Mental Health Personal Statement

My interest in the human brain and behavior started long before medical school. I truly enjoyed the peer counseling and studies in psychiatry that I did as an undergraduate, as well as my preclinical psychiatry and behavioral science courses, but had not seriously considered psychiatry as a career before starting my clerkships. I was really surprised that, how much I loved my psychiatry rotations. In the locked psychiatric ward, working closely with patients and learning about their illnesses, I realized that I was deeply moved by their stories and devoted to doing what I could to help them manage their diseases.

I have chosen to enter the field of Mental Health Counseling at this particular time in my life because I would like to learn the skills needed to help people with their life and mental health issues. While attending the University of Saint Joseph during my undergraduate years I took various courses that have led me to making my decision. The courses I took focused on business, biology, social work, and psychology. After graduation I decided to take a year off and gain work experience in customer service and health care. I wanted to experience working with the people in my community. I was hired as a pharmacy technician at a Walgreens in Vernon. Working as a pharmacy technician has been a very rewarding experience for me and I learned a lot about people and their unique needs. I also learned about patient care and how to be pacient and understanding under stressful situations.

My passion and determination to undertake study within the mental health sector dwells from the insight I have been privileged to gain in my current role as a link care coordinator, working with people who suffer from a range of ailments within the mental health spectrum; from learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, OCD, Autism to name but a few.

Pursing a career as a medical doctor is an opportunity for me to mentor youth in underserved populations. As a child, I was raised in the low income, urban community of Roxbury, MA. Although not as notorious today, the neighborhood had garnered negative attention for its high crime rates. My mother emigrated from Haiti and raised me as a single parent. Due to our financial circumstance, Roxbury became our permanent residence. I have always felt there was something lacking in Roxbury in comparison to other towns I visited. My teenage years were largely spent in the suburban town of Stoneham where I attended high school. There was a literal difference in air quality and a psychology contrast in future prospects. While native students of

There are few certainties of what one will encounter during life. A common joke names two: death and

In my current profession, as a Targeted Case Manager for the Mental Health Center, I work with a number of human services programs. Such as, Medicaid, Medicare, SSI, SSDI, TANF, WIC, HRDC, LIEAP, Housing Authority, OPA, Family Service, Salvation Army, Harvest Church and Chase Hawks. I am responsible for assisting, advocating and linking my clients to resources that enhance and stabilize their lifestyle. I assist my clients with paperwork, advocating with community agencies, applying for resources, maintaining their current benefits, and assisting in obtaining Social Security. Whether, that be the initial application, subsequent paperwork, attending the clients hearing, and/or linking them with a lawyer to assist in the appeals process.

I was intrigued by the profession of a Nurse at a young age. However, what truly sparked my interest in this thriving career was when a close friend of mine was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Ever since she was diagnosed I wanted to help to create an encouraging, loving and supporting environment around in her time of need and sorrow. Since then I have always been fascinated and interested by the scientific and academic side of nursing along with the caregiving duties of the profession. Because of this, it has lead me to study Level 3 Health and Social Care programme. I am particularly enjoying my Level 3 Health and Social Care programme as it allowed me to carry out the theoretical side of my course in a real life environment as I have a work placement with a care agency. Now I am striving to further my knowledge and proficiencies through taking a university level course in Nursing.

I desire to begin my career in psychiatry, and your opening particularly interested me due to the positive word I received from Jane Rutherford within your company. I graduated as a valedictorian within my class at the East Tennessee State University, have a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, and worked my full residency in both the Johnson City Medical Center and the psychiatric ward within the Woodridge Hospital, as is listed in the enclosed resume. I have ample experience working with patients and easing their problems in addition to being acclimated to a hospital environment, allowing a seamless transition.I have fellowship training in various fields,

The reason I wanted to be involved in the health field is because I wanted to pursue a career that gives back to other people the blessings that I received when I first entered this world. I was born prematurely and my mother often reminds me that it was the dedicated hard work of the physicians, nurses, and other health-care workers who saved my life when I was born. Throughout my life, this has always been an inspiration and motivation for me to help others. Having a profession in the health field should not be treated as just a career to earn a salary or a paycheck, but as a career where you will be helping to make the world a little healthier and better.

