Brittany Pittman is part of the KVC Kentucky Intake Team working out of the Lexington office. In her role, she prepares youth and adults who are about to receive services from therapists and psychiatrists. Brittany submitted this story as part of KVC’s Annual Story Contest to share how an act of kindness left a lasting impression on her. 

Typically in my role on the Intake Team, I don’t often have in-person interactions with the children and adults who receive our behavioral and mental health services. Most of my duties are administrative in nature. However, this instance was different.

I received a referral over the phone from a woman who was in distress and in dire need of help. She told me how she has always turned away from receiving services from other organizations because of a lack of transportation and missing appointments due to her poor health. After we completed the intake process, I stayed on the phone with her while she emotionally expressed all that she had been through. At the end of our conversation, though, she stated she was excited about starting services with KVC. As I do with all phone referrals, I had given her my name and told her if she had any questions or concerns to call the office and I would do my best to help. After this, we had a few support phone calls before her appointments started.

When she began services with our resident psychiatrist, Dr. Cruser, she would come in and would radiate kindness. She was personable, friendly, and would always go out of her way to speak positivity before she left. She had gone through many personal struggles, but she didn’t let it affect how she treated others.

Before being discharged after successfully completing her services, she came in and asked our front office coordinator to speak with me.

When I met her in the waiting area, she gave me a hug and thanked me for always being so helpful and kind to her. She told me that before she initially called KVC, she had contemplated suicide because she felt like she could not find the services she needed. This was so heartbreaking for me and put into perspective the need of mental health services to be accessible for all people. After her kind words, she handed me a cross stitch that she had handmade me. It was one of the sweetest gestures I have ever received.

It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of the job, but being kind to someone who is obviously hurting and in need of help can not only make an impact on their life but also your own. KVC is great about making clients feel supported and cared about. This is a reason why the mission “To enrich and enhance the lives of children and families” resonates so much to me.

I don’t always get to see the successes with our clients because of my administrative role, but the times I do get to interact with them, I always want to be nice and help as much as I can because it does make a difference. Everyone deserves respect and kindness. I hope this client is doing well, but in my heart I know she is! I keep her cross-stitch at my desk.

At KVC Kentucky, we are committed to strengthening and supporting the well-being and vitality of Kentucky’s children, adults, families, and communities through our mental and behavioral health services. If you or someone you know is experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts or other distress, please reach out to us to speak with a professional.