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MCHC is happy to announce that Jami Palestrini-Jones, a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT), joined its Behavioral Health team in July. She works primarily at Hillside Health Center in Ukiah and will provide care for adults and children.

A native of Ukiah, Palestrini-Jones says she looks forward to contributing to the health of people in her hometown. "We’re rural and we have a lot of needs, and historically, there haven’t been a lot of supports,” she says.

“I have such an interest in working with people and understanding people. I received support [when I was a youth in this community], and I want to give that back.”

Palestrini-Jones has worked in mental health since 2015. Early on, she provided support via crisis hotlines, a domestic violence safe house, and a residential youth home. Most recently, she provided individual and family therapy at Redwood Community Services.

She has worked extensively with clients who have experienced trauma, including children and youth in the foster care system and survivors of assault and domestic violence. After working primarily with youth and families, she is excited to expand her practice to work with more adults. She has found that although she is not a parent herself, she enjoys working with adults as they parent their kids and teenagers through challenging situations.

Palestrini-Jones completed her graduate studies at Sonoma State University after earning her bachelor’s degree from Sacramento State. She has completed numerous trainings related to trauma, adoption and foster care, and domestic and sexual violence.

MCHC Behavioral Health Director Ben Anderson said, “ We are delighted to welcome Jami Palestrini-Jones to our Behavioral Health team.  Her extensive experience and deep connection to our community will be invaluable as we continue to provide comprehensive care to our patients. We look forward to seeing the positive impact she will have on the lives of those we serve.”

As she begins her time with MCHC Health Centers, she believes her experience with patients who have experienced trauma will help her work with patients with a variety of mental health challenges. She considers building a supportive, safe environment the key to a positive therapy experience.

“I think the relationship a patient has with their provider is the most important thing,” she says. She noted that when a patient feels safe, supported, and understood, the patient-provider relationship opens the door to healing.

“A lot of it is just being a good listener and trying to grasp what a patient is relaying to you,” she says.

Palestrini-Jones says that while each patient is different, her goal is the same: to help patients be the happiest version of themselves. “That obviously looks very different for everybody,” she says.

She notes that being happy isn’t the only goal, of course. She strives to help patients in “being their best, in whatever capacity that means for them: Being able to navigate life as it comes, good and bad. Being able to cope with circumstances, cope with relationships, and being able to meet their needs and wants in healthy ways.”

Outside of work, Palestrini-Jones enjoys live music, traveling, and exploring nature. She likes spending time with her husband and her cat, an animal she describes as one who marches to his own tune and loves the water, even enjoying time in a full bathtub or a running shower.

Palestrini-Jones is proud to work in an integrated healthcare environment that prioritizes both physical and mental health.

“We really get to wrap around each patient as they work with different providers,” she says.

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MCHC Health Centers includes Hillside Health Center and Dora Street Health Center in Ukiah, Little Lake Health Center in Willits, and Lakeview Health Center in Lakeport. It is a community-based and patient-directed organization that provides comprehensive primary healthcare services as well as supportive services such as education and translation that promote access to healthcare.