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Spotlight on Partners in Change’s Ann Date

Ann Date, 64, and her husband, Dr. Tom Olson, own Partners in Change, who provides psychological assessment, treatments, consultation, and training for people of all ages. They have two locations. One in Midland on Wackerly Street and the second on Pickard Street in Mount Pleasant.  Date is a graduate of H.H. Dow High School. She earned a bachelor’s in social work at Western Michigan University and a doctorate in psychology at CMU. The couple has been married for 28 years. They have a son, Joe Date, who’s the business director for the practice.

How long have you owned your business?  My husband, Dr. Tom Olson, and I created our agency Feb. 1, 2000. Starting with two, we work with 46 employees today.  


What inspired you to own this business? Tom and I wanted to provide psychological assessments, consultations, and treatment services based in science. We also wanted to create a work environment that honors, supports, and respects staff. Finally, we wanted to be involved in community service. As with any small business, we had our share of ups and downs, but overall, we achieved these goals, and they continue to be drivers for us.

What makes Midland a great place to own a business? There are many hard-working professionals in mental health, education, legal, health care, and business who collaborate to address mental health problems. It is a privilege to work alongside them.

What are some ways your business is active in the local community? Our main activity is providing evidenced based mental health assessments, treatments, consultations, and trainings. We serve over 500 clients per week. We are a training site for clinical psychology Ph.D. students as well as MSU medical students. We are also devoted to community service. For example, after the dams broke, we provided two months of a full-time employee’s labor to Sanford recovery efforts. During the pandemic, we conducted two well attended mindfulness groups for school professionals free of charge. Over the years, we have provided free trainings to school professionals, donated money to various non-profits in the area, and we regularly provide free and reduced fee mental health services.  We also serve on many community workgroups devoted to mental health.

What are some of your interests and hobbies? Besides loving my work, I enjoy walks with my husband and our dog, tennis, yoga, reading, as well as playing classical piano and guitar.

What are some local businesses you work with that help make your business a success? We collaborate with family courts, area physicians, and schools to provide our services. We also provide trainings and consultations to various businesses. During a transition period in our company, Rod Barriger (BMG Consulting) helped us enormously.  

Final thoughts to share with the community? I wake up grateful every morning that I get to work with an amazing team of dedicated individuals who care deeply about the well-being of others. And, heading into the holidays, which can be a stressful time for some, I’d like to share that there are good resources for mental health services in Midland County which can be found on the Hope Portal:  www.mihopeportal.com.

https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Business-Matters-Spotlight-on-Partners-in-16649666.php