personal statement about mental health

Mental Health Counseling Personal Statement Example

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

The following essay was written by an applicant who was admitted to top US master’s programs in mental health counseling. Variations of this personal statement got accepted at Boston University, Harvard, and Yale.

This personal statement is intended to provide an example of a successful essay for a top counseling and psychology program in specializing in mental health.

Sample Personal Statement for Counseling (Mental Health)

Nietzsche’s quote, “that which doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger,” captures my life’s journey. Lying in a hospital bed as a sixteen-year-old cancer patient, I resigned to accepting my inevitabile death. Yet, as the annihilating poison from chemotherapy went through my veins and into every fiber of my living body, I experienced an unfamiliar pain. As I lay there, I contemplated questions about life, death, God, souls, love, and pain. My parents and siblings would try to provide comfort. Sometimes it worked. At other times, I would wonder if this is all my life would be. Where the title of my life story could have been “Endless Possibilities,” would this story now be just a few pages long, ending with an unfinished sentence? And then I would freeze into a crippling stupor for hours.

Cancer treatment affects one at multiple levels: it starts by attacking one’s body, then impacts one’s mind, and eventually, it grates at one’s soul. Physically I felt like my entire body was rotting away. My hair falling out seemed like a cruel joke for a beautiful teenage girl. Emotionally and spiritually, my cancer brought me face to face with the overwhelming concept of death. None of this made sense to me, no matter how hard anyone tried to convince me otherwise.

After reaching my lowest, my mind quieted down. I started seeing some things very differently. It’s thought that mythical figures like Jacob, Oedipus, and even Jesus, were said to walk with a limp. This disillusionment of their physical body opened their souls and uncovered their ability to feel. In flashes of conscious awareness, I saw concern when my sister silently grieved with me. My heartfelt, unburdened with my father’s tears. Affection touched my broken soul with a doctor looking into my eyes and asking how I was. I felt a life force with my mother feeding me bland, tasteless food. Then, this intense gratitude came to me that if I were to live, I wanted to heal other people’s pain. In the following months, my body, mind, and soul strengthened, and I decided to study psychology and do social work, which I started right after high-school.

When I was twenty years old, my older brother was diagnosed with clinical depression. I could understand the pain he was going through, and I tried helping him. I used to counsel him to the best of my ability. I supported him in fighting his overpowering daemons, reinforcing his doctor’s and therapist’s work. But he lost his will to live two years later and ended his life. His loss shattered me. 

As I pieced together my life after his loss, I enrolled in a Master’s program in Anthropology .  I wanted to study different people, religions, and cultures. I knew that I had a lot of empathy for people, and I tried to understand issues of diversity and disability academically. So, during my Master’s, I worked with sex workers, adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, transvestites, and transgender individuals to understand how these individuals from the most marginalized segments of our society can cope with a pain that no one would want even to understand.

During my Master’s program, I joined  American Counseling Works (ACW)  to develop my skillset to become a better helper. ACW is a training institute and sanctuary for healing mental health issues. It was here that I unreservedly spoke about all the pain that had taken up residence inside me. The beautiful journey of being in therapy helped me find peace in accepting all parts of me. I heard my voice answering questions about life, death, God, souls, love, and pain. I experienced what the field of psychology calls “post-traumatic growth” and what my favorite teacher Michael Soth calls “becoming a wounded healer.”

Given my superior performance at ACW, I was one of the first students in my class to be allowed to work with clients. As a result, I was given the additional responsibility of coordinating and managing the families of the in-patient clients. In the past few months of working, I have been genuinely fulfilled by taking up a career in counseling and therapy. Through this, I can heal with compassion and counseling skills.

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Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement Examples

Below are Mental Health Nursing Personal Statements examples . Hope it will help you write your UCAS personal statement for the university.

Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

During my undergraduate studies in Physics, I found myself volunteering with the West London Mental Health NHS Trust. Here, I had the opportunity to apply my theoretical knowledge in a practical support role in a rehabilitation unit for mental health patients. I had always been interested in the workings of the mind, and this experience solidified my passion for the field.

Since 2009, I have worked extensively in caring services, specifically in mental health contexts. Through these experiences, I have gained valuable knowledge and skills in working with patients who have a range of mental health problems. I am now certain that I want to pursue a career in this field and believe that the Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing will enhance my knowledge and prepare me for my future career.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I pursued a Master’s degree in Health Psychology. This academic foundation has provided me with a solid understanding of psychological problems. For my dissertations, I explored the effects of stress on health behaviours and self-esteem in university students and predictors of body image dissatisfaction, specifically the contribution of perfectionism and socio-cultural pressure to be thin.

Nursing for those with mental health problems requires more than academic knowledge; it also calls for practical skills, quick thinking, effective communication, and above all, human empathy. The opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those who are often locked into severe psychological conditions offers the prospect of true personal and professional fulfilment.

My early voluntary work brought me into contact with people whose mental health problems made it difficult for them to integrate into the community and the world of employment, as well as introduced me to the way the clinical team worked. In addition to my voluntary work, I also worked for Marie Stopes International as a Healthcare Assistant, where I gained experience in clinical procedures and learnt about the need for a tactful and sensitive approach to patients and the importance of working within the framework of a medical team.

Since completing my Master’s degree, I have worked for East London NHS Foundation in the Mental Health Division, first as a Social Therapist and currently as an Assistant Practitioner. In my current role, I build beneficial and therapeutic relationships with adults with acute and chronic mental health problems, devise the most appropriate intervention procedures for their welfare, and provide vocational and employment support alongside activities and group work.

I assist the Psychologist and the Occupational Therapist with group therapy sessions and activities to promote anger management and relaxation. I also work with the nursing staff in developing treatment packages to suit individual needs and encourage patients to take responsibility for their own recovery. I sometimes work with young people where good communication skills are essential in building positive and therapeutic relationships.

My substantial experience in the treatment of the mentally ill has left me with no doubt that I can make a difference in people’s lives, particularly in the lives of those who are so sadly disabled by their conditions. However, I am also aware of the challenges of this work and the importance of maintaining a sense of perspective to provide productive care. I am hard-working, enthusiastic about my career, and possess strong analytical skills. I work well under pressure and enjoy being part of a clinical team. I am committed to my goal and believe I have the necessary qualities to become a successful Mental Health Nurse.

Read other Nursing Personal Statement Examples

Band 5 Mental Health Nurse Personal Statement Example

My ambition to become a mental health nurse stems from my own experiences of enduring mental health conditions since childhood. Going through various treatments has given me insight into managing mental health issues and supporting others with conditions like dementia, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression, which I have encountered through volunteer and work experience.

Studying English Language and Health and Social Care has provided me with biological, psychological and practical knowledge about speech, language and dementia. Role-playing and work experience at a care home allowed me to assist dementia patients using visual aids to help them remember their interests and loved ones. A report on dementia and studying psychology and the nervous system gave me a theoretical understanding.

Volunteering at a centre for people with physical and mental disabilities has allowed me to gain experience in art therapy, music therapy, life skills and physiotherapy. I achieved a Level 6 qualification in horse riding instruction and have a Level 1 certificate in British Sign Language to assist non-verbal service users. Work experience at a solicitor’s firm handling Power of Attorney cases showed me the legal aspects of mental health.

