Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kiana Gadson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kiana, thanks for joining us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.

As a social worker and a fellow community member in Hillsborough County, Florida, I have found that it has become increasingly evident that middle-income families are facing unique and often overlooked struggles when there is a loss of income in the home. When an unexpected loss of finances takes place, many are caught in the gap between qualifying for traditional assistance programs and being able to fully meet their financial obligations. Middle-income families, the backbone of our community, are finding it difficult to access essential support services such as affordable healthcare, education, and financial support in times of need. It is with that idea in mind that I opened Healing Care Therapy Services, LLC, a faith-based mental health practice in Tampa, Fl.

We accept several insurances for mental health services, and also work to provide affordable out-of-pocket rates for those who do not have insurance or cannot use their benefits for their decided reason.
In addition, for the last year and a half, we have fundraised every quarter to provide mental health scholarships to our community members (The Care Therapy Scholarship Fund). This is so that finances are never a barrier to treatment for middle-income families in need in our Hillsborough County community. We wanted to grow this impact and, in addition to mental health scholarships, develop case management services to support middle-income families in Hillsborough County who experience unanticipated financial hardship.
To grow our efforts, we founded our non-profit, The Healing Care Center, inc which has just recently obtained 501(c)(3). The Healing Care Center Continues our care therapy scholarship fund and is actively developing case management services including partnering with psychiatric practices, resume writing services, housekeeping assistance, and financial assistance programs to support middle-income families specifically who experience an unforeseen financial hardship. While working to support all who request assistance, we target supporting dual-income families who unexpectedly lose a stream of income but are unable to qualify for government assistance programs (Foodstamps, Medicaid, WIC, etc.).

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

15 years ago, I went off to college at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida hoping to get my degree in business. After completing my first semester of schooling, I realized that though I appreciated the field of business generally, I did not want to study it for 4 years as I had previously thought. I prayed and asked God what I should do because I was at a total loss on my own. That is when I heard The Lord direct me to “go into social work.” As an 18-year-old freshman in college, I had no idea what “social work” was or what I could do with that type of degree. Nevertheless, I trusted His leadership, dropped all of the business classes, and enrolled in the social work classes the degree planner detailed. When I returned to school that spring, I sat in the classroom and watched the professor begin to write some of the key highlights that we would be addressing on the whiteboard in front of the class. It was then at that moment that I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Over the past 10 years of my career, I have had the opportunity to support communities and families in a variety of ways. From working with survivors of human trafficking to supporting families navigate through school services, domestic violence support, and community services, I have truly been humbled by the opportunities and lessons that I have been offered along this path. In my current focus as a mental health practice owner and therapeutic provider, my goal is to intentionally create opportunities to glorify God and uplift my community through prayer, partnerships, and working intentionally to meet the needs of the families I have the honor to serve. In addition to being a licensed clinical social worker, I am currently completing my Doctorate of Social Work, with a concentration in leadership, at the University of Kentucky. As a passionate advocate for community development and intentional support services, my team and I have recently founded a nonprofit organization, The Healing Care Center, inc., with the goal of developing programs to help close the gap in services for middle-income families who experience financial hardships in Hillsborough County, Florida.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Community engagement and networking. When I first started the therapy practice, it was just me, myself, and I offering telehealth appointments from my home office. Once I was able to get out into the community, setting up tables at local vendor events and connecting with other providers in the area who were working to serve their communities, it made a difference. People like to know who it is on the other side of the phone when they call seeking support. Showing up and engaging with the families whom I was there to serve made a big difference for both our community members and our practice reputation.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Advice for managing a team and maintaining high morale:

1) Pray Often- leading other people well only works when you are led well. Talk to Jesus before you talk to other people within your organization to make sure your heart and mind are in a good place before delegating or providing feedback.

2) Ask God for what to do and then FOLLOW DIRECTIONS….
Obedience is better than sacrifice…
When you follow God’s plan, it will always work out better than your own agenda in your business, within your team, and within your life.

3) Seek Wisdom when you need it- Learn it before you lead it

There are other people who have done this before you… ask them about their experiences, successes, and pitfalls. You don’t have to use it all, but glean what is useful and discard what is not.
In the wise words of my father, those who have gone before you “ have the answers to the test because they’ve already taken it.” Mentorship can be a game changer. Don’t knock it. You don’t know what you don’t know so….Ask all of the questions you need to so that you can turn around and lead your team well.

4) Show up for your team
Always create the type of environment that you would like to work in yourself. Check-in with your team often and be attentive to their concerns. Lead how you’d like to be led. Keep in mind that your teammates should never be your competition so there should never be a reason to need to “beat them” or “prove that you’re in charge.” They are your allies. Grow together. Lift each other up. Clap for each other.

5) Stay Humble
Your teammates work with you, not for you. Remember that you’re not the only person in the room who “knows something” so respect and value your team members, their time, and what you can learn FROM them. That said, be clear of expectations while polite in communication. Follow through every time, apologize when you’re wrong, and mean what you say… People do well with respect so show it to your staff.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.healingcaretherapy.com/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ KianaGadson