Employee Spotlight

Dustin Medellin

What is your Job Title / Role at RHS?

Department Head over Community Based Services. I supervise our CBRS and Case Management workers.

How did you come into the Mental Health Field?

My degree is in education, but after I graduated from ISU my sister was working for RHS and referred me for a job doing PSR. I continue to work in this field because I enjoy the work we do and the environment RHS provides for us to do our jobs.

Who inspired you to pursue this career choice?

I have been able to work with many people at RHS that show great examples of how to help people. Ike Johnson and Blake Bingham have been great mentors to me and they are inspirations to me of how to make a career out of helping people.

How important is it for you to work with our Southeast Idaho Community?

I feel like it is a great privilege to work with community members in Idaho Falls and the surrounding areas. We get a chance to help individuals improve their lives and as we do so, we strengthen our communities as well.

What is something someone might not know about you?

I have a twin brother, but lucky for him, we don’t look alike.

What are some of your interests / hobbies?

I love watching movies and playing games with my family. I have coached high school football for the last 16 years and spend most of my free time doing that.

What is the best advice you would give to someone just coming into this field?

Understand that everybody is different. A lot of jobs deal with numbers and spreadsheets or raw materials and products. But, we deal with people and when we show empathy and understanding towards how others feel or the situations they are in, we can help them progress and make improvements in their lives.

 

Being Intentional

    I set a goal this past year to have a word that I focused on. That word is intentional.  I realized that as I lived my life there were many things that I did not take note of or notice that are important.  Do you feel that in our lives we are constantly bombarded with distraction?  I feel that I am.  Here are a few ways to increase our ability to be intentional in our lives.

     Take time to meditate and be still.  There are many different apps and resources on Youtube to accomplish this.  We can meditate for one minute to 100 minutes a day.  Choose a time that works for you and be “intentional” about following through with it. 

     Be present.  Notice your surroundings and where you are.  If you are at work, be at work.  If you are at home, be home.  Be “intentional” about staying present in your immediate setting.  This can be hard but with practice can become second nature. 

     Limit screen time.  Recognize how much time you are spending on your phone or other media devices.  Set a goal and be “intentional” about following through with the time limit that you set.  We miss out on real life sometimes because we are staring at a screen. 

     Enhance your relationships.  Spend time with loved ones or people you care about.  Try to be present and “intentional” with your communication and the activities that you engage in with them. 

     Being “intentional” helps us to follow through with goals that we set, being present in our life, and having purpose. 

April Moedl, LCSW