Our people: Portales healthcare provider: 'Let's do this'

Dec. 30—Casey Turnbough operates her own mental health services office in Portales. She took some time out of her schedule Tuesday to talk with The News about her life.

Q: What's the story of you making Portales your home?

A: I'm not from Portales, I grew up north of Clovis. I've worked in hospitals throughout New Mexico: Tucumcari, Clovis, Hobbs, Santa Rosa, Las Vegas, Portales.

I'm a nurse so I went to different places where they needed me. I'm an emergency room nurse and I worked at Roosevelt General.

One day when I was working in Portales I saw a house for sale, owned by a couple who wanted to move closer to their children so I bought it.

At the time I was living out near Broadview and I was tired of driving back and forth.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: My mom, my kids, we're a pretty close-knit family that takes care of one another. My dad passed away in 2021.

My mom lives north of Clovis. I go stay with her regularly to help her out.

I have one son, Tate, and among many things he does, he volunteers for various community endeavors such as Habitat for Humanity and other programs.

I have a daughter, Hallie, who's in the social work program at Eastern New Mexico University.

I have a 3-year-old grandson who likes to dance.

Q: Tell us about your career.

A: Before I was a nurse I was a tractor driver. I started with my grandparents, who paid me better than my dad. But my dad eventually paid me too.

I did not grow up thinking I wanted to be a nurse. At first, I worked in nursing homes in Clovis and Farwell.

I went to Clovis Community College and started in the nursing program.

They told me it was going to be a challenge but I felt like I wanted to do that, so I did.

I became a nurse in 1997.

Q: What inspired you to go into a mental health career?

A: The patients inspired me to go into the field.

And there is a need.

I am a nationally board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

I graduated from that program from New Mexico State University in 2010.

About 2012 I opened The Psychiatric Care Center in Portales.

People want to be heard.

There's a bunch of different diagnoses given to many people, but they don't want to be seen as a "diagnosis."

They want to be heard as an individual. They want to be seen for their perspective of what is going on and who they are.

They appreciate that so much.

Also, patients at the end stage of life have so much to tell.

Mental health, physical health and behavioral heath go hand in hand for overall health and overall quality of well-being.

So many different things go hand in hand with mental health.

In my practice I also work with Mental Health Resources and other providers to get the patients back on track on what the patient needs.

Q: Who would you like to see portray you in a movie of your life?

A: Betty White. When I worked with other nurses, they called me Betty White.

I like that she was for human rights, LGBTQ rights, animal rights, racial equality. Betty White always made things positive.

Of course, she's gone now but I admire her strive for human rights and social equality.

Q: What is your favorite place to vacation or frequently visit?

A: I like to go to any Buc-ee's. We always stop and they have everything.

I go to conferences in different cities, and I try to find a new location every year but I haven't found a favorite city. All those cities, Boston, Memphis, Las Vegas, Nev., Denver, have different good things.

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: Coffee.

I drink a lot of coffee.

I drink anywhere from one to seven cups a day. I like to stop at Sip & Savor in Portales and Java Loft in Clovis.

It keeps me going, caffeine.

Q: What is your favorite saying?

A: "Let's do this." It comes from my grandson when he wants to dance but I use it in my daily life.

"This too shall pass" is another one.

There was a Harvard study of people who had attempted suicide asking these people how much time there was between the time they thought about suicide and then attempted it and 40% answered "20 minutes."

The point is time, so thinking "This too shall pass," is important, important for people to think of this.

"Well behaved women seldom make history," that's another favorite.

I have a plaque that says that in my office.