What makes an organization truly worth the work? For Lisa James, it comes down to connection: connection to people, teams, clients, and the communities they serve.

In this episode of Worth the Work, Jason Dana Costa sits down with Lisa James, LCSW-C, Vice President of Behavioral Health and Social Work at Chase Brexton Health Care, to explore the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership and community care.

Lisa shares how growing up surrounded by a strong extended family taught her that caring for people is a community effort. She reflects on an early lesson from her track coach that showed her the value of knowing your role, contributing your strengths, and being comfortable working alongside people who may be better than you in different ways.

Their conversation explores how healthcare systems can become more flexible and responsive to the people they serve, from giving patients greater autonomy to addressing gaps in reimbursement, data interoperability, and access to behavioral health services. Lisa also shares how listening, curiosity, and learning to speak across disciplines can help leaders build trust and create meaningful change.
Lisa also opens up about navigating grief and loss while leading, and how seeing her team step forward reinforced the importance of building trust before difficult seasons arrive. Her experience has taught her that sometimes moving slower can ultimately help everyone move forward faster.

Ultimately, Lisa believes organizations become worth the work when they are truly people-centered and connected to the communities they serve. It is not enough to simply operate in a community. Meaningful organizations become part of it.