Lisa Couture, Executive Director, Krempels Center

Today’s guest is Lisa Couture, the Executive Director of Krempels Center. The Krempels Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with acquired brain injury. In partnership with universities and community volunteers, the Krempels Center offers programs that engage its members in meaningful and productive experiences and provides ongoing support and resources to those, including survivors and family members, impacted by brain injury. 

Lisa is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, having double majored in Social Work and Outdoor Education. She served in a variety of leadership roles in a number of organizations leading up to her position as the Executive Director in 2009. In the full length version of the interview, we discuss her early career as well as her time at the Krempels Center. 

The full-length interview runs about 90 minutes. I have produced an abridged version that runs about forty minutes. 

Anchor:

Abridged version: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Lisa-Couture--Executive-Director--Krempels-Center-abridged-egra77

Full length version: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Lisa-Couture--Executive-Director--Kremples-Center-full-length-egra6e

iTunes: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Lisa-Couture--Executive-Director--Kremples-Center-full-length-egra6e

Stitcher: https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?af_dp=stitcher://episode/63910870&af_web_dp=https://www.stitcher.com/episode/63910870

YouTube: https://youtu.be/meedkn1duyM

Interview Outline (full-length)
Time                Topic
0:01:50 double major at UNH - Social Work and Outdoor Ed
0:09:08 first job - school for troubled youth - learning about cultural fit
0:11:10 working in a one-on-one setting
0:12:14 meeting a founder and mentor - what makes a founder
0:14:05 grad school - going back to learn to run an organization
0:19:36 developing Birch Tree Center
0:21:10 NH Department of Health and Human Services - Homeless Services
0:24:14 first executive director of Fair Tide
0:28:30 professionalization of the organization
0:31:25 Rockingham Community Action - Outreach Program Director
0:35:56 about the Kremple's Center, members
0:38:35 about the founder and history of the Center
0:40:01 partnering with UNH - bringing in students to work with members
0:42:37 about the ongoing programming
0:47:50 collaboration between the Center and UNH
0:51:04 discussion of therapeutic recreation activities
0:52:59 membership and cost of participation
0:55:03 role of the Executive Director
0:56:52 fund raising and budget
1:00:39 many hats
1:01:47 functions of a non-profit board of trustees
1:08:06 what keeps an ED up at night
1:10:31 impact of the financial crisis of '08/'09 on finances and operations
1:11:38 what is most challenging about the non-profit sector
1:13:36 future of Kremples - growth opportunities
1:16:05 leadership philosophy
1:17:08 organizational culture
1:19:19 mentorship
1:20:45 advice to early careerists

Links to Topics Discussed

Krempels Center

University of New Hampshire Department of Social Work

University of New Hampshire Outdoor Education and Leadership Program

Birchtree Center

Fair Tide

Southern New Hampshire Services (was Rockingham Community Action)

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Jill Gravink, Founder and Executive Director of Northeast Passage

Today’s guest is Jill Gravink, the Founder and Executive Director of Northeast Passage. Jill founded Northeast Passage in 1990 as a means of bringing Recreational Therapy out of the inpatient setting and into the community. Northeast Passage works with people who have physical and mental disabilities, using sport and leisure activities to improve the quality of the client’s life and to, as they say at Northeast Passage, “Live beyond disability.” Northeast Passage works with everyone from children to combat veterans, treating more than 3,000 clients last year. In this podcast Jill tells the story of how Northeast Passage came to be, and what it took to grow the organization from just her operating out of the trunk of her car to where it is today. We also discuss how organizations like Northeast Passage are well poised to contribute to the future of health care as the industry shifts to outcomes and value-based reimbursement, and conclude with a discussion about leadership.

Links to the Podcast:

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/healthleaderforge/episodes/Jill-Gravink--Founder-and-Executive-Director-of-Northeast-Passage-egraam

Stitcher: https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?af_dp=stitcher://episode/41078139&af_web_dp=https://www.stitcher.com/episode/41078139

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jill-gravink-founder-and-executive-director-of/id981989377?i=1000356065522

Podcast Outline

Time	Topic
0:01:34	Educational background
0:02:47	Defining recreational therapy
0:05:16	Art of recreational therapy, about NEP
0:06:36	History of recreational therapy
0:08:03	Getting certified in recreational therapy
0:08:40	First job after graduation
0:10:45	Use of aquatics in physical therapy
0:11:40	Starting NEP and initial vision
0:14:46	NEP’s first clients
0:17:11	NEP initial funding and sponsors
0:18:00	Coming back to UNH to teach
0:19:57	NEP’s early days, lessons learned, partnerships
0:23:24	Defining “universal design”
0:24:44	Growth of NEP in clients and funding, future NEP sustainability
0:27:52	Beginning to charge clients fees for service, NEP financial difficulties
0:29:58	Development of recreational therapy at NEP, associated grants
0:33:21	Learning to manage an organization
0:36:21	Merging NEP with UNH
0:38:13	Defining and using “strength-based” in therapy
0:39:31	Importance of integrating therapy within the community
0:44:04	Role group dynamics play in therapy
0:45:00	Receiving veterans’ adaptive sports grant, addressing veterans’ therapy needs
0:50:00	Long term relationship with Veterans’ Affairs after grant, current work with VA
0:52:10	Broader healthcare reimbursement trends away from FFS towards outcome and value-based payments
0:54:58	Change in role as executive director with UNH merger
0:56:38	The future of NEP
0:58:55	Changes in strategy and vision of NEP over time
1:00:41	NEP’s current organizational structure, working with UNH students
1:02:27	Changes in personal leadership style over time, lessons learned
1:05:46	How to find the right people for leadership positions
1:06:57	Philosophy on leadership and its challenges and opportunities
1:11:35	Importance of organizational culture
1:13:47	Early career mentors, importance of mentorship
1:16:47	Advice for people who want to address social needs
1:19:05	Advice for people interested in a career in recreational therapy

Topics Discussed:

Northeast Passage

American Thereapeutic Recreation Association

Adaptive Sports

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Thanks to Sameer Panesar for production support.