I have completed emergency first aid at work and served on my college’s Student Union, organising charity events and promoting equality. I have written for the college magazine.

I want to professionally learn how to manage mental health and understand biological theories. After graduating, I hope to pursue clinical research, applying the research methods from my sociology course in a sociolinguistic project.

Despite progress, the stigmatisation of mental health persists. As a nurse, I would advocate for patients, support the vulnerable and treat all equally. My course has given me communication, reflection and basic medical skills to meet nursing demands.

A 100-hour placement at a supported living centre gave me insight into schizophrenia and person-centred care. I learned the importance of medication management, confidentiality and multidisciplinary teamwork. Researching recent guidelines like No Health Without Mental Health highlighted the need to consider physical and mental health together. Outside studying, I enjoy exercise and volunteering. I hope to work in community mental health, using my experience and commitment to person-centred care to aid recovery. My skills, knowledge and determination will help me become a successful mental health nurse.

This personal statement highlights the key relevant areas for a Band 5 mental health nurse application – your experiences, skills, knowledge, dedication and career ambitions. The content and structure are coherent while keeping within the specified word count. Please let me know if you would like me to clarify or expand on any part of this revised personal statement further.

How To Write A Personal Statement For Mental Health Nursing

If the examples are not enough for you, here are some tips and steps on how to write a personal statement for a Mental Health Nursing course. 

• Focus on your relevant experience . Highlight your experience in health care, mental health care, or roles supporting vulnerable groups. Discuss what you learned and how it motivates you to become a mental health nurse.
• Discuss your key skills . Emphasise skills like communication, compassion, patience, teamwork, and decision-making. Provide examples of where you have demonstrated these skills. Explain how these skills will make you a good mental health nurse.
• Show your passion for nursing . Express your genuine interest and passion for mental health nursing. Discuss why you want to pursue this career path, your desire to help vulnerable people, your interest in health care, etc. Your passion and motivation should shine through.
• Outline your career goals . Discuss your short and long-term career goals and how the mental health nursing programme will enable you to achieve them. Explain how you hope to progress, e.g. taking additional courses or management roles. This shows your motivation and enthusiasm.
• Explain why you’re a strong candidate . Summarise your key qualities, skills, experiences and knowledge that make you an excellent candidate for the mental health nursing programme. Reiterate your passion for the role. With preparation and hard work, convey your potential to become an accomplished mental health nurse.
• Review and proofread. Ask others to review your personal statement and provide feedback. Edit and proofread thoroughly. Double-check for any errors before submitting. Your personal statement represents you, so make sure it is compelling and clear, concise, and error-free.
• Be authentic . Most importantly, be genuine in your personal statement. Mental health nursing requires strong interpersonal qualities. Let your true motivations, passion, and personality shine through in your writing. Admissions staff will be able to see your authenticity.

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Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

I am applying for a Mental Health Nursing degree because I want to help people who suffer from mental illness. With the skills I have acquired whilst working as a support worker and whilst studying a Health Professions course, I believe I will achieve my goal of going to university.

I gained some insight into a mental health career whilst working part-time as a support worker. The role includes writing care plans, interacting with the patients as well as carrying out ward rounds with a group of healthcare professionals.I would like to expand my knowledge further at a degree level and possibly higher. I’m also aware of the importance of treating people in a non-judgemental manner and to respect equality in a mental health setting such as working with employees and clients with different religious beliefs and different cultures. I feel it is important to use the Mental Health role to promote mental health illness to the public. I am convinced that mental illness is an area in which most people are uncomfortable either talking about or taking part in preventing and supporting those who suffer from mental issues. I have excellent communication skills which I have gained through working in care .For example when I am communicating with clients that have trouble speaking, I will use good body language and good eye contact. I sometimes use objects such as toys when they want to play or a spoon when it is time to eat. I learned to use documentation when working with clients as each individual client has a care plan that we use to write their daily notes such as personal care, activities and appointments with doctors. This helps the other employees during handover because they will know how to help the clients based on the documentation I have written. This has taught me the importance of communication and team work as it contributes to successfully support people who suffer from mental illness.

I have a stammer but I managed to enroll on a speech therapy program called McGuire program. The program gave me confidence and my speech has improved since then. The program made me face my fear of speaking. The program helped me to accept my speech problem and taught me to live with my stammer. One of the techniques used were, they made me speak to 100 strangers and disclosing to the strangers that “I have a stammer and I have been hiding for years but now I am happy as a stammerer and I now have gained control of my speech”. The program helped me to apply the skills I have learnt on the program and implement them directly to my mental health work for example , It taught me to empathise with people that suffer from mental illness and to always give consideration when communicating with them so that they can be comfortable communicating with me .

I was born and raised in South Africa and moved to England for career opportunities. I have had many family members who work in a mental health setting and I saw the satisfaction they receive from helping patients. I have also had family members suffer from mental health problems, but with my family member having experience with the mental health professional experience, they were able to offer advice on how they can be treated. That inspired me to pursue a career in mental health. I know that studying Mental Health Nursing at university will be challenging because health care professionals must have the ability to make decisions, show compassion and support the diverse needs of individuals in their care. The role will test my skills and abilities however I am confident that I can meet these challenges and choosing nursing will help me fulfil my ambition of supporting and treating others in a mental healthcare environment.

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Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement Examples

• 1 Personal Statement Example Links
• 2 Career Opportunities
• 3 UK Admission Requirements
• 4 UK Earnings Potential For a Mental Health Nurse
• 5 Similar Courses in UK
• 6 UK Curriculum
• 7 Alumni Network

Personal Statement Example Links

• Personal Statement Example 1
• Personal Statement Example 2
• Personal Statement Example 3 (Pack of 10 examples)
• Personal Statement Example 4 (Two small examples)

Passionate about supporting individuals facing mental health challenges on their journey to recovery? Inspired to provide compassionate care, therapeutic interventions, and advocacy for those in need?

Pursuing a course in Mental Health Nursing can equip you with the skills and knowledge to make a meaningful impact in the lives of individuals experiencing mental health conditions, promoting well-being and resilience.

Mental health nursing students will gain an understanding of the various mental health issues and how to best provide care and support to those affected. They will also learn about the various treatments available, including psychotherapy, medication, and lifestyle changes, and how to best utilise these treatments to help their patients.

Additionally, students will gain an understanding of the legal and ethical considerations when working with mental health patients, as well as the importance of self-care for mental health professionals.

This university course provides students with the opportunity to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to become a successful mental health nurse, and to make a positive impact on the lives of those affected by mental health issues.

👍 When writing a personal statement : Highlight your passion for the course, demonstrating your understanding of it. Use relevant personal experiences, coursework, or work history to showcase how these have fostered your interest and readiness for the course.

Career Opportunities

Someone with a degree in mental health nursing can pursue a career in a variety of settings, including hospitals, mental health clinics, private practices, schools, community centers, and residential treatment centers.

In hospitals, mental health nurses are responsible for providing direct patient care, such as assessing and diagnosing mental health conditions, developing treatment plans, and providing counseling and psychotherapy. They may also be involved in administering medications, coordinating care with other healthcare professionals, and providing education and support to patients and their families.

In mental health clinics, mental health nurses may provide individual, group, and family therapy, as well as case management services. They may also be involved in crisis intervention, providing short-term counseling and support to individuals in crisis.

