A CAREER IN HELPING OTHERS

MHCC has many unique programs that are highly regarded in the local community, and the Mental Health, Social Services, and Addiction Counseling Program is one of them. It’s a limited-entry program, with its Friday, April 12 application due date approaching.

If you have a passion for helping people, but aren’t interested in a field such as nursing, this could be the program for you.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Two second-year students in the program talked to us about their experience in their time at Mt. Hood as they both prepare to graduate in June.

Linda Steffanson, age 66, hadn’t been in school for 25 years, but after working at Sandy Community Action Center for seven or eight years decided to come back to get her degree.

Steffanson said that she first got into the program 30 years ago, but had to leave school due to a family situation. When she decided to come back to Mt. Hood, she looked through all of her options, and the mental health program was still the choice for her.

“I’m really surprised with how well I’m doing,” she said. “I’m on the honors society.” She said she did have worries returning to school at her age, thinking she might struggle to remember the material as her memory hasn’t always been great, but it hasn’t been an issue for her.

After re-entering the program, Steffanson learned that Sandy Community Action Center was an internship opportunity for students, but with her years of time there, she went to SnowCap Community Charities in east Portland for new learning opportunities.

Fellow second-year Mt. Hood student Crystal Garriga explained that students in this program have to complete 480 hours of an internship. She has spent almost a year at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Court in Vancouver, Washington.

Garriga said, “They do restorative justice, which is moving away from the punitive way of working. I enjoy that piece. It’s a really cool part of it.”

Similar to Steffanson, Garriga, age 37, opted to go for her degree a bit later in life. It’s been nearly 20 years since she graduated from high school, and making the decision to come back to school wasn’t quick and easy.

“It was really hard for me because I also believed out of high school that you didn’t need a college education to be successful,” she said. “I was totally not willing to be in debt to go to school, so I just believed a career would fall in my lap or I would be guided to the place to be finding a good job and doing what I really wanted.”

Garriga decided she’d need to go to school, and then heard about the mental health program from an MHCC student who was interning at the same food bank where Garriga was volunteering.

“I looked at the brochure and thought, ‘I can’t believe I can still be all these things’, ” said Garriga. She also was shocked she wasn’t too old to start a career in social work.

The program has students of all ages, and both Garriga and Steffanson say they are an extremely cohesive bunch. Asked what they thought the highlight of the program has been, both said, “The cohort of students.”

Steffanson said, “The wisdom in these young people and the support they give each other and me is just totally amazing.”

Garriga said the things students are learning may contribute to them working in harmony. “We’re supportive, we validate by listening. All the stuff we’re learning, we’re able to use it,” she said.

Garriga added that instructor Karen Green has been impactful in her learning experience. She said Green spent many years working in social work before teaching at Mt. Hood.

“She was affecting a lot of kids’ lives, then, in a positive way most likely because of the kind of person she is,” said Garriga. “Now she’s teaching us to go out and be her, essentially, so I think that’s just a really cool thing, to pass the baton, on her part.”

Garriga is applying to the School of Social Work at Portland State University, and is excited to explore potential career opportunities as she likes many of her options and feels like the job market has opened up to her as a result of her education.

Steffanson will be done with schooling in June and is interested in teaching parenting classes and counseling parents.

There are many job opportunities that come upon completing this program at MHCC – several types of counseling positions, entry-level social work positions, and more.

HOW TO APPLY

If you’re interested in joining the Mental Health, Social Services, and Addiction Counseling Program, the application window is open now and is due for completion by 5 p.m. on April 12 – with no late exceptions. There are some reading, writing, and math prerequisites that must be met to be admitted to the program. After applying, there are group interviews for candidates in May, a mandatory orientation in June, and then the program would begin in earnest come September and the Fall Term.

There are other qualifications that need to be met if you’re accepted into the program, such as immunizations, a background check, drug screening, and sobriety requirements.

To learn more, those interested can attend an information session from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20 in Room AC2761 (the Health Professions Division conference room). You can also visit mhcc.edu/mentalhealth for more details.