By Lacie Chase, Clinic Director, and Rebecca Flynn, Clinical Staff Supervisor at Lowell Comprehensive Treatment Center
Amy Lessieur is a Counselor at Lowell Comprehensive Treatment Center (CTC) and consistently demonstrates clinical excellence with compassion, innovation and collaboration.
Everybody needs an Amy in their corner. This sentiment rang particularly true with a pregnant patient who was in a domestic violence situation. This patient had been undergoing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) at Lowell CTC for some time, but as Amy reviewed her list of patients who hadn’t reported to the facility for their doses, she became alarmed when she discovered that this patient had missed three consecutive days.
Amy reached out to the patient’s mother, her emergency contact, and her alarm only grew when the mother revealed that her daughter had been contacting her daily, assuring her that she had been regularly visiting the clinic. Both women realized the danger this patient was in and devised a plan to locate the patient and bring her to safety.
The patient’s mother discovered her daughter being held captive by her partner in a tent by a local park. With the help of the police, Amy and the mother were able to rescue the patient from this dangerous situation and transport her to Lowell CTC, where Amy gave her immediate care and support.
Amy also arranged secure housing for the patient in a safe house, located in a different town to ensure that she was distanced from the abusive partner who had held her captive. Amy arranged for the patient to have continuous access to care, and through consistent therapy and encouragement, the patient transformed her life and gained stability and independence.
Amy has served pregnant patients and their families at Lowell CTC for nearly 20 years. She meets them with compassion and understanding and hosts groups that empower new parents and grandparents with support as they welcome children into the world. Her groups also equip families with the tools and understanding they need to support the pregnant patient. They sometimes feature speakers from the Department of Child and Family Services (DCS), who share guidance on navigating the system and what steps to expect. Interacting with DCS is often daunting for patients — Amy leverages the groups to foster a positive relationship between parents and the organization and makes patients feel comfortable using DCS as a resource instead of viewing it as a barrier.
Amy is so good at anticipating her patients’ needs and coordinating every detail of their care. She never wavers in her commitment to providing quality care.