It is with great enthusiasm that I submit my application for the internship program at San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health for the 2017-2018 training year. With practicum placements primarily in the community mental health sector in Los Angeles, I have cultivated a passion for working with underserved populations, particularly those who experience severe mental illness (SMI). As I consider my career trajectory in community mental health, I am very interested in the psychological training provided at San Bernardino County due to its commitment to vulnerable communities, the breadth of training opportunities with those who experience SMI, and the ability to expand my competency across a myriad of professional roles in an interdisciplinary
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Working within these communities has educated me on how systemic stressors can become heavy burdens to those with little or no access to resources. I have seen how urban populations can be especially affected by such issues. Therefore, it has become imperative to my clinical work to increase my cultural competency by understanding the nuanced ways in which systemic stressors and aspects of diversity intersect to shape a client’s experience. I am eager to learn new ways of honoring the diversity of my clients as I do not believe cultural competency is a destination, but an evolving journey throughout one’s professional career. I am intrigued by the many ways that San Bernardino County cultivates cultural competency in its interns through training and supervision and look forward opportunities to continue to grow in my competency with the underserved …show more content…
In my practicum placements, I was exposed to many different professional roles (e.g. consultation, advocacy, medication management, case management, etc.). These experiences helped me develop a treatment approach with interventions that comprehensively address the full spectrum of a client’s needs. Further, because my practicum placements have included an interdisciplinary component, I have learned the ways in which a treatment team can collaborate and use collective expertise to provide quality, holistic care for clients. As I believe I excel most in team settings, I am enthusiastic about not only learning from collaboration with others, but being a great team member who provides support and feedback. I am excited for the potential opportunity to expand my knowledge by working in a multidisciplinary team setting at San Bernardino
Working within these communities has educated me on how systemic stressors can become heavy burdens to those with little or no access to resources. I have seen how urban populations can be especially affected by such issues. Therefore, it has become imperative to my clinical work to increase my cultural competency by understanding the nuanced ways in which systemic stressors and aspects of diversity intersect to shape a client’s experience. I am eager to learn new ways of honoring the diversity of my clients as I do not believe cultural competency is a destination, but an evolving journey throughout one’s professional career. I am intrigued by the many ways that San Bernardino County cultivates cultural competency in its interns through training and supervision and look forward opportunities to continue to grow in my competency with the underserved …show more content…
In my practicum placements, I was exposed to many different professional roles (e.g. consultation, advocacy, medication management, case management, etc.). These experiences helped me develop a treatment approach with interventions that comprehensively address the full spectrum of a client’s needs. Further, because my practicum placements have included an interdisciplinary component, I have learned the ways in which a treatment team can collaborate and use collective expertise to provide quality, holistic care for clients. As I believe I excel most in team settings, I am enthusiastic about not only learning from collaboration with others, but being a great team member who provides support and feedback. I am excited for the potential opportunity to expand my knowledge by working in a multidisciplinary team setting at San Bernardino