DOWNEY — Helping Healers Heal, also known as “H3”, is making an amazing difference at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center.

“The spirit of H3 is to take a traumatic or significant event a health care worker has experienced and provide them with a safe and confidential space for immediate support. This way, an individual can turn a moment of crisis into a situation that they can thrive in,” shared Kelli McSwan, Clinical Psychologist and Director of H3 at Rancho Los Amigos. “Healthcare providers are often so focused on caring for others that they forget to care for themselves.”

The H3 model was first introduced to the Rancho Los Amigos staff in 2019 and at Rancho, each department has at least two staff members who have volunteered to undergo specific H3 training.

By decentralizing the program, staff are able to get emotional support from trained coworkers who can fully empathize and understand the ins and outs of their specific workplace. In addition, these H3 “champions” are given the flexibility to accommodate an impromptu H3 interaction when needed without taking time or quality of care away from their patients.

With the added pressures on healthcare workers over the last two years, Dr. McSwan has made it her mission to make sure that all 1,500+ Rancho staff members not only know about H3, but also feel comfortable accessing these resources.

Equipped with snacks and treats provided by the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation, Dr. McSwan, along with Speech Therapist, Sarah Taylor, regularly make rounds throughout the hospital to educate staff about this invaluable resource and to council staff when necessary.

Dr. McSwan hopes that H3’s impact at Rancho will continue to grow and so too will the ways staff can connect. Whether through one-on-one sessions, group meetings, bereavement sessions, or spontaneous conversations in the halls, H3 will continue to break the stigma around mental health and will care for those who care for others.

For more information on the programs and services funded by the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation or to make a donation, please visit us at www.RanchoFoundation.org.