Lesson 2: Is the Mental Health field the right career for me? Attention Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:
Teaching What is Mental Health? (Watch this video)
This is a great video on the topic of Mental Health and what it takes to be a mentally healthy person. The KVCC Mental Health program is designed to provide you with the skills and knowledge necessary to work with individuals who have mental health diagnoses, also refered to as mental illness. What is Mental Illness? Mental illnesses or mental health disorders are diagnosable medical conditions that directly or indirectly impact a person's mental health. The field of psychology defines "abnormal behavior" in a number of ways:
There are a lot of human behaviors that fit into these categories.
What each of these examples shows is that "abnormal" is defined not just by the nature of the behavior but also by its context in a society and how it impacts a person's life. Mental illness, as we address it in the mental health field, can be said to meet ALL of the following criteria:
Recovery and Rehabilitation The basic premise of the mental health field essentially follows along the lines of these statements:
Diversity In this field you will encounter a wide diversity of individuals. This diversity expresses itself in economic differences, values differences, political differences, gender and sexual orientation differences, religious differences, criminal history, health and psychiatric history, etc. Diversity also presents itself in cultural and racial differences. As a mental health worker we will continue to challenge you to learn what your personal biases are that might get in the way of your work with certain individuals. Follow this link to read the definition of bias: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bias. Unconditional Positive Regard The general viewpoint of professionals in the helping fields comes from the work of Carl Rogers and his concept of Unconditional Positive Regard. Carl Rogers was a psychologist who believed that every individual needed the opportunity to grow. He believed people need an environment that could provide them genuineness, acceptance and empathy. Genuineness is presenting with openness and offering self-disclosure (sharing pieces of information about yourself with your client). Acceptance means that you see others with unconditional positive regard, meaning no matter what they have done, they still deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Empathy means to listen to someone and attempt to understand where he or she is coming from (https://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html). Read this Wikipedia summary about Unconditional Positive Regard (click/touch on the words in red to be taken to the link). What does it mean to work in Human Services? The field is deeply connected to a profoundly "liberal" point of view in terms of service provision and the responsibility for government funded services to be available to persons in need. The system is imperfect and those of you who work in the field of human services need to understand that not all those who get services and benefits (like welfare benefits) need them and that not all who need them, get them. In the field of mental health there is lots of discussion about liberal points of view vs. conservative points of view. To learn more about these terms and what they mean in connection to "hot button" topics like abortion, the death penalty and global warming read the following document: Conservative-vs-Liberal. Many people say you have to be liberal to work in the field of mental health. I do not agree with that perspective. I do believe you have to be open minded and very aware of your personal biases/judgements that may interfere with your communication styles when working with certain people. For example, if you believe that everyone should be working, or looking for a job, you may have a hard time working with a 40 year old woman who has not held a steady job since she was 21 years old. Human Services Professionals A strong desire to help others is an important consideration for a job as a human services worker. Individuals who show patience, understanding, and caring in their dealings with others are highly valued by employers. Other important personal traits include communication skills, a strong sense of responsibility, and the ability to manage time effectively. Where Human Services Professionals Work? Despite differences in what they are called and what they do, human services professionals generally perform under the direction of professional staff. Those employed in mental health settings, for example, may be assigned to assist a treatment team, or interdisciplinary team, made up of social workers, nurses, psychiatrists, and other human services professionals . The amount of responsibility these workers assume and the degree of supervision they receive vary a great deal. Some workers are on their own most of the time and have little direct supervision; others work under close direction/supervision. Human services professionals working in communities, residential care, or institutional settings provide direct services such as leading a group, organizing an activity, or offering individual one on one support. They may handle some administrative support tasks, too like documenting a person's activities. Specific job duties reflect organizational policy and staffing patterns, as well as the worker's educational preparation and experience. Changes in the reimbursement criteria for Case Management and Community Integration services in the State of Maine have brought about changes in the kind of work that MHRT/Cs will do. Different agencies may define these roles in different ways. The work of an MHRT/C is most often paid for by private and public insurance companies. In Maine, the majority of the work done by MHRT/C's is funded by MaineCare, which is the State of Maine public health insurance for individuals who due to their low income and/or disability determination are determined (deemed) eligible for the insurance (MaineCare / Maine Medicaid). So, is the Mental Health field the right career for you? That is the question in front of you right now. In my experience the following criteria are critical to take into consideration when contemplating this question:
If these 10 characteristics seem to describe characteristics within you, then this field may very well be for you! Assessment Lesson 2 Quiz Please answer all of the questions in this quiz. They relate to the Lesson and any links within the Lesson. Lesson 2 Survey This survey has you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 in regards to the 10 elements discussed above under "So, is the Mental Health field the right career for you". Be sure to note your score so that you can discuss your results in this week's discussion. Scoring below is just a guide for you as you consider some of the issues you may encounter in the mental health field:
Lesson 2 Discussion A Describe the differences between "mental health" and "mental illness" both from your own perspective and from what you have learned in the video. Share a bit about any personal experiences you may have had that helped you to understand mental illness or may even limit or bias your understanding of mental illness. Lesson 2 Discussion B (answer both questions in your one post) 1) Based on the results of the Lesson 2 Survey and the readings in this Lesson, discuss how your personality and values are a fit (or not) in the field of mental health. Do you feel that this is a field that you are interested in and can do well in? 2) Consider the diversity that you will encounter in this field (among both clients and co-workers). Do you think you could present to a future client the concept of Unconditional Positive Regard in your professional practice?
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