Sameka Dowell Mills

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Get to know Nurse Practitioner, Sameka Dowell Mills, who serves patients in Lansing, Illinois. A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice registered nurse and a type of mid-level practitioner. NPs are trained to assess patient needs, order and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests, diagnose disease, as well as formulate and prescribe treatment plans. Sameka is a board certified nurse practitioner who has worked in multiple fields of nursing before discovering her purpose in psychiatry-mental health in 2017. She has a full practice authority license in Illinois and also treats patients via telehealth in Indiana, Colorado, and Nevada. Serving as an Advanced Practice Nurse at Chrysalis Counseling, Coaching, and Consulting, LLC, Sameka treats patients using a holistic approach by managing the mind, body, and spirit, as a unit, rather than as separate entities. She meets with each patient and, as a team, they discuss events that led them to seek mental health services. Through clear communication and trust, they then determine the best treatment options and these may include methods outside of traditional medication management. A service-focused, enthusiastic, compassionate, and personable licensed nursing practitioner, Sameka is equipped with excellent clinical skills and knowledge, strong ambulatory skills, and knowledge of the principles and practices of professional nursing in the areas of ‎assignment. She has the ability to handle a wide range of situations and circumstances effectively, positively and ‎professionally with assurance to maintain quality, safety, and develop a solid practitioner-patient relationship. Throughout her academic career, Sameka obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Valparaiso University (2010), a Master of Science in Nursing Degree from Governors State University (2016), and a Master of Science Degree in Psychiatry-Mental Health Nursing from Illinois State University – Mennonite College of Nursing (2022). With solid credentials, Sameka earned dual certifications as a Family and Psychiatry-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center; and licensures as a Registered Nurse and an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Nevada State Board of Nursing, and the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. With a passion for mental health, counseling, and advocating, Sameka seeks to enlighten her patients to the perspective that, “they are the narrator, hero, and mentor in their life story”. She encourages her clients to be active participants in their own care and be willing to make the necessary changes to have a more enriching life. Additionally, as a mother of an adult son with Intellectual Disabilities, she understands the challenges parents face daily to teach, protect, and advocate for respect for their child, and passes on this knowledge gained, over the past 20 years, to parents of this special population to guide them in raising well-balanced human beings. Possessing an impressive background, Sameka attributes her success to her late mother, Carrie Brady, who taught her that, “it’s not how you start but how you finish”, and her father, Clifford Dowell, who instilled the importance of being grateful, living in the present, and hard work. Moreover, experiences with family, friends, strangers, colleagues, and supervisors laid the foundation for the woman and professional she is today. On a more personal note, Sameka enjoys watching TED Talks and reading science-fiction/horror (Dean Koontz), romance (Stephanie Nicole Norris), and thriller novels (James Patterson). Recently, she expanded her library to include the topics of finance, herbalism, and how individuals can evolve to their higher selves; thereby, mastering their own lives. She is also reviving childhood activities such as archery, bowling, laser tag, and roller skating. Sameka dreams of visiting South Africa, Scotland, and Japan; travel nationally and internationally to speak on the importance of self-love for mental health and its effect on improving personal and familial dynamics; and working with organizations whose goals are to assist individuals with intellectual disabilities to live a life conducive to their independence. She is an active member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, the Black Mental Health Alliance, the Lambda Lambda Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Her favorite professional publication is JAMA Psychiatry.

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