Silver Hill Hospital has always taken aftercare seriously, developing strong long-term relationships with providers and facilities locally and nationwide for post-Silver Hill treatment. This spring, we also added an Aftercare Coordinator to ensure that only trusted providers treat our patients after discharge from Silver Hill, and that referring providers are aware of and involved in aftercare plans whenever possible.

In this new position, Katie works closely with Silver Hill clinicians to understand the best path forward and ensures a smooth transition for patients to their next steps.  Katie also facilitates communication between internal and external teams and prioritizes connection with a patient’s original treatment team.  

“There are so many benefits to this role,” says Katie, who joined Silver Hill in 2022, “the primary being that we can identify and arrange the best possible follow-through care for each patient, whether they are resuming treatment with their original provider, or transitioning to an alternative level of care. They work so hard when they’re here and we want them to keep feeling better.”

Katie can be reached at ksuss@silverhillhospital.org or 203-801-3146.

Get the Full Scoop on Katie

I joined Silver Hill as an employee in 2022, but I was a volunteer at Main 3 and K-House starting in 2019! My prior role as Office Manager in the Residential Program allowed me to know the ins and outs of Silver Hill extremely well. The solid foundation I have regarding our internal structures has lent itself extremely well to my current role as Aftercare Coordinator and has allowed me to focus on connecting our patients and programs to the best external services. The relationships I had developed previously (with the extraordinary Residential Program clinical team!) have given me the confidence and support to thrive in this new role.

I chose this path because I think it is the most interesting and fulfilling. I have always been drawn to “helping” professions, where you can see the impact you have on people firsthand, but mental health care is particularly important because of my own journey with anxiety, as well as seeing the impact of mental illness on personal and societal levels. Any piece I can have in making it a little easier for folks to live a meaningful life is gratifying and satisfying.

The people!!! I hear this from almost everyone I work with; it’s our coworkers that make each day more fun. Each department is also so special, and each has their own bonds and traditions. I can say from my own experience that the people I work with on a daily basis make me laugh and offer support on good and bad days.

The front office of JB is my favorite bustling spot, but the woods on East Campus between Barrett and Steward are the most chill. I try to find a balance between both.

Bo [Silver Hill’s resident therapy dog] frolicking through our field of wildflowers was a real treat to see, but if we’re talking true wildlife…  Alexa Pazniokas and Lindsey Balukonis saw a bald eagle circling the center of Main House, and I think that was quite majestic.

I am a big reader and consumer of pop culture. I also love attending concerts, musicals, and community festivals, and I am on the board of my local theatre organization.