Show Me the Ozarks August 2022

SPECIAL PROMOTION

2022 Faces of Barton County

The Face of EMPOWERING OTHERS Nicole Jasso, LMSW, Substance Use Counselor Ozark Center New Directions Walking side-by-side with her clients is where you’ll find Nicole Jasso. As substance use counselor at Ozark Center New Directions in Lamar, Nicole isn’t here to fix things, but she provides clients with the tools to solve problems themselves. “The work I do empowers clients to take back control of their own lives,” she said. Nicole has been working in the behavioral health field for about four years, and prior to this, she worked community case management. Her work consists of inpatient and outpatient in Joplin and Lamar. While working outpatient in Lamar, she has individual therapy scheduled for 8 hours a day. As the therapist with the Barton County Treatment Court, Nicole goes to court a couple times a month where she provides updates on clients’ progress with treatment. She keeps her busy schedule organized by having calendars on her computer and walls to remind her where and when she needs to be places.

With such a busy schedule, Nicole sets strict boundaries of keeping work and personal life separate – advice she received from her undergraduate internship supervisor. “This is something I strive to do daily, no matter what position I am in. I very much value to have the time I spend with my family be focused on them and not have my mind wandering or worrying about work,” said Nicole. Originally fromWisconsin, Nicole and her husband moved to Missouri two years ago for him to attend medical school. They enjoy traveling, outdoors activities and playing with their cat. They are also enjoying their time in Missouri and look forward to continuing to build their lives here. 307W. 11th Street | Lamar, MO 417.347.8010 | www.freemanhealth.com

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