Polara Health strives to provide integrated, whole-person care to everyone who walks through the doors
By Hilary Dartt • Photos by Trisha Shaffer
A new report from Mental Health America found that in 2021-2022, 23 percent of adults experienced a mental illness in the past year—equivalent to 60 million Americans.
About one in five youth had at least one major depressive episode in the past year and more than half of those didn’t receive treatment.
2022 had the highest number of deaths by suicide ever recorded in the U.S.
These statistics correlate with the growth of Polara Health, whose leadership team is committed to elevating the entire community through innovative services and programs, each with the goal of providing integrated, whole-person care.
“I feel like I have the ability every single day to change the trajectory for some people,” said Tamara Player, Polara’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
Tamara’s interest in mental health services began as a result of her fascination with the brain and how things work combined with her sense of social justice. “So many people who need mental health services are the unseen, the forgotten, the other,” she said.
With that “othering” in mind, she started as a social worker providing intensive in-home services to at-risk families. Eventually, an interest in impacting the whole system drew her to leadership.
Now, she said, she strives “to identify where the needs and gaps are in our community and … design service delivery that attends to those needs.”
Erin Kantor, Chief Clinical Operations Officer, was so drawn to psychology in college, she ended up getting her degree in the subject. Although she said she stumbled into the field, she “ended up absolutely loving it.”
She said one of her biggest goals is to improve the ease with which people can receive whole-person care. “Something I’m really passionate about is bridging that gap,” making sure those who seek mental health treatment also have their other needs met, such as housing, social needs, food security, and finances.
“How can we get them what they need, so they can thrive?” she said.
Kara Langley, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, originally applied for Polara Health’s senior accountant position because she loves that kind of work.
“After I started here and saw all the things we do,” she said, “I knew this is where I belong. The people here are so passionate about what they do. It is meaningful work and makes me proud to be a part of it.”
Since working at Polara, seeing all the hard work and compassion that go into helping those who are struggling with their mental health, has been gratifying.
Although she doesn’t see clients face to face to hear their gratitude, she said she feels it in everything Polara does.
Tamara, Erin, and Kara all moved to the area to work at Polara, and said their own unique perspectives and experiences—and those of the entire Polara Health team—have contributed to Polara Health’s growth.
Currently, Polara Health offers services for children and adults, including inpatient, outpatient, crisis services, psychiatry and medication management, parenting classes, individual and group therapy and skills training, autism services (including a support group and respite), and more (see a full list at https://www.polarahealth.com/). Polara has 14 physical locations throughout the tri-city area.
Unique perspectives and a desire to make a difference have also contributed to the creation and addition of new services and programs.
For example, one staff member suggested creating a sensory space for the autism program and after receiving a grant for it, they built a room designed to stimulate all the different senses (or to provide a quiet space).
“We used to have [an autism] toolbox,” Erin said, describing a box containing different tactile and sensory tools. “This is like putting yourself in the toolbox.”
The Autism Program and the Birth to Five program are both designated Centers of Excellence through Care 1st, Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona Health Choice, and Mercy Care.
Polara Health has also introduced several innovative services in recent years, including measure-based care, Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and Cognitive Function Development Therapy (CFDT).
Through an app, measure-based care helps clients track their feelings throughout the duration of their care. It’s a way of tracking improvement and identifying target areas for upcoming sessions.
“This keeps people more engaged and involved in their treatment,” Kara said, “and instead of just giving up because they think it’s not working, they figure out those things they’re doing for themselves that are helping.”
Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is designed to improve treatment-resistant depression. Using magnetic waves, it helps stimulate parts of the brain that have gone dormant due to depression.
Erin said “TMS is fantastic,” especially for adults who feel like they’ve tried and tried to treat their depression, without the results they’re hoping for.
CFDT aims to improve cognitive function and emotional regulation by strengthening neural pathways in the brain. Rather than using talk therapy, CFDT uses interactive activities such as games and puzzles.
Right now, Tamara said, Polara Health employees provide CFDT to children at school and they’re able to go back to class with energy and focus, unlike what they might experience with traditional talk therapy.
Deanna Eder, Polara Health’s Director of Marketing and Communications, said she wants people to know, “We are the community behavioral health and mental health provider. We are in this community, and we are for this community.”
“I’ve seen many people leave community mental health because it’s really hard work,” Erin said. “But that’s something I’d never do.”
The payoff for all the hard work, Tamara said, is in seeing that trajectory change for people.
“To see somebody come into our Crisis Stabilization Unit in their most vulnerable state, see them transition to outpatient care, supported employment services, and then to working somewhere in the community,” is the best part of the work.
“Our communities are only as healthy as our most vulnerable people. So if we make an impact there, we elevate the well-being for the entire community.”
Learn more at polarahealth.com or by calling 928.445.5211.