I loved the impact I made on these kids lives. There would be difficult experiences but at the end of the day it would be worth it because of the positive impact you have in these kid's lives. It was a very emotionally rewarding job.
What I wish was different
Honestly the good old days/heyday to work at the southwest center is over. It used to be the perfect collage student community, we loved our co-works and our job. We would look forward to going into work to make an impact in these kids lives. Most days it wouldn't even feel like a job. Most of the staff had worked there for years and there wasn't much turn over. Then there was a big management change and the office culture completely changed. It became more of a toxic work environment and that was one of the reasons I left. That being said this was back in 2018ish so things could be 100% different now!!
Advice
At time this can be an emotionally draining job because you care so much about some of the kids you work with. And a lot of these kids have been through a lot of hard traumatizing experiences.
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Youth Mentor
August 2015 - June 2018 • St. George, UT
What I liked
Loved working here. Great environment, loved the people I worked with. It was fulfilling to serve the youth of the community. Highly recommended
What I wish was different
Nothing. Thoroughly enjoyed my experience
Advice
Jump in, be yourself, have fun with it.
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Youth Services IOP Intern
January - April 2020 • St. George, UT
What I liked
I loved the atmosphere at Southwest, my coworkers were amazing and I could genuinely tell that everyone who worked there cared about the clients and were happy to be there. I loved being able to be in the IOP groups and take the clients out into the community to practice the skills we had talked about in group. It was a fun challenge to get to know the kids and find new and exciting ways to interact with them and engage them in group discussion.
What I wish was different
I wish that COVID hadn't ended my internship, I would have loved to be there longer.
Advice
If you're wanting to be introduced to the field of Public Mental Health here in Southern Utah, there is no better place to network, make connections and receive training than Southwest Behavioral. It was an awesome place for me to intern, all of my supervisors were so attentive and caring, making sure I was comfortable and able to be involved in ways that would serve my internship goals.
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Youth Services Mentor
May 2017 • St. George, UT
What I liked
I love the culture of learning and growth that is not only encouraged , but facilitated through trainings, readings, and opportunities to work hand in hand with therapists.
What I wish was different
I believe that the Covid pandemic provided some very unique challenges that the center has had to learn and grow through. It is a process, and continual progress is being made.
Advice
You will have opportunities to learn things about yourself that help you learn and grow. EMBRACE THESE OPPORTUNITIES. It is so powerful to be able to work with kids who are struggling as you are also working on yourself. They will get to see you are serious about the changes being made and the inspiration will affect both parties as you grow together. Be willing to accept feedback and come prepared to ask questions.
