Page 127 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2018

1613 23rd Avenue Gulfport, MS
Phone: 228.284.4651 Fax: 228.284.4636
< The Mindful Matters Team with clinic dog, George.
Children’s room displays art that patients created during sessions.
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“I wanted to create an environment that felt like home, maybe even better than home, a place where you are greeted with southern hospitality as soon as you walk in,” Evans says.
Evans testifies for local mental health court cases and has opportunities to work with Judge George Estes, who has provided her with a vast amount of education regarding the legal system and mental health.
Mindful Matters is a close tight-knit run facility. “We manage our patient care very carefully and closely. They are our priority, we work hard to assure they know this,” Evans said.
Her mother, Tracy Evans, is the assistant office manager, and her sister, Aimee Mitchell, is the office manager. Other staff includes Cherlyn Whitney, Insurance; Matthew Moten, Psychiatric Tech; Brenden Gazzo, Psychiatric Tech; Jena Pierce, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner; and Colleen McMahon, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
Mindful Matters is dedicated to utilizing the most effective clinical practices to diagnose and treat mental health patients on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. They believe community engagement through education and awareness is the foundation for improving mental health care. “We embrace integrity, compassion and loyalty as our guiding principles to generate quality mental health care for our patients,” Evans says. “The staff of Mindful Matters has years of training and experience in safely and compassionately treating those suffering from mental illness.”
Evans notes that over the years society has come far in understanding mental health, but we still have far to go. Each patient is different and sometimes requires a complex level of care that is necessary to help each individual. “I encourage everyone to live their best life and there is no better time than now to start. I am extremely excited for what the future brings and the opportunity to make the world a better place for those who deserve it so very much,” she said.
She is happily in a relationship and has two puppies that are clinic dogs — a boxer, George, and a Siberian husky, Payko. “I am very involved with my family; heck we all live on the same street. I love hanging out with my friends, going to the beach, summers at the pool and vacations in my free time,” she said. “My two nephews, Ethan and Corbin, keep me on my toes. I have a special little girl in my heart named, Finley. I don’t get to see her as much as I would like but when I do, I cherish every moment.”
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