Lauren Hubbard
Nurse manager
Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division
The Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division is the front line of care for individuals with acute behavioral health needs.
Five years ago, Lauren Hubbard returned to Milwaukee to serve as a mental health nurse for the BHD. In two short years, she was promoted to nurse manager.
Hubbard grew up in Milwaukee, but never realized the impact BHD’s services have on the community. She fell in love with the individuals the BHD serves and now knows that mental health nursing requires a unique set of skills: Someone who won’t back down during a crisis, but can also be compassionate when dealing with a severely misunderstood and stigmatized population.
“There’s a stigma out there about mental health,” Hubbard said. “We’re changing that.”
Hubbard has joined a team of nurse ambassadors to help educate nursing students and other nurses about careers in mental health nursing.
She regularly advocates for the field on television and radio, and actively attends job fairs to answer questions from potential mental health nursing candidates.
Today, Hubbard serves as a role model for new mental health nurses and provides support for her staff, assisting with patients and helping to de-escalate situations as they arise. She educates mental health nurses daily on new ways to connect, and provides outstanding care to patients at BHD.
“Lauren is a great listener; not every leader knows how to do that,” said Angela Post, nurse manager in crisis services at BHD. “She is prepared to listen and learn where she is most needed.”
