Greene County Medical Center Behavioral Health Team Welcomes New Provider

JEFFERSON, Iowa – Paton native and Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Madisyn Behrens, will be joining the Greene County Medical Center Behavioral Health Team in May. She said a calling for social work came to her at a young age.  

“When I graduated from high school, my intention was to go to medical school and become a doctor. As I started college, I realized going to medical school was not something I wanted to do,” Behrens explained. “I began looking into other majors, and social work stood out to me. I have always wanted to help people, but I did not want to be a teacher or nurse. I wanted to do something that not everyone was doing.”

This led her to pursue an associate of arts degree from Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and then her bachelor of arts in social work from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). Behrens recently received her master of social work degree from Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Kentucky.

When it came time to decide what area of social work would be her focus, Behrens pointed to the growing need for behavioral health services; a shortage that impacts most people. “Behavioral health is nothing new, yet it is becoming more recognized as more individuals are reaching out for services,” she said. “I chose to narrow my focus on behavioral health during my practicum as I learned more, with the assistance of Bonnie Riphagen, LMSW, about the depths and how empowering doing therapy can be.” Behrens added that hearing from patients about being told what they are doing versus giving them a choice had a profound impact on her career trajectory. Because of this, the one thing she wants patients to know about her is that she will advocate for and on behalf of all clients.

Behrens said she would not be where she is today without the support of her mother, grandfather, grandmother and her friend, Jerrett, who have always encouraged her to follow her dreams. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, playing with Ollie, her English French bulldog mix, and thrift shopping.

Behrens will begin seeing patients ages 12 and up at Greene County Medical Center on May 13. Appointments can be made by calling 515-386-2488.