In private practise, mental health nurses may provide individual, family, and group therapy. They may also provide consultation services to other healthcare professionals and organizations, such as schools and community centers.

In schools , mental health nurses may provide counseling services to students, as well as consult with teachers and administrators on mental health issues. They may also provide crisis intervention services, as well as education and support to students and their families.

At community centres , mental health nurses may provide individual and group counseling services, as well as case management and crisis intervention services. They may also provide education and support to individuals and their families.

At residential treatment centres, mental health nurses may provide direct patient care including administering medication, monitoring patient progress, providing therapeutic interventions, and coordinating with a multidisciplinary team to develop and implement individualised treatment plans. They also often play a key role in providing education and support to patients and their families.

UK Admission Requirements

In order to be accepted into a Mental Health Nursing course in the UK, applicants must have a minimum of five GCSEs at grade C or above, including Maths, English, and a Science subject. In addition, applicants must have either a Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care or a Level 3 Diploma in Nursing, or equivalent qualifications.

Applicants must also have achieved a minimum of 120 UCAS Tariff points. This is typically equivalent to three A-Levels at grades BBC, or a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma at Distinction, Merit, Merit.

The entry criteria for Mental Health Nursing is similar to other university courses in the UK, such as Adult Nursing and Child Nursing. The entry criteria for these courses is also similar, with a minimum of five GCSEs at grade C or above, and a minimum of 120 UCAS Tariff points. However, the prerequisites for these courses may differ slightly, as Adult Nursing and Child Nursing may require a Level 3 Diploma in Nursing, whereas Mental Health Nursing may require a Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care.

UK Earnings Potential For a Mental Health Nurse

The average salary for a mental health nurse in the UK is £30,000 per year. This figure is based on data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

In terms of trends in the job market, the demand for mental health nurses is increasing due to the rising prevalence of mental health issues in the population. The UK government has also announced plans to increase the number of mental health nurses by an additional 10,000 by 2021, which should further boost job opportunities for those with a degree in mental health nursing. Additionally, the NHS is offering a range of training and development opportunities for mental health nurses, which could lead to higher salaries in the future.

Similar Courses in UK

Other university courses related to Mental Health Nursing include:

1. Mental Health Nursing and Social Work: This course focuses on the integration of mental health nursing and social work. It explores the ways in which mental health nurses and social workers can work together to provide effective care for people with mental health problems. The course covers topics such as assessment and intervention, communication, and collaboration between professionals.

2. Mental Health and Wellbeing: This course explores the relationship between mental health and wellbeing. It examines the impact of mental health on physical health, social relationships, and overall quality of life. The course also looks at the role of mental health professionals in promoting wellbeing and preventing mental health problems.

3. Mental Health and Substance Misuse: This course focuses on the interaction between mental health and substance misuse. It examines the impact of substance misuse on mental health, and looks at the role of mental health professionals in helping people with substance misuse problems. The course also covers topics such as assessment and intervention, and the legal and ethical considerations of working with people with substance misuse problems.

The key differences between these courses and Mental Health Nursing are that they focus on different aspects of mental health. Mental Health Nursing focuses on the nursing care of people with mental health problems, while the other courses focus on the relationship between mental health and other topics such as social work, wellbeing, and substance misuse.

UK Curriculum

The Mental Health Nursing course typically covers a range of topics, including:

• Mental health assessment, diagnosis and treatment

• Psychosocial interventions • Crisis intervention and management • Mental health promotion • Mental health law • Mental health research • Working with families and carers • Working with people with mental health problems • Working with people with learning disabilities • Working with people with substance misuse problems • Working with people with personality disorders • Working with people with dementia

In addition to the topics covered in the course, there is usually a range of hands-on experience and practical work involved. This may include:

• Clinical placements in mental health settings • Working with service users and carers • Participating in group work and activities • Working with multidisciplinary teams • Participating in role-play scenarios • Developing communication and interpersonal skills • Developing assessment and treatment skills • Working with service users to develop care plans • Developing therapeutic relationships • Developing reflective practice skills

Alumni Network

One notable alumni from the Mental Health Nursing course is Dr. Mary Ann Cohen . Dr. Cohen is a professor of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania and is an expert in the field of mental health nursing. She has published numerous articles and books on the subject, and her research has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other major publications. Dr. Cohen is also a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops on mental health nursing and is a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.

The University of Pennsylvania offers a variety of alumni events and networking opportunities for graduates of the Mental Health Nursing course. These include the annual Mental Health Nursing Alumni Reception, which is held each year in the spring and provides an opportunity for alumni to reconnect and discuss their experiences in the field. Additionally, the university hosts a Mental Health Nursing Alumni Networking Event each year, which provides alumni with the opportunity to meet and network with other mental health nursing professionals.

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How to Write a Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement? (3 Key Points)

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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter.  The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.

In this brief blog, we will be talking about mental health nursing personal statement, the contents in the mental health nursing personal statement, the purpose of the mental health nursing personal statement, and more information about the mental health nursing personal statement.

How to write a mental health nursing personal statement?

You need to remind yourself that you need to expect some revisions in writing your mental health nursing personal statement.

You should also know that this kind of statement will take a long time for you to make this statement as a high-quality statement and the following are sections that you can be guided on how to make your statement.

Start with who you are in your statement

This statement is your chance of telling the admissions officer what motivates you and your ambitions as a mental health nurse in the future.

This is where you should write your knowledge about nursing and healthcare which can help the admissions officer realize that you are worthy of being a nursing student.

When you know that you haven’t worked in a healthcare setting, you need to show that you have some idea about the work of a nurse in a healthcare setting which can help the admissions officer that you know what you are going to expect when you will graduate from this course.

When you have some experience in your healthcare setting, you need to indicate this experience and include every detail of your experience to make sure that the admissions officer will be impressed about your experience and make sure that you will have more experiences once you are inside the nursing course in the chosen college. 

It is also important that you need to be honest about your experiences and you are not allowed to exaggerate it too much since the admissions officer might think you are faking.

Although this doesn’t mean that you should be disappointed that you don’t have much experience in nursing and healthcare settings but you should be able to tell your admissions officer that you are able to know some things that are important in the healthcare setting.

Relevant experience and skills in mental health nursing

Every student is already equipped with some skills and experience that are needed in mental health nursing.

The following are some of the skills and qualities needed in mental health nurses:

• Communication – it is a crucial skill that every mental health nurse must have in the healthcare setting. The ability to deliver information in a concise and understandable manner with both colleagues, patients and their family. You could use examples from previous work to display this ability and maybe a troubling situation with a customer while working in a retail job that you managed to diffuse and resolve in your time.
•  Organisation – another essential skill is to maintain a structured routine in a very busy environment and typically under pressure. You should try to think of an experience where you have to deal with a stressful situation in an organized manner.

You can also talk about how well you can deal with busy schedules and how you can organize them in the proper manner and help yourself get the things that you need to get done and help yourself to your own personal time and some time with your family members thanks to your organisation skills that will become more useful when you get into mental health nursing

•  Advocacy – this is the active support of those in your mental health care. It’s a specific point in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) code and you should address how you will be an advocate for your mental health patients when you become a mental health nurse in your personal statement.

You can also find some mental health nursing experiences when you had to take care of family members who had to go through a mental illness.

You don’t need to overdo much narrative in this part of your personal statement and you should be direct by writing in your personal statement the methods you used to take care of your family member.

