Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. DeLisa Procks.
Hi Dr. Procks, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
As a child, I always aspired to become an obstetrician (OB). However, navigating through my education, my interest in Psychology and Human Health Services began to grow. After graduating from Morgan State University, I was hired as a case manager at Charles H. Hickey School. From there, I started working as a Case Manager III at the Department of Social Services. It was here that my passion for helping women and children was sparked. I later pursued employment with the Institute for Family Centered Services providing psychiatric rehabilitation services to families in need. After seeing the multiple challenges women with children experienced, I was inspired to one day set up a few supportive housing units to provide adequate care and support for women and their children. With my mental health background and many years of experience as a program director, I developed great relationships and support from people who encouraged me to become an agent for social change.
Over time, my interest in developing supportive living homes for people dealing with hardships, mental health challenges, domestic abuse, and more led me to start my business, Reaching Your Destiny Organization, which is now called Reaching Your Destiny Wellness Center. I started with cash out of pocket in the developmental stages of getting zoned to start my business. Prior to receiving reimbursements, I often had to pay each client’s housing expenses and daily needs. Sometimes, I did not receive payment for the services I provided. As time moved forward, I established a working relationship with John Hopkins Bayview and University of Maryland Hospital psychiatric inpatient clinical teams. I started accepting female patients from the units to provide housing for patients whose families refused to provide housing for them after being discharged from the hospital. I housed women and children, and frequently pregnant women. Many of the women often came from abusive relationships, foster homes, and various traumatic backgrounds with limited or no support. As the CEO of my organization, this left me being the supportive individual in the Labor and Delivery room with these moms. The joy of supporting many of these women led me to become a volunteer doula for many families. Having a strong mental health background also allowed me to provide mental health services, emotional and moral support for these women.
Being present in the labor and delivery room was euphoric for me. I felt that God truly blessed me to live out my dream without becoming an obstetrician. Being a volunteer doula gave the women a sense of warmth, support, and favorable outcomes. Due to the compassion and support the women encountered during their labor and delivery moments, the word quickly spread across systems, allowing me to continue being a volunteer doula at multiple hospitals. Here is my disclaimer: when you are good at something, the best way to expand your business is “word of mouth!” My daily work started spreading abroad, and my business began to flourish. Since then, I have developed a positive rapport with many of Maryland’s labor and delivery teams, which has allowed me potential opportunities to function in this role.
Although I did not become an OB, I have had the pleasure of delivering babies into the world for over 25 years. Recently, I decided to become a certified doula to continue working with the laboring person while expanding my business to a wellness center. Currently, I am developing a wellness center to provide primary health care, mental health services, case management, childbirth educational services, doula services, and a resource of informational services to help individuals from all walks of life.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been an easy road. As for many grassroots initiatives, funding has always been a challenge. The time invested in my work often comes with the sacrifice of not being compensated for what I do. The start of this business was truly a humbling experience. The business eventually grew from helping single women and women with children to supporting married people with children and linking families to services to help them overcome their challenges. During the process of setting up supportive living homes in various communities, I was diagnosed with colon cancer stage 2b. My world had turned upside down. Yet, God graced me with people who loved my work to help me continue the mission. Unfortunately, I had to downsize due to my illness. I had to discharge many of the families and link them to other thriving, supportive living homes. I felt like my world was quickly spiraling downward.
Despite the many challenges I experienced, including losing 85% of my mobility to walk, I made a conscious decision to keep going. While I could not work much, I enrolled at Walden University to obtain a Ph.D. in Human and Social Services. As I started working on my dissertation, my passion to thrive resurfaced. After three years of being out of work, I resumed helping families evolve, providing them with countless opportunities to succeed and become a positive asset to their communities. This effort led to building healthier communities, families, and relationships.
