Halfway There
I am officially half way done with the academic portion of my program! It was such a relief to have this term over. This was a rough one. I felt overwhelmed from day one. This was our mental health term and I loved the material that we covered. I have a strong mental health background and have always been fascinated by the field. However, there was so much work on top of having my first fieldwork placement that I don’t feel as though I got as much out of it as I could have. I am afraid that the next two terms will be just as bad. I understand that this is a highly intensive program and that means there is a lot of work. I am willing to put in the effort, but I also want to learn as much as I can and that’s hard to do sometimes with such a large work load. But I will continue to do the best I can and hope for the best. Two more terms till my level 2 fieldwork placements!!
One of the best experiences I’ve had all term was our field trip to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Saline, MI. I was so impressed with the facility and the staff. The center itself reminded me more of a school campus than a maximum security psychiatric center. As we toured the facility, we walked amongst the patients, observed some groups and spoke with staff. Everyone seemed happy, content and safe. It was nothing like the picture I had in my head that was created from so many negative media portrayals and I was glad to see it. It really changed my view, for the better, on what working in mental health could be like. Mental health is an important field for OT, it is our roots, and the staff at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry are doing great work for people who truly need it.