Exploring Roles
While researching different organizations and agencies this
week, I found three positions I may be interested in, in the future.
Image retrieved from Kennedy Kreiger (n.d.)
The
Kennedy Krieger Institute (n.d.), which is based in Baltimore, MD, is an
institution “dedicated to improving the lives of children and young adults with
care and research focused on pediatric developmental disabilities and disorders
of the brain.” They have positions ranging from social work to behavioral
specialists in the classroom, and they all work to better the lives of
individuals who suffer from various behavioral or mental health challenges. I
found that they have an opening for a behavior specialist, which includes coordinating
with a classroom to provide behavioral services to students. They also develop
and implement Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIP). In order to fulfill this
role, I would need to have a background in special education or behavior
analysis or have experience with disabled populations. If I decided to pursue
this career, I could look into becoming more involved in the Special Education
classroom or take additional courses on special education and behavior. I have
a solid background in general education and have worked with children with
severe behaviors, but would most likely need more structured special education
experience for this job.
The second position that interested me was the Director of
Diversity and Inclusion at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The
job posting on LinkedIn mentions that they need someone who is able to “provide
leadership and influence for our diversity, inclusion and equity efforts
internally and externally across our national, state, and affiliate offices” (LinkedIn,
n.d.). The person in this position will be required to apply best practices
from various industry segments, including mental health, and will have to
create collaborative action plans. This interested me because this position
relates mental health with diversity and inclusion, which are all topics I have
focused on at some point in my career. My experiences in education, as well as
through this program at Walden, have prepared me to be an anti-bias educator
and individual who is educated on diversity, inclusion, and equity. There are many qualifications required
for this position, including at least five years of progressive relevant
experience, experience in managing multiple complex projects simultaneously, a
team player and leader, and understanding how different identities (race,
gender, class, mental health, etc.) relate to power, privilege, and influence.
At this moment, I would not qualify for this position because of the
qualifications required, but this position is enticing!
Image retrieved from Baltimore County Public Schools (n.d.)
The last position that interested me was a school
psychologist position. Children’s health and behavior have always piqued my
interest and before I went into education, I considered going into psychology.
If I were to stay in the school system, specifically in Baltimore County, I
could become a school psychologist (Baltimore County Public Schools, n.d.). To
do this job, I would need an advanced graduate specialist’s degree, in addition
to the certificates/licensures and the internship hours. I would need to be
passionate about and knowledgeable of children’s psychology and understand its
relation to the education system. Since I’ve worked in the classroom and worked
with children who have received psychological services, I would have this prior
experience to refer to when completing the other requirements.
As of right now, I’m happy in the position that I’m in, but
it’s nice to see what else is out there and ponder my options!
References
Baltimore County Public Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bcps.org/
Kennedy Krieger. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.kennedykrieger.org
LinkedIn. (n.d.). Director, Diversity and Inclusion.
Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/search?q=careers+in+NAMI&oq=careers+in+NAMI&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.2044j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&ibp=htl;jobs&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmtu_Vz_jgAhUsuVkKHUieAUQQp4wCMAB6BAgEEBE#htidocid=FbDekUxy2xcAjvXOAAAAAA%3D%3D
National Alliance on Mental
Illness. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nami.org
Tara, In all of my extended education I have never share ideas with another Tara, so excited! In California over the years I have been a part of many learning opportunities and there have been many times that Maryland ha been the home of quality learning experiences for children and other states are looking to follow in their foot steps. Psychology is a field that I have a high respect for. Those that give that dedication are able to help children and their families on a level beyond what one might find in the early learning classroom. While this is not the field I am choosing to become a part of I can absolutely see how the learning we have experienced as Walden will support that work. Mental health, diversity and inclusion move together for overall wellness. Any job we take on should consider these factors as we engage children. I follow many sites for job opportunities and there are many avenues available. I am currently loving where I live and that will limit where I can apply.
ReplyDeleteTara
Tara,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the interest you have found outside of being a teacher. I think you chose three really great organizations. It is great that you have a passion for mental health. I feel that mental health concerns are becoming more prevalent with our younger population. The more educational professionals that are aware of mental health concerns the better. If you are looking for a change in the future, I think you have complied a list of great options!
Brianna
Thank you for your post, Tara. I think I share the same passion with you especially in the area of mental health and psychology. I too feel that this is a big concern not just in the US but also in other parts of the world. I come from Malaysia, and there is high rate of school going children committing suicide due to not being able to manage stress either in their life at home or academically. Most of the time, parents are the main reason why these children go through so much stress at a very young age. A lot of awareness need to be done to educate people about this. Thank you for bringing it up.
ReplyDeleteTara,
ReplyDeleteChildren's health and behaviors have always been an interest of mine as well and psychology would have been the field I would have like to go into if I hadn't found a passion for early childhood development and education. Applied Behavioral Analysis has also been an interest of mine as well- there's something about understanding the reasons for behavior and how to improve or change them. I have had experience with children with sever behavioral issues and wish I could do more than I currently know how to do and I think ABA would offer that extra support needed to help the children. The organizations you provided are very diverse and interesting, it is amazing how many great organizations and professions are out there to help support the success of out future leaders! Thank you for your post.
Amy
Tara,
ReplyDeleteI am also intrigued with topics surrounding brain development. Before deciding on attending Walden, I looked into behavior analysis certification or a degree. The Kennedy Krieger Institute sounds like a great organization. I would be interested in being a behavior specialist if I had the certification to go with my experience with people with varying abilities. All of the organizations you chose work towards improving the lives of children. Thank you for sharing them with us and why you chose them!
Trish