Mental Health Internship Essay

Why do you believe you are a good candidate for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Argosy University?

The following essay will begin by demonstrating what is understood by the concept of mental health. It will attempt to identify different explanations for the underlying issues causing mental illnesses and it will then centre around a case study focusing specifically on one mental health problem. A description of what the causes and effects of the chosen illness will be given and information on the available treatment will be presented. To round up the assignment a brief explanation of the chosen case study will be included with an attempt to distinguish the common issues identified and how they relate to the literature information provided throughout. In this assignment, the case study chosen will target depression.

Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) is the country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives. With more than 320 affiliate nationwide, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well being of the nation, every day, and in a time of crisis (2007 Mental Health America). As an organization, Mental Health America has been around for nearly a century. We began work in 1909 when Clifford W. Beers, a young business man who struggled with a mental illness and shared his story with the world in his autobiography “A Mind

Initially, when I was looking for an internship to fulfill my Health Science 4975 class, I was trying to find an opportunity in a hospital or outpatient setting in physical therapy. It became apparent that that would be harder to accomplish than previously estimated. What I did stumble upon though, was a post for interns at Tiger Academy of Gymnastics looking for people to work with kids with various mental and physical disabilities. I chose this internship because even though I was not in a formal physical therapy setting, I would still have the opportunity to help kids improve their mobility, and social interaction. Furthermore, I would be doing this under the supervision of an assistant teaching professor at the University of Missouri, who taught physical therapy related classes.

I had the opportunity to complete a seven-week internship within the Toronto Adult Neurodevelopmental Services Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). During my time at CAMH, I had the chance to shadow multiple Developmental Service Workers to provide support for clients ages 16 and above diagnosed with Developmental Disability (DD) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presenting with mental health concerns or severe challenging behaviour problems. I also had the opportunity to work with over 10 different clients and their families to develop and implement comprehensive support plans. Overall, the time I spent at CAMH was filled with multiple instances that coincide with almost all the Learning Outcomes outlined in

This unit aims to provide the learner with knowledge of the main forms of mental health problems according to the psychiatric classification system. Learners also consider the strengths and limitations of this model and look at alternative frameworks for understanding mental distress. The focus of the unit is on understanding the different ways in which mental health problems impact on the individual and others in their social network. It

There are so many different type of population that I can and would like to work with, but the group of clients I decided to work with are clients suffering from dual diagnosed. Clients that are suffering from both mental health issues and also have a substance dependency rather alcohol or drugs. I am still not sure on what age I want to work with yet. One thing I differently sure of is working with our veterans suffering from PTSD, anxiety, adjustment behavior and depression along with their dependency on alcohol or drugs abuse.

As part of the senior management team, assist in delivering a service that meets the physical, social and emotional needs of each individual resident in a way that respects the dignity of the individual and promotes independence. To work as part of a team by supporting the residents of the Service. Providing practical support as well as encouraging independence in line with the wishes of the residents and the requirements of the Company. Assist the manager with service planning and implementation.

There are many jobs with in the human service profession. The Human Service field is wide open with opportunities and various areas of employment. Our text, An Introduction to Human Services, Woodside & McClam explain, the helper is an individual who assists others. This very broad definition includes professional helpers with extensive training, such as psychiatrists and psychologists, as well as those who have little or no training, such as volunteers and other nonprofessional helpers (2015). Many people come into this field simply because they want to help others, they are passionate about serving others and value human services as rewarding

I have worked incredibly hard to obtain skills from various organisations to better understand mental health. I decided I needed to acquire additional work experience to give my application some weight. I am tenacious by nature and therefore despite being somewhat academically inferior to my rivals, I make up for in passion, determination and professionalism. I can assure you my grade does not define my ability to work with vulnerable people, families and colleagues and I would really like the opportunity to demonstrate this at interview. I am keen to explore the depths of applying psychology to health and the behaviour-change processes involved with working with young people in particular.

After her time at the habilitation program, she moved to Colorado. Her first job in Colorado was at the Rise School of Denver, which “provides services to children with and without disabilities through an inclusive education model.” During her time at the Rise School, the executive director of Adams Camp reached out to her and provided a job description that immediately captured her interest. She rapidly transitioned into the Adams Camp environment and found her home. Jordan has the opportunity to serve 350 families every year in both Adventure Camp and other therapeutic programs that is offered by Adams Camp. But, it hasn’t all been an easy road for her at Adams Camp. She voiced, “With an aging population, we are tasked with creating age appropriate services for all. The other challenge is finding more empowering opportunities for our population.” Most people with developmental disabilities can live a long and fulfilled life, but their special needs vary by age. At the moment, Adams Camp prioritizes younger clients in order to prepare them properly for their futures. But because Jordan is so dedicated to improving the lives’ of others, she

The Human Service area that I am most interested in is Family and Child Services. After I graduate, I will be going to the nursing field so I feel that Family and Child Services is related to nursing. I instantly asked my roommate if she know anyone because she is currently going to school to become a Speech Pathologist and she works with children that have disabilities. I had the opportunity to interview Ariel Rogan, who is the Manager of Autism Behavioral Technicians, at Centria healthcare. She oversees five Autism Behavioral Technicians that conducts applied behavioral analysis therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder. She also interact with the clients from time to time. Children with autism are usually integrated with children that have typically development, which results in a high level of bullying amongst the children with this disability. I believe this organization is special because it help children with disabilities cope and improve with developments.

As an intern at RAIN, I will provide companionship to elderly citizens that may no longer have family or who are lonely. I have had the experience of being involved in other individuals’ lives. As an intern, I will be able to provide them counseling, conversation, games, shared hobbies, or even a short walk. I believe my strengths are having good communication skills, understanding the problems and needs of others, having the ability to solve conflict situations, exhibiting passion for what they do, being creative and fearless with a high level of responsibility, being carefully detail-oriented ,and harboring good listening skills.

Comprehensive Mental Health Services (CMHS) is an organization in Kansas City, Missouri dedicated to serving those with mental illnesses, ranging from both low- to high-functioning. This group has a for-profit and non-profit side. The for-profit side utilizes doctors, nurses, and a pharmacy to aide in the non-profit side. Case workers, therapists, addiction recovery, and group homes are all funded via the organization. With diverse staff involvement, CMHS has a multitude of positions ranging from full-time salary doctors, to full-time hourly case workers, to volunteers. Volunteers vary between other organizations that CMHS collaborates with, including Harvester’s food pantry, and even patients who want to donate their time to some of the less-fortunate. While those with mental illnesses are oppressed, this report is not about their oppression, rather their open-mindedness on the oppression of those around them.

Theories play an important role in how a counselor serves their clients. Theories provide counselors with a foundation on which to build their counseling style. “Theories ground us as professional counselors. They provide a means to understand what we are doing, how we are serving clients, and how to explain counseling to clients” (Erford, 2010). Counselors are responsible for being aware of different theories in order to apply them appropriately within their practice. Established and new theories play an important and constant role in mental health counseling. Established theories in mental health counseling are based on “empirical or scientific foundations” (American Counseling Association, 2005). The best way to gain the most