really means, I’d go for it. It’s not just having people who look like you but also the company working towards making you equitable. I think that’s the social responsibility we have for entrepreneurs. You have to think about that, no matter what industry you are in. – Lisa L. Robinson

Yeah, definitely. I’m going to be honest; I’m always working on mindset. I think you can hear it throughout the interview, my mindset is about social justice and multicultural understanding. They’re in the same basket. My mindset since the beginning was about how to make something better for others and make it a place for them to belong. I always hold that at the core but I’m not going to be dishonest and say I’m not facing my own challenges and faults. I’m at a place now where I can really appreciate the failures I’ve had in the past. It’s part of the journey to becoming successful. My grandmother used to say “wherever there is a disappointment, make it an appointment”. More and more, as we keep growing, we face new challenges at the practice but I always tell myself to not look at it black and white but try to think of a solution in a different, more diplomatic way. From the top to the everyday actions, we work on our vision and mission. In every action we take, I am always reminding my staff to think of new creative ways to solve problems and to be fair. We have staff moral-building events we do every month that are focused on multiculturalism and diversity and we highlight a group or joint groups and talk with staff members who are maybe representing that group. We set an event for them and our allies so they are able to understand and learn about who they’re working with and serving. – Lisa L. Robinson

Don’t despair and don’t panic! There are more opportunities out there. I know that it feels like you can’t get out of where you are, you may feel burned out and used but there are people out there who are conscious of what’s happening and are trying to create a safe space for you to come and thrive. You just got to seek them out and seek that mentorship. I was just thinking about a mentorship program because I think that is important not only when you’re young. You might still need mentorship even as an entrepreneur. I think that having someone as a guide whether it comes in the form of your own therapy or in the form of finding an actual mentor, has a lot of importance. Another thing I want to tell them is that we’re happy to welcome new staff members. Do it for you. You don’t have to stay miserable in your current job. There is always another alternative and you can feel secure that you’re going to be able to sustain a good wage, have the time off that you need and be in a place that loves having you there. We have built a family of our own and we love and care about each other a lot. – Lisa L. Robinson