Experiences of Alumni in Mental-Health Careers: Lessons Learned
Major
Psychology
Submission Type
Oral Presentation
Area of Study or Work
Psychology
Expected Graduation Date
2023
Location
CNS E104 1.1 Alumni: Past and Present
Start Date
4-15-2023 9:00 AM
End Date
4-15-2023 10:00 AM
Abstract
Title: Experiences of Alumni in Mental-Health Careers: Lessons Learned
Student Presenters: Jane Mai, Leah Matlin, Martin Rodriquez, & Lily Sakalys
This project had two goals: (a) to better understand the career experiences of IWU alumni working in mental health careers, and (b) to explore the impact that interviewing alumni has on current students' development. The first part of the project was conducted as a collaborative endeavor by students enrolled in IWU's Mental Health Immersion Semester (MHIS). MHIS students interviewed 32 alumni working in mental health related careers, asking alumni to describe their career paths, rewarding and challenging aspects of their careers, the impact of racism and social justice on their work, and how they maintain their own mental health. The second part of this project involved analysis of MHIS student responses to open-ended questions about the knowledge and skills they gained from interviewing alumni. Thematic analyses for both sets of responses that identify common themes will be presented.
Experiences of Alumni in Mental-Health Careers: Lessons Learned
CNS E104 1.1 Alumni: Past and Present
Title: Experiences of Alumni in Mental-Health Careers: Lessons Learned
Student Presenters: Jane Mai, Leah Matlin, Martin Rodriquez, & Lily Sakalys
This project had two goals: (a) to better understand the career experiences of IWU alumni working in mental health careers, and (b) to explore the impact that interviewing alumni has on current students' development. The first part of the project was conducted as a collaborative endeavor by students enrolled in IWU's Mental Health Immersion Semester (MHIS). MHIS students interviewed 32 alumni working in mental health related careers, asking alumni to describe their career paths, rewarding and challenging aspects of their careers, the impact of racism and social justice on their work, and how they maintain their own mental health. The second part of this project involved analysis of MHIS student responses to open-ended questions about the knowledge and skills they gained from interviewing alumni. Thematic analyses for both sets of responses that identify common themes will be presented.