My internship at NAMI has given me valuable experience working in mental health which has not only benefited my CV, but has also given me new perspective on what it’s like to work with those struggling with mental illness as well as various managerial duties associated with such activities. This experience ties in seamlessly with my major in psychology, and to some extent even my minor in addiction treatment: since Nevada has a high number of drug users, NAMI offers substance use group sessions. NAMI required at least a high school education for my position, though I believe that my college education in psychology gave me background information that assisted my understanding of NAMIs inner workings. In light of my experiences at NAMI, I am even more interested in mental health treatment, as I was able to connect with NAMI’s clients and I saw how valuable NAMI’s role was in the Las Vegas area, especially for the homeless. For a full time, non internship role at NAMI, I need to have my BA, and I also need to seek out training from a prss supervisor. For upcoming interns, I would advise that one anticipates a work load involving more scheduling and secretarial duties than hands-on psych experience, although both are part of the experience.
