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Mental Health Treatment And Equal Access

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As a woman who has, in my own life, confronted poverty, abuse, and the death of my sister, I am dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals and families who are besieged by circumstance. Specifically, I am interested in improving the intrapersonal and social functioning of individuals and families who are working through mental health issues. I know firsthand the anguish pervasive to families who are struggling. I believe that mental health treatment and equal access to resources can make the difference between despair and hope. I am applying for the master’s in clinical social work program so that I can pursue my goal of serving these people.
I have always considered civic engagement to be full of purpose, significance, and …show more content…

She suggested that I apply because she thought I would be good at it. My first contact was with a girl who would frantically roam the halls with an invisible cigarette asking people for a light. I instantly felt her torture and instinctively approached her and said, “I have one”, and lit her invisible cigarette with my invisible lighter. We established a therapeutic rapport and I was hooked.
I think teenagers today have it even tougher than ever before. There are so many social media outlets informing them that they need to base their self-worth off their ability to impress people with their appearance. When I took a community service learning course mentoring two Hispanic high school students, I saw firsthand the sadness and loneliness that often results from failing to achieving these hegemonic beauty standards – or worse, from achieving them, only to find that they are empty.
One good thing about social media is that it also allows us to create our own media. I have worked alongside teenagers in my mentoring internship as they create powerful counter narratives in the form of media to fight back against these impossible standards. I love working with teenagers. I think they are mobilized, passionate, excited about little things, and they want to make a difference in the world. Sometimes, though, they inherit the trauma of generations of people who have been

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