x
Breaking News
More () »

Psychiatric Technician Chosen as 2019 Caregiver of the Year

Karen Rumo leads with love and lights up the hearts of her patients during their darkest days.

WESTBROOK, Maine — Psychiatric Technician Karen Rumo has a gift. "If someone is feeling anxious or they look frightened, she knows how to approach them and to help calm them down, de-escalate them, and help them get what they need," says Mary Jane Krebs, President of Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook.

It's a common scenario at Spring Harbor, a private,100 bed psychiatric facility that serves both children and adults. Many of the patients are there against their will. Some have tried to take their own lives. Almost all of them are in crisis. But Rumo sees through the illness and the sometimes bizarre behaviors that come with psychiatric disorders. "This is a population where I think they get a bad rap a lot of the time. You know, they're the most vulnerable population in the community," says Rumo, "And I think there's a lot of misunderstandings. So to me, to really educate people about mental health and that for anybody suffering from a mental illness, they're a human being.  They're a person before their illness. They're not a diabetic, they're a person with diabetes. They're not a schizophrenic, they're a person with schizophrenia. And they are way more than their illness."  

As a psych tech, Rumo works directly with the patients, helping them with their daily needs, leading activities, and lending a caring ear. Whether it's the most disheveled and delusional patient in the unit, or the top executive of the facility, Rumo is known for treating everyone with kindness and respect, and making them feel as though they are the most important person in the world. "I thought it was just me," Krebs says with a laugh, "When I first met her and she's talking with me, I felt so special.  That's the kind of person she is. She makes you feel like you are the center of attention."

The impact of Rumo's kindness and compassion toward her patients was recently driven home when one of them was readmitted to the hospital.  The man had been a patient of Rumo's when he was a child, returned to the hospital more than 30 years later, and recognized her right away. Krebs describes the scene, "And he said, 'Karen, it's you! I know I'm not supposed to hug you but I have to give you a hug!' And he gave her a big hug and talked about how important she was in his life as a nine-year-old boy when he was here."

Not only does Rumo hold herself to a high standard patient care, she demands the same of her colleagues. "She is a fierce advocate for the patients," says Claudia Henry, Director of Clinical Programming, "She is on a number of committees, always has been, and she embraces that patient centered core value."  Henry recalls the time during the late 1990's when Spring Harbor, then known as Jackson Brook Institute, was going through bankruptcy.  "There was no money and paychecks were bouncing. And there was no money for supplies," she says, "Karen would go and do neighborhood fundraisers to gather money and supplies so that we would have supplies in which to work with the patients."  Henry adds, "I mean, that's just so giving but that's her. She does that all the time."

Rumo is equally kind and caring toward the staff at Spring Harbor. Well known for bringing in homemade baked goods and organizing special events and celebrations for every occasion, Rumo is affectionately called "Mama" on her unit. "And she does it with such joy and love," says Henry, "You just sort of want to be near her because she just brings that joy in to the workplace." And like any good Mama, Rumo is protective of her coworkers, always taking the newbies under her wing.  

Krebs recounts the story of a new psychiatric technician at the hospital who worked as a floater, meaning he was cross trained to work in the various units. When Rumo first met him, she said he was very upbeat and seemed to really enjoy what he was doing.  But the next time he floated up to her unit, she saw him sitting alone, quiet and sullen.  "So she approached him and said, 'You just don't seem the same. What's going on?'" says Krebs, "And he just burst out in tears and he started talking about how he was struggling himself." Rumo put the young man in touch with the hospital's employee assistance program and offered him some heartfelt words of encouragement. "She told him, 'You've got a great heart.  You're doing great work with the patients. But we have to take care of you, too.'"  Krebs adds, "So she's tuned in to people that way."

Rumo's deep sense of empathy -- and a willingness to act on it -- even dates back to her childhood.  Krebs says, "When she was in high school, she would see these children with special needs, going down this dark hallway to the special ed classroom.  And it broke her heart.  And so she went down to see if she could help.  And she engaged some of those children into her circle of friends. She tried to normalize their world and help them feel just as special as anyone else was."

After briefly exploring a career in special education, Rumo landed a job as a psychiatric technician, a position she has held for 33 years. In a profession known for burnout, her colleagues say she is every bit as upbeat, dedicated and focused now as she was on day one. 

"I love this work because I love being part of a team that really helps bring light back to people that might have lost that a little bit," Rumo says, "That's why you do it.  Because it's in your heart. You make a difference."

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out