I am passionate about what it means to enjoy holistic health and wellness on both a personal and global scale. This focus seeks to find similarities that unify all people, and a liberal education has given me the skills to further seek this unification. I engage in the diversity that surrounds me on campus and remain conscious of the injustices in our society that have withstood generations and culture shifts. By understanding health and wellness across the world, I also recognize that all humans are connected by the same foundational problems and that there is value in understanding holistic health through the viewpoint of other cultures. I aspire to delve deeper into how culture impacts the health of a group of people, including their socio-economic standing, available food sources in a demographic area, as well as the safety of the food being provided.

The doctor of behavioral health program will most definitely fit into both my personal and professional experiences. I am a great team player and I am always willing to learn and work as a team in a group setting. I have over 9 years of counseling experience. I am the counselor and founder of Family First Counseling Group, LLC. Our mission is to reconnect broken relationships and rebuild lives. We believe in encouraging individuals to face their responsibilities and forward to accomplish goals in the lives and relationships. As a counselor who have counseled a variety of clients with mental health issues such as substance abuse, depression, anxiety issues.

Ultimately, USC’s broad curriculum in the MHA program combined with their focus of giving their students real-life exposure to health care organizations; will help me be better prepared to take on the public policy issues facing our health care sector today. The breadth of knowledge that I can gain from the MHA program will also help me become a health administrator that is able to balance the demands of the medical establishment (e.g., community clinic, hospital) and the needs of the population it caters to. From my education focusing on the relationships between people and institutions, work experience with special populations, and volunteerism, I have come to the realization that the issues facing our health sector don’t just fall upon physicians,

I am accomplished self-motivated, bilingual, and ready to expand my knowledge. I meet all the elements required for the opportunity of an internship program at Health Career Connection (HCC) in the field of Health Care Management. I am confident that through HCC’s professional developmental approaches; in combination with my interpersonal skills, and the high standards of education at Tennessee State University (TSU) that will invaluably empower me to proudly represent HCC’s mission. Through HCC’s program I will be exposed to real world experiences, mentoring, and broad networking connections. I am also confident that my experience in retail as beauty consultant, as caregiver for the elderly, and Census collector for the government will improve the likelihood to be chosen for the HCC’s program.

My interest in research, and the overall “mental health/integrative health movement” for me began at an early age. Really before, I ever knew it due to the prophetic call upon my life. However, the moment of “self-realization” emerged for me in 1996, when I was a non-traditional student at Tennessee State University majoring in social work. While attending TSU, I began “dreaming” about starting a non-profit organization that would bring interfaith organizations and the communities together to address mental health and social issues by providing resources, RESEARCH and strategies to make a difference in a community, city, state or the nation. As I continued “dreaming” even while working as a new social worker, Radical, Inc. (Restoring and Developing Interfaith and Communities Through Action & Love) was formulated in 2001, and in 2004 the organization acquired its 501(c)3 status. With myself

A psychiatrist is defined as a medical practitioner specializing in the diagnoses and treatment of mental illness. The minute I learned what a psychiatrist was, I wanted to be one. After seeing Freaky Friday one afternoon with my family, I asked what exactly did the mom in the movie do. “Mom! Dad! That sounds so cool. I want to be that when I grow up,” I exclaimed once they informed me, “Alright, if you say so sweetie.” Obviously, when I was a little girl I didn’t exactly know what all the requirements for being any sort of doctor were, so my parents didn't kill my dreams on that occasion. However, during my middle school days, I discovered all the requirements and steps needed to become a doctor. After high school, on average, there were 8-11 additional years of