Keisha Morant-Henry

Staff Report

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Genesis Community Health, Inc., a non-profit health center dedicated to serving patients of all economic levels, recently welcomed Keisha Henry of Royal Palm Beach as its new Director of Social Services.

A licensed clinical social worker, Henry is responsible for the administration and clinical supervision of Genesis Community Health, Inc.’s Social Services Department.

The addition of Henry will enable Genesis to implement the behavioral health component of its services and offer adult and pediatric patients comprehensive medical, dental and mental health care.

“We have been steadily expanding and adding to our capabilities to meet the criteria of our Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) grant funding,” said CEO DeAnna Warren. “Our medical offices were expanded in Boynton Beach in 2015 and into Boca Raton in 2016; we successfully established a new dental office in Boca Raton; and now, we are able to incorporate mental health services into our offerings with a new director. All of this translates into more efficient, more welldesigned delivery of care for our patients.”

Henry’s duties include, but are not limited to, the creation, implementation, delivery and evaluation of programs; supervision of clinical and non-clinical staff and social work student interns; and collaboration with and maintenance of Genesis’ network with community agencies.

She has experience in hospitals/healthcare social work settings and public/government sectors with a focus on community-based mental health, intervention and illness management and recovery.

As patients are evaluated for medical and dental care at Genesis, staff uses protocols and patient health questionnaires to determine if they are also in need of mental health services.

“Patients may be in need of care to address depression, anxiety or substance abuse, or they might need help with illness management and recovery if they are being treated for a chronic condition or injury,”

Henry said.

Henry was drawn to social work after being advised by two different mentors – the chair of the Social Work Department at St. Leo University, where she earned her B.A. in Public Administration, and a nun at Catholic Charities, where she worked as a professional guardian before earning her M.A. in Social Work at Barry University.

Although initially driven to become an attorney, Henry changed paths after one year in law school.

“As a professional guardian, I had to go into homes and decide whether an elderly adult had to be removed. It was difficult work and the conditions were sometimes inhabitable. It was then that I discovered a passion for social work and decided to become licensed and pursue it as a career,”

Henry said. “Now, I think it is part of my responsibilities to show people what being (a) licensed clinical social worker really means. There are so many misconceptions about a licensed social work clinician.”

Prior to joining Genesis, Henry worked as a Youth Services Coordinator for the Palm Beach County Youth Services Department and as a Casework Supervisor and Case Manager for the Palm Beach County Human Services Department.

Her career also includes working as an Inpatient Counselor for Palm West Hospital.