You should also add some of your roles that you were involved in such as being a school council member or a union representative which shows that you have some experience in advocacy.

You should add some experiences that you might have that involves serving people for the sake of you wanting to help them. 

This can show the admissions officer that you have the willingness to help others and this starts by trying to work on people who you’re passionate to help.

You can also state the learnings you have gained when you’ve done these valuable experiences to show that you are willing to learn along the way when you help others and not only because you want to get some end goal in mind that might be selfish. 

Your ambitions and career goals in mental health nursing

You should expect that there will be competition when you will be sending your personal statement in mental health nursing .

You need to be clear about your goals and ambitions for this course to let the admissions officer know how much you will work hard for the goal.

You can even put the environment that you want to work in when you are finally a mental health nurse.

Also, ambitions and goals can give some insights that you want to graduate as an achiever and you will be expected to work hard for your goals such as participating in some programs that can help in increasing your experiences in this field.

What should you expect in a mental health nursing degree that you should imply in your mental health nursing personal statement?

You should expect some several practices that you are going to go through when you are reaching your goal as a mental health nurse.

This kind of knowledge should be placed in your personal statement to help the admissions officer know that you are prepared for anything that can occur in the course.

This kind of college course is challenging, especially if you have to jumble through some activities that you might be interested in such as extracurriculars and more.

You need to be ready about your clinical placements which can give you insights on how the job of this nurse will be done.

This kind of activity will show that you are starting to get ready for the job of a mental health nurse and you should show this excitement of going through the experience in the personal statement since it will show the admissions officer that you are interested in learning more about this field.

You should also expect other activities and that this kind of statement is only the beginning of your mental health nursing course such as the following:

• writing reports and essays to pass the grade
• carrying out research projects for mental health nursing
• lectures and seminars about mental health nursing
• practical demonstrations
• observing professional mental health nursing
• supervised practical mental health nursing

You should be expecting that you won’t get as much free time since you will have to do some studying for probably 20 hours and you also need to prepare for your clinical placement.

Why should I have a good mental health nursing personal statement?

You should make this kind of statement so that you can get in the college course that will make you enter into a career that is both fulfilling and satisfying for your budget.

You should know that this kind of job is not easy for most people who are already having these jobs.

However, you will get to do things that can make you satisfied about yourself and others.

You will feel fulfilled once you are able to treat someone from his or her distressing condition that tends to last a long time if not treated.

You will also be learning about methods that can help you assist people in the psychiatric ward which can make your life fulfilling since you have helped someone.

You will also be introduced to different seminars which will be administered by professionals in the field who have gone through years of experience in the field.

In regards to financial concerns, you can earn a lot with this kind of career since it is relevant to nursing as a medical career.

There is a high possibility that you will be earning £22k in the beginning. 

This kind of earning can gradually rise to £70k for those who go on to become consultants of this career.

The following are the topics that you will have to go through for this kind of college course:

• Introduction to clinical care as a module
• Physiology for health as a module
• Therapeutic approach and practice as a module
• Epidemiology
• Complex care
• Critical care
• Public health
• Planning patient care as a module

You will start this kind of career as an entry-level nurse as most fresh graduates.

You can find yourself working in the NHS for this kind of career since this kind of centre can help you be exposed to different kinds of care whether you might be assigned to community healthcare or primary healthcare.

Conclusion 

In this brief blog, we have talked about mental health nursing personal statement, the contents in the mental health nursing personal statement, the purpose of the mental health nursing personal statement, and more information about the mental health nursing personal statement.

If you have any questions about mental health nursing personal statement, please let us know and the team will gladly answer your queries.

FAQs: mental health nursing personal statement

What should a nursing personal statement include.

A nursing personal statement includes your strengths and how you visualize yourself in the future as a nurse.

This kind of content in this kind of statement will make it look to nursing admission tutors that you have a good picture about yourself as a nurse and make you a valuable candidate for the course.

How do you start a personal statement for nursing?

You can start a personal statement in nursing by being organised, show you comprehend the reality of being a nurse or midwife, show passion, start writing early, concentrate on your nursing field of choice whether you like to be in mental health or adult health, and write this kind of statement in a Word document then copy and paste it into UCAS when ready. 

What does a mental health nurse do?

A mental health nurse does organisation and giving support and nursing care to people who have different kinds of mental health complications.

This kind of nurse provides support people with anxiety, personality disorder, eating disorder, addiction or depression. 

What are the 6 C’s of nursing?

The 6 C’s of nursing are care, competence, compassion, courage, communication, and commitment.

These kinds of core values in this kind of medical professional make it more likely that most people would go through this kind of college course. 

How do you begin a personal statement?

You can begin a personal statement by writing a memorable opening.

You need to visualize the moment you decided to study your degree and the things that you are passionate about the course, and you shouldn’t directly about what you want to do but display this visualization in the first line.

Nurses.co.uk. How to write a personal statement for a nursing course application.

UCAS. Nursing.

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Tips for Writing a Personal Statement

Keep your writing straightforward and honest..

Posted October 16, 2019

Here are some situations that require writing a personal statement:

• Applying to college
• Applying to special camps or programs
• Applying to graduate school, law school, or medical school
• Applying to an internship program
• Applying for a job
• Applying for a promotion
• … and more!

Like it or not, you’ll be writing personal statements (sometimes referred to as a "statement of purpose") pretty much throughout your adult life. I bet that some retirement communities may even require personal statements in their application process!

As a college professor for over two decades, I’ve advised and edited hundreds—even thousands—of personal statements for students. I take this work seriously, as I know how these statements have the capacity to make or break an application.

Based on this experience (see my new book Own Your Psychology Major! A Guide to Student Success ), below are some tips for making your personal statement sing, along with some classic no-nos in the process.

Tips for Making Your Personal Statement Sing

First and foremost, realize this: A large but often-unstated purpose of this statement-of-purpose assignment is to allow folks to get a sense of your writing skills. Keep this point in mind the whole while. Here are some other tips:

1. Keep it short! Students often develop this idea that the longer their paper is, the better. As my mom would say, the opposite! All things being equal, you should use as few words as possible in trying to make your point. Think about the points you are trying to make and then make those points.

Efforts to add fluff are always pretty obvious. Further, the people reading your application may have dozens or even hundreds of applications to sift through. Do them a favor by keeping it short!

2. Avoid the big-word trap. Sometimes, students feel a need to use all kinds of fancy, multi-syllabic words in their writing. Try to avoid this trap at all costs! All things being equal, I suggest this approach: Write exactly as you speak (minus slang and, of course, any profanity!).

Sure, you may use some fancy words every now and again in your speech. But speech is all about communication—trying to get someone else to understand something. Writing is no different. Big words used for the sake of using big words are not doing anyone any favors.

3. Follow the guidelines. Whatever the details of the particular application process, know that there are going to be specific guidelines. This all may pertain to word count, specific questions that you are asked to address, etc.

Here is the simplest possible suggestion I can give you: Read those guidelines and follow them 100 percent in every single way. Doing so will make sure that you make it into the pile of applications to be even considered.

4. Proofread your work. Imagine this scenario: You are applying to a job at Southeast State University. After you have submitted the application, you reread your cover letter. Check it out:

“… I am thrilled to be considered for this position at Southeast State University. …. In conclusion, let me say that I am excited about this opportunity at Fresno Institute of Technology. …”

Given that you are applying to multiple positions and/or programs, it is very likely that you are writing statements that are “tailored” for each particular position and program. That is fine and is typical. But the second that you write the name of the incorrect institution in your letter due to a lack of detailed proofreading, you might as well be throwing your application into the recycling bin. Proofread your letter carefully before sending it.

5. Have an “expert” look things over. When I was a senior in college, I recall my advisor, the formidable Dr. Gwen Gustafson of the Psychology Department at UCONN, suggesting that I bring a draft of my personal statement for her to look over before applying to Ph.D. programs. So I did.

I was surprised by how much red ink she put on my paper. But I was also grateful . And I also learned a lot. Every suggestion that she had made sense. And, at the end of the day, I took those suggestions, worked hard, and got into a great Ph.D. program in psychology that shaped the rest of my life in positive ways.

Your professors and mentors have sat on admissions and hiring committees for years. Use their wisdom to your advantage. And pay things forward when you are older and wiser.

Personal Statement No-No’s

1. Don’t overemphasize personal details. A letter that focuses on your own personal traumas and history will only go so far. Sure, it is often the case that someone has a significant personal event or history that is influential in shaping his or her interests. Myself included.

But letters that over-emphasize one’s own adversities lose a bit when it comes to getting members of a committee to see the applicant in a professional setting. Sure, you may have baggage. And it may well ultimately have come to shape you in a positive manner. But unless the guidelines of the letter are asking about that in particular, don’t make that your headline.

2. Remember that you are not texting your friend. Be professional in your statement of purpose. Don’t use emojis. Don’t use acronyms. Use your most professional and respectful writing and communication skills. You can send all kinds of silly texts to the group chat about it after you’ve been accepted...

3. Seem like you care about them. A statement of purpose, or a personal statement, is largely about you. But the last thing you want to come across as is unempathetic and disinterested in the organization and/or program that you are applying to.

If you are applying to the master’s program in mental health counseling at Western State College, learn about who they are. Care about who they are. And include something in your statement which demonstrates that you both know about them and care about who they are.

Bottom Line

Modern professional life these days includes writing personal statements/essays at various junctions. Pretty much forever. Don’t be daunted by this task. You should be proud of who you are and capable of describing yourself, your interests, and your goals in a clear, engaging, and powerful manner.

Write from your heart. Follow the guidelines. And follow the common-sense suggestions here. You’ll go far.

Geher, G. (2019). Own Your Psychology Major! A Guide to Student Success. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Glenn Geher, Ph.D. , is professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz. He is founding director of the campus’ Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) program.

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Crafting Your Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement: A Guide to Format and Content

Your mental health nursing personal statement is your opportunity to showcase your passion for the field and convince the admissions committee that you have the skills, experience, and commitment to succeed as a mental health nurse.

If you're considering a career in mental health nursing, one of the most important things you'll need is a well-crafted personal statement. A personal statement is your chance to showcase your experience, skills, and passion for the field, and to convince admissions committees that you're the right candidate for the job.

In this blog, we'll break down the key elements of a mental health nursing personal statement and provide tips for how to structure it effectively.

Introduction The introduction should set the stage for your personal statement by introducing yourself and explaining why you want to pursue a career in mental health nursing. This is your chance to demonstrate your passion for the field and to explain how your experiences have led you to this point.

Body The body of your personal statement should provide specific examples of your skills, experience, and education that make you a strong candidate for a career in mental health nursing. You should also discuss any relevant volunteer work or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your commitment to the field.

It's important to focus on how your experiences have prepared you for a career in mental health nursing. For example, if you've worked in a hospital or clinic, you could discuss how that experience has given you an understanding of the challenges faced by patients with mental health issues.

Conclusion In your conclusion, you should summarize your key strengths and reiterate your commitment to pursuing a career in mental health nursing. You should also discuss your long-term goals in the field and how you plan to achieve them.

Tips for Success

• Use specific examples to demonstrate your skills and experience.
• Emphasize your passion for the field.
• Tailor your personal statement to the specific program you're applying to.
• Be honest and authentic in your writing.

Here's an example of a strong blockquote that could be used in a mental health nursing personal statement:

"I have always been drawn to the field of mental health nursing because I believe that everyone deserves to live a life free from the challenges of mental illness. Through my work and volunteer experiences, I have developed the skills and empathy necessary to provide high-quality care to patients in need. I am committed to making a difference in the lives of those struggling with mental health issues and am excited to pursue a career in this field."

In conclusion, a mental health nursing personal statement should showcase your passion, experience, and skills in the field. By following the format outlined above and tailoring your personal statement to the specific program you're applying to, you can increase your chances of being accepted into a mental health nursing program and starting your journey toward a rewarding career.

The Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement Format

To help you create a winning mental health nursing personal statement, we have put together a guide to the format and content you should consider.

• Introduction

The first paragraph of your personal statement should grab the reader's attention and introduce yourself and your passion for mental health nursing. You could begin with a personal anecdote or a statement that highlights your interest in the field.

• Education and Experience

Your personal statement should outline your education and experience in mental health nursing. This could include your academic achievements, such as your degree or coursework, as well as any relevant work experience or volunteer work in mental health settings.

• Skills and Qualities

As a mental health nurse, you will need a range of skills and qualities to succeed in the field. Your personal statement should highlight these, including your ability to communicate effectively, your empathy and compassion, and your critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Career Goals

Your personal statement should also outline your future career goals in mental health nursing. This could include your desire to specialize in a particular area of mental health, such as addiction or trauma, or your interest in pursuing research in the field.

Finally, your personal statement should conclude with a summary of your passion for mental health nursing and your suitability for the program. End with a strong statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Crafting a strong mental health nursing personal statement takes time and effort, but it is well worth it. With this guide, you can create a statement that showcases your passion, skills, and potential as a mental health nurse. Good luck!

If you're considering applying for a mental health nursing program, a strong

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Counselling psychology personal statement example.

As I sit here at my desk, trying to figure out how to write a brilliant essay to be better recognized throughout this application process, I have come to realise that this is what life is about.

We are all given a blank sheet in the beginning. What we choose to put on this blank sheet determines our outcome. The life experiences that have “filled my pages” have shaped me into who I am today. My endurance of difficult times and my willingness to persevere in the face of obstacles makes me unique.

I come from a single parent home. My parents have been divorced since I was two years old. My father stepped in when he had to throughout my childhood, but it was my mother who raised me.

I remember numerous days living in one room, wondering “How long life will be like this?” and “Why does everyone else have a completed family and living in one area?”. All while my mother and I moved to numerous locations in an attempt to survive in the face of divorce.

During this time, I attended an elementary school where I was placed in a special education program. Teachers and rest of the staff told my mother that I had a learning disability and my knowledge capacity was limited. She never believed them. My mother believed that I was capable of doing anything. She never gave up on me. She believed in me.

As soon as I was given an opportunity in the main stream I never looked back. I set out to prove those who doubted me wrong with every chance I was given. And now, I am able to say that I will be a college graduate in six months. It is both a personal triumph as well as for my family.

When I first entered the university setting after community college I had a rough time at first. It was my first time being away from home.

Additionally, there were many family issues occurring at the time. As such, my marks did not reflect my full potential. But as my transcript shows, my grades steadily improved every semester and will continue to do so on a graduate level if allowed to continue.

I have a diverse ethnic background. This enables an understanding my part regarding the social issues that are so pertinent today. I am part El Salvadorian and part Irish.

The community that I am from on Long Island, New York, was extremely diverse and full of people from different social classes. Having many diverse groups in one community paves the way for discrimination, which I unfortunately experienced in my childhood. However, because of my background, I have a much needed perspective.

I have a deep understanding of discrimination as well as an interest in learning more about racism and how it has developed. I am hoping to work with families of different ethnic backgrounds because I feel my past experiences and my college education have helped me to understand the challenges that minorities face, and a great understanding of how a culture affects a way of life along with family values.

I am also extremely family oriented. I utilised these skills during the difficult times of my own childhood when they were desperately needed. Divorce is a family issue. I want to extend help to families in similar situations.

I believe I am right for the Counseling/Psychology field. I believe that my life experiences have given me the compassion needed. I am passionate to help people. I know I can make a difference if given the chance.

Syracuse University is clearly the place to start. The “Family and Marriage Therapy Program” at Syracuse University will help me to pursue my dream.

I know this is a great institution full of great faculty that will provide me the tools I need to pursue such a career. As this Marriage Family and Marriage Therapy Program” is recognised as a culturally sensitive therapy, there is a great connection between what is offered and what I would like to accomplish with my education and career.

My overall goal is to pursue a PhD after completing the Master Program. I hope to one day open my own psychology practice.

I know if given the chance I can achieve much and help many.

All I need is for someone to believe. I won't let you down.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by esjojo23 for application in 2008.

esjojo23's Comments

just looking for some feedback.

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Sun, 13/01/2008 - 14:08

Very personal. i thought it was quite good though, i believed all u said was genuine. Did You get in?

Great job.... but also

Sat, 26/01/2008 - 03:50

Great job.... but also wondering did you get in?

Heartfelt statement

Fri, 28/03/2008 - 23:24

I think you did a great job. Your were honest, as everyone should be but yet it did not come off as if you were laying it on thick. So did they at least contact you for an interview?

a little self pitying and (i

Tue, 12/08/2008 - 14:40

a little self pitying and (i know it's a personal statement) but this i felt this was too personal. but at least it's original! i hope you are doing the course you wanted and are enjoying Uni life

Sat, 25/10/2008 - 11:53

I'd take you in if i'm the admission tutor. Your PS is genuine and it shows you have deep interest in the course.

Tue, 16/12/2008 - 18:33

After reading your personal statement i feel more inspired. Your statement was very inspirational and has helped me get through tryin to write my own for couselling. I hope u reach where u would like 2b when in the future because u deserve it.

God Bless U XX

I thought that the opening

Tue, 08/09/2009 - 21:40

I thought that the opening was pretty good although it sounded like it belonged more in a philosophy statement. Maybe you should study philosophy instead.

Tue, 23/07/2013 - 22:29

I think this is a real great article post.Really thank you! Fantastic.

Add new comment

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Writing a Personal Statement for a Support Worker Job

Table of Contents

A support worker’s role is one of the most rewarding positions in healthcare. It provides an opportunity to connect deeply with individuals, families, and communities while making a real difference in their lives.

Writing a personal statement for a support worker job requires a special skill set that combines compassion, empathy, and understanding. And writing a successful personal statement is essential to stand out from the crowd and secure the role you want.

This article will provide guidance on how to write an effective support worker personal statement to create a lasting impression on potential employers.

What Is a Support Worker Personal Statement?

A Support Worker personal statement is a document that articulates an individual’s qualifications and experiences . It demonstrates their dedication to the profession. It can be seen as an opportunity for applicants to showcase their credentials and reflect on how they are best suited for the role.

The statement provides insight into a candidate’s values, objectives, and aspirations. It should include meaningful anecdotes and examples of successful work performed to illustrate the applicant’s proficiency within the sector. It is an invaluable tool in helping employers identify potential candidates who possess the necessary traits and abilities required by the position.

Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for a Support Worker Job

Keep the following tips in mind for writing an effective personal statement for a support worker job :

Demonstrate Your Passion for the Job

When writing a personal statement, you must demonstrate your enthusiasm and dedication to becoming a support worker. Discuss how you have engaged in meaningful service with those around you, such as volunteering or interning with underserved individuals. This shows employers that you have an established interest in this field and have worked hard to gain experience and skills related to it.

Highlight Your Qualifications

It is essential to emphasize any certifications or degrees you possess that are relevant to the role of a support worker. Discuss any past experiences that demonstrate your ability to succeed in this position, such as previous jobs working with people in need of assistance.

Mention Specific Transferable Skills

Be sure to mention any skills that might benefit your work as a support worker. It could be excellent communication, strong organization and problem-solving abilities, and the capability to manage tasks simultaneously. Explain how these qualities will help you provide quality care and assistance to others.

Stress Your Commitment

Employers often seek out applicants who display loyalty and commitment when making hiring decisions. Make sure to illustrate why you would make a great support worker. Emphasize your dependability and willingness to go above and beyond what is asked of you.

Discuss Your Traits

Providing insight into some of your positive traits. Having compassion for others, being patient, or possessing emotional intelligence can further strengthen your personal statement. By listing examples of how you’ve used these attributes in other positions, you can demonstrate the value they will add to your potential employer.

Include Any Relevant Hobbies

List any hobbies or activities that relate directly to providing support and demonstrating caring behaviors. For instance, you might enjoy cooking. Explain how helping prepare meals for those who may not have access to them provides assistance and companionship at once.

Use Proper Language

Ensure that your personal statement does not get overlooked due to errors in grammar or spelling. Always proofread your work carefully before submitting it. Writing with clarity and using proper punctuation throughout will help set you apart from other applicants.

Support Worker Personal Statement Example

A support worker’s overall responsibility is to work alongside those with disabilities to provide support and guidance to those who need it. And to acquire a job as a support worker, you need to write a stellar personal statement that perfectly conveys your skills and attributes. Here’s a support worker personal statement to inspire you to write one.

Personal Statement Example

I have a strong passion for helping others and an innate desire to see people reach their full potential. I possess a combination of experience, empathy, and enthusiasm that uniquely qualifies me to be an excellent support worker.

My interest in becoming a support worker grew when I saw its positive impact on those around me. Witnessing the transformation from helplessness to hope was awe-inspiring and motivated me to make my own contribution. Having worked with numerous vulnerable individuals throughout my career, I have developed a deep understanding of different needs and situations.

I also bring extensive experience working with diverse populations, specifically with those with physical or mental impairments or who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. My success lies in providing compassionate care while maintaining professional boundaries and discretion. Additionally, I can draw upon past successes to devise practical solutions for difficult issues faced by those in need of support.

A key factor in my work as a support worker is effectively communicating with service users and understanding their requirements. In this regard, I am adept at building trustful relationships and fostering mutual respect. Moreover, I remain open-minded and strive to recognize any additional services they may require. Ultimately, what drives me to succeed is empowering the lives of vulnerable adults and enabling them to become independent.

I believe I possess all the required abilities, principles, and experiences to fulfill the position of a support worker. I look forward to joining your team and playing an integral part in making a difference in the lives of those needing assistance.

In conclusion, expressing your unique qualifications and social skills is vital when crafting a personal statement for support worker applications. Take the time to read up on what employers are looking for.

Think about how you can apply this to your own story and use language that reflects your experience and expertise in the field . If done correctly, your application should stand out from the rest and make a lasting impression.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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A Whole-Person Approach to Mental Health

More than half of adults with mental illness go untreated. Christina Mainelli ’11, CEO of Quartet Health, says a value-based approach can help to expand access, standardize treatment, and create incentives for better coordination between physical and mental healthcare.

• Christina Mainelli Chief Executive Officer, Quartet Health

Q: What is the scale of the mental health need in the U.S.?

It’s estimated that more than one in five adults live with a mental illness. And if you add addiction—substance use disorder—that number gets much larger. It’s also pretty alarming that 55% of adults with mental illness go untreated. That’s devastating for those individuals and their families and friends. There are impacts on productivity, employment, even lifespan, and for society there’s lost economic vitality.

For adults with serious mental illness—think bipolar, schizophrenia, PTSD, major depressive disorder—there are even greater impacts. These individuals often have multiple comorbid conditions and worse health outcomes. Forty to fifty percent of this population also has a substance use disorder.

Additionally, the impact of mental illness on kids is staggering. Over half of adolescents have had a mental health issue or mental illness. Kids with a mental illness are two times more likely to drop out of school. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents as a whole and the leading cause of death for 14- and 15-year-olds.

Q: What’s keeping people from getting the care they need?

I think of three major issues that need to be addressed: access, quality, and the fragmentation of the delivery system.

This is a business opportunity because, in a value-based context, we can deliver higher quality care that lowers overall costs and provides better patient outcomes.

One way to think of access is simply getting an appointment. You hear about wait times of weeks or months for people struggling with high acuity concerns—meaning their condition may be serious and could benefit from immediate care. The average wait time to see a psychiatrist is 25 days, and it can be up to 90 days. That’s a huge issue. Generally accepted standards include speed to care within 10 days for routine needs, within 48 hours for urgent needs, and within 6 hours for those in non-life-threatening crisis.

From a business perspective, access is largely a supply and a matching issue. Almost half of the U.S. population, 164 million people, live in designated mental health professional shortage areas. To bring this to life, in Massachusetts, there’s one behavioral health clinician for every 150 people. In Alabama, there’s one behavioral health clinician for every 920 people. Essentially, in Alabama, there’s simply not enough supply, while in Massachusetts access challenges have more to do with matching the right provider to the patient.

It’s a very personal experience to obtain mental health care; we want a clinician who understands our circumstances. We may feel more comfortable with someone who “looks like us” in terms of age, race, religion, language, or gender. To fully address access, we need to support patients in getting connected or “matched” to the right behavioral healthcare clinician, and we need clinicians that reflect the complexion of our population as part of addressing health equity issues.

Q: What about quality?

Delivering high quality care that achieves the best outcomes for patients is critical, but significant variation remains in adherence to evidenced based care and in treatment outcomes across care settings, providers, and geographies. There are multiple contributing factors, including training, reimbursement models, and impact of health disparities which need to be addressed both on the healthcare delivery side as well as from a policy perspective.

Q: The third issue you noted was fragmentation.

Fragmentation between physical and behavioral healthcare is a huge problem—the more we learn about mental health care, the clearer it is that physical health can be a large determinant of mental health and vice versa.

There has been progress addressing fragmentation as demonstrated by collaborative care models and related codes, and most recently a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announcement around Integrated Health Models aimed at advancing holistic care. However, there is still a huge need for a formalized structure that not just enables but also incentivizes primary care doctors to connect with behavioral health specialists.

Imagine you’re a primary care physician in a practice seeing patients every 12 to 15 minutes, and someone presents with a mental health issue. It may not be clear how acute the patient is or how serious the issue is. What’s the appropriate treatment pathway? Who should you refer the patient to? It’s not obvious—or efficient to act on—in today’s clinical world.

I often hear that physical health providers are reticent to treat individuals with serious mental illness. Why? Because patients with these conditions often have a complex combination of physical, behavioral, and social health needs.

There’s a lack of aligned incentives that would enable physical health providers to take on these patients, work with the mental health provider on a treatment plan that addresses all health needs, and engage in an ongoing exchange of information with the patient and the mental health provider about how the patient is progressing.

All of these things combined contribute to a lack of connectivity between the physical and behavioral health provider. It also creates a confusing and fragmented experience for the patient.

Q: How does Quartet Health work?

Quartet is both a technology platform and a direct provider of patient care. On our digital platform, we are connected to over 10,000 behavioral health providers that service up to 21 million patients. We also have a medical group that directly employs over 250 behavioral health clinicians who see over 500,000 patients a year.

Here’s a real-life example: a 71-year-old female patient in Michigan used her phone to access our digital platform where she answered a few questions and selected what was most important to her in her care. She requested a female provider for virtual and in-person services to help address her anxiety. Within two hours, we reached out to the patient in Michigan and matched her to a provider. The provider contacted her within the hour, and she had her first appointment three days later.

The patient in Michigan is what we’d consider a good patient experience—within three hours the patient had an appointment set for within three days. This is using technology to help solve the access problem. We triage, match, and then provide care. At every step, we’re measuring outcomes to ensure quality.

While this patient used the self-service option, primary care providers on our platform can also make a referral or have someone in the front office go through the initial matching process with a patient. Whether it’s the patient or the provider making the query, it passes right through our algorithms which help match the best behavioral health provider. That’s the connectivity between physical and behavioral health reducing fragmentation.

The name Quartet refers to what we see as the foundation of the physical health provider, the behavioral health provider, the payer, and the patient all working together.

Q: Why not just operate a digital platform to connect patients to existing providers?

Many behavioral healthcare companies were born out of the pandemic. A lot of them offer point solutions—they’re addressing one specific need. We’re starting to see consolidation in that part of the industry. We’re also seeing some of those companies fail due to lack of a robust business model. The ones that are surviving aren’t just offering point solutions, they’re taking on bigger industry-wide problems.

At Quartet, we felt that the digital platform alone wasn’t solving a big enough problem, so we made a strategic decision to deliver care ourselves. Quartet Medical Group delivers care in 30+ markets. We practice measurement-based care (MBC) to ensure our clinicians are using evidence-based medicine; we have close to 80% adherence to MBC, which is well above industry best practice. We also offer appointments within 48 hours for high acuity patients, and our outcomes are strong. Our data shows over 40% improvement in total cost of care for patients in our clinic. I don’t know of another company that connects physical health to behavioral health the way we do.

I have absolute conviction that we must address the whole person in healthcare.

Using that integrated approach, we’ve just launched a new product. For patients with serious mental illness, we’re building a behavioral health home that delivers whole-person treatment—physical health, behavioral health, and social care, which is reimbursed in a value-based model. I worked closely with two of my classmates from Yale SOM to develop this solution: Tom Dow, who leads our medical economics team, and Michael Lipp, our chief medical officer. Getting to collaborate and innovate with Michael and Tom at Quartet has been one of the greatest gifts from the program.

Q: Why did Quartet choose to focus its new offering on the seriously mentally ill population?

In the last few years, we’ve seen lots of new entrants in behavioral health—think Talkspace, Headspace, Calm. Most new entrants focus on those with mild mental illness. There are very few programs directed at the moderate to seriously mentally ill.