Sometimes, the work that I do can go beyond 24 hours, but my dedication to the families helped me get stronger and overcome my health challenges. Today, I can proudly say I am cancer-free, walking with 100% mobility and strength, getting healthier, and ready to take my business to a greater dimension. Being directed by God has always proven to be a positive source of my work. Regardless of the challenges, God always made provisions for my business to flourish. The goals and needs of the families were always met. I taught families life skills, vocational and educational skills, job skills, how to maintain sufficient work, linked families to mental health services, provided advocacy, and so much more. As a result, many families are thriving and have obtained housing, high school diplomas, and consistent employment. Several individuals now have college degrees.
In some situations, my organization has provided funds to prevent families from losing their homes and automobiles. Reaching Your Destiny has provided toys, clothes, school supplies, and food baskets during back-to-school events, Thanksgiving, Christmas holidays, and more. These are just a few of the social determinants my agency has financed out of pocket to help people. Talking about going beyond the call of duty… that is what “Reaching Your Destiny” has done for many families throughout the Maryland Metropolitan area.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Reaching Your Destiny Wellness Center (RYD), LLC.?
RYD health and wellness consultative services help people live healthier lives physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Our wellness consultants advise people on healthier lifestyle choices in various areas, including but not limited to nutrition and stress management, management of chronic conditions, mental health consultation, primary care, and preventative screenings.
RYD staff teach healthy coping strategies, coordinate care, teach conflict resolution, anger management skills, positive problem-solving skills and build self-esteem building. In addition, RYD, teaches personal awareness and life coping skills, teaches personal hygiene and nutrition, provides case management, educational resources, and advocates for clients who need assistance navigating the healthcare system. Among other things, RYD has helped address the equity gaps that currently exist within the health care and mental health systems. RYD also addresses social determinants. RYD program contributes to closing the gap between poor health literacy and the health of communities. Bridging the gap will ultimately lead to healthier communities.
RYD comprises licensed nurse practitioners, mental health counselors, and professional human and social services practitioners. As the organization expands, a significant goal of RYD is to establish wellness goals and personal wellness plans for the families we serve, increase awareness of health literacy disparities, educate participants on health behavior such as smoking cessation, lack of medical engagement, counseling programs, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, trauma, implement extra support initiatives for addressing social determinants, and assist clients in engaging mental health services via both direct and external referrals.
In recent years, Maryland has suffered a significant number of traumatic events that have impacted the health of individuals. As a result, community responses to mental health crises have deteriorated. RYD desires to focus on helping people become more self-aware of their mental health and increase their willingness to talk about their mental health. The desire to promote change is present, but there is a disparity in the number of providers needed to provide the services. RYD seeks funding to address these issues. Based on statistics, it is clear that the impact of unmanaged health conditions and mental health disorders creates a cycle of challenges.
This cycle inevitably affects the community as a whole. Some of these challenges include high management costs or an inadequate community response to these conditions. Expanding this program can break the cycle of inconsistent poor health, help minimize the cost associated with the overuse of the emergency department and increase opportunities to address clients’ needs preemptively. Growing these services will allow clients to receive the support and services they need at an affordable rate. This will enable them to achieve the level of health they need while building healthier communities.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I love to travel. I love to pray and spend quiet time with God! As much as I work to help others, I enjoy taking time to invest in myself. Self-love and self-care are significant to me. When I feel overwhelmed, I do not ignore the signs. I travel quarterly to explore new places, cultures, and food, and spend time with my sisterhood and family. When possible, I take spontaneous trips to the Caribbean Islands because I love the sun and enjoy sitting on the beach to reflect on all the beautiful things God has blessed my hands to do.
I also enjoy designing clothes. During my recovery process, God blessed me with a unique gift, allowing me to create beautiful designs. I have a Bling business called “Born With Purpose Unique Designz.” I design t-shirts, totes, hoodies, and more… I find so much peace and joy in bringing smiles to my customers’ faces. Customizing uplifting and inspirational designs is where I find my peace. The website is https://www.reachingyourdestiny.shop.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @dr.lisaprocks also @bornwithpurpose__
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/lisaprocks https: //www.facebook.com/BWP Unique Designz-Reach Your Destiny - Linkedin: https://www.
linkedin.com/in/lisa-procks- 93924640/ - Other: https://www.
reachingyourdestiny.shop