This is a patient population that really struggles. Their average lifespan is 15 to 17 years shorter. Often, they do not have access to physical or behavioral healthcare. And from an economic perspective, these are incredibly expensive patients because they require a lot of services and, if they don’t get those services, they end up in situations that require an emergency room or inpatient facility.

I have absolute conviction that we must address the “whole person” in healthcare. I’ve spent over two decades in the field. I’ve worked on the physical health side. I’ve seen the difficulties and complexities of delivering care to patients. I’ve also done work focused on the social determinants of health. That’s why I know Quartet’s approach is an opportunity to improve experience and outcomes for these patients. This is a business opportunity because, in a value-based context, we can deliver higher quality care that lowers overall costs and provides better patient outcomes.

Q: How does the program work?

We take total cost-of-care accountability. Our primary care and behavioral health clinicians provide care virtually and in person. We meet the patient where they are: in the hospital, in the home, in the community. We provide whatever service the patient needs, whether it’s physical health, behavioral health, or social services. We’re not saying, “Oh, this or that’s not covered.” We’re doing what we think is clinically appropriate for each patient because, at the end of the day, we are rewarded based on our clinical outcomes: Did we reduce cost of care? Did the patient’s health improve?

Value-based care is a very impactful reimbursement model for this population because it aligns incentives. This population has complex needs, with nearly three comorbid conditions on average, and thus requires a payment model that reimburses for not just mental health services but treatment for the whole person. By treating all aspects of health, we can prevent acute events such as hospital admissions by ensuring access, quality, and continuity of care, which in turn lowers overall costs. And we can do this successfully because it’s one care delivery team working together.

This isn’t a short-term program; we stay with patients for as long as they need us. That could be 12 months or 18 months or it could be three years. We see up to a 30% to 40% total cost-of-care reduction while improving quality and patient experience. It’s early, but we’re seeing very good results to start. For example, we are seeing over 25% patient engagement in a tough to reach population, and over 95% are coming back for follow on appointments and visits. That is an early indicator of success.

Q: How is mental health care usually paid for?

Today, mental health is still primarily a fee-for-service game. If you’re fortunate enough to find a provider that’s in your network, you have a co-pay, but the lion’s share of individuals are using cash pay in order to get access to the mental health provider that they want on the timeline that they want.

A lot of work has been done on mental health parity, which would ensure mental health issues are covered by insurance and that providers are available, but more work needs to be done to fully implement these programs with payers across the country.

I know people who are paying up to $450 an hour to see a therapist in New York City. I don’t think that’s sustainable. It doesn’t solve the core issues at hand with respect to equitable access, quality, or fragmentation. For example, the fee-for-service world does not reimburse for treating the whole person. Services like transportation, wellness visits, or peer support are often not reimbursed, but they are critical to improving health outcomes and lowering overall costs. That’s why we’ve made the choice to work with both commercial and government payers, so the providers we make available to individuals are largely in-network choices, and why we’ve launched our value-based products to provide alternative payment models.

Q: Who is your customer?

We have a patient-first culture and mentality. We are accountable to our patients, but often we get access to them through a payer, so at the end of the day, our customers are health plans, health systems, community mental health centers, and government payers.

Q: Where do you see the field moving in the next five years?

I think that we are going to see a lot more movement toward value-based care for behavioral health. Traditional fee-for-service does not work for whole-person care or for higher acuity populations—whether its mental health or substance use.

I also absolutely think there’s a place for AI in behavioral healthcare. There’s work being done on patient intake, routine administrative tasks, and transcribing notes from sessions, all of which can help to tackle issues of supply by freeing up staff to focus on patient care.

AI can also analyze vast datasets far more efficiently than humans. This capability can lead to earlier detection of diseases, help develop personalized treatment plans, and lead to better patient outcomes. It’s worth noting that for these efforts to be successful, they rely on high quality data, a multi-disciplinary team to develop and validate recommendations, and the protection of patient data and privacy.

Q: Has your experience at Yale SOM shaped how you approach your work?

I got a tremendous amount out of my Yale SOM experience. Because I chose the healthcare focus, my classmates all worked in healthcare, too, but they had expertise in other disciplines such as law, technology, or medicine. Their different points of view gave me a broader understanding of the many constituents in healthcare and the challenges and opportunities each faces, as well as the importance of the entire healthcare delivery system working together. This broader view and experience have made me a better problem solver, strategist, partner, and leader of people and organizations.

• COVID-19 and your mental health

Worries and anxiety about COVID-19 can be overwhelming. Learn ways to cope as COVID-19 spreads.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, life for many people changed very quickly. Worry and concern were natural partners of all that change — getting used to new routines, loneliness and financial pressure, among other issues. Information overload, rumor and misinformation didn't help.

Worldwide surveys done in 2020 and 2021 found higher than typical levels of stress, insomnia, anxiety and depression. By 2022, levels had lowered but were still higher than before 2020.

Though feelings of distress about COVID-19 may come and go, they are still an issue for many people. You aren't alone if you feel distress due to COVID-19. And you're not alone if you've coped with the stress in less than healthy ways, such as substance use.

But healthier self-care choices can help you cope with COVID-19 or any other challenge you may face.

And knowing when to get help can be the most essential self-care action of all.

Recognize what's typical and what's not

Stress and worry are common during a crisis. But something like the COVID-19 pandemic can push people beyond their ability to cope.

In surveys, the most common symptoms reported were trouble sleeping and feeling anxiety or nervous. The number of people noting those symptoms went up and down in surveys given over time. Depression and loneliness were less common than nervousness or sleep problems, but more consistent across surveys given over time. Among adults, use of drugs, alcohol and other intoxicating substances has increased over time as well.

The first step is to notice how often you feel helpless, sad, angry, irritable, hopeless, anxious or afraid. Some people may feel numb.

Keep track of how often you have trouble focusing on daily tasks or doing routine chores. Are there things that you used to enjoy doing that you stopped doing because of how you feel? Note any big changes in appetite, any substance use, body aches and pains, and problems with sleep.

These feelings may come and go over time. But if these feelings don't go away or make it hard to do your daily tasks, it's time to ask for help.

Get help when you need it

If you're feeling suicidal or thinking of hurting yourself, seek help.

• Contact your healthcare professional or a mental health professional.
• Contact a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline , available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or use the Lifeline Chat . Services are free and confidential.

If you are worried about yourself or someone else, contact your healthcare professional or mental health professional. Some may be able to see you in person or talk over the phone or online.

You also can reach out to a friend or loved one. Someone in your faith community also could help.

And you may be able to get counseling or a mental health appointment through an employer's employee assistance program.

Another option is information and treatment options from groups such as:

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Self-care tips

Some people may use unhealthy ways to cope with anxiety around COVID-19. These unhealthy choices may include things such as misuse of medicines or legal drugs and use of illegal drugs. Unhealthy coping choices also can be things such as sleeping too much or too little, or overeating. It also can include avoiding other people and focusing on only one soothing thing, such as work, television or gaming.

Unhealthy coping methods can worsen mental and physical health. And that is particularly true if you're trying to manage or recover from COVID-19.

Self-care actions can help you restore a healthy balance in your life. They can lessen everyday stress or significant anxiety linked to events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-care actions give your body and mind a chance to heal from the problems long-term stress can cause.

Take care of your body

Healthy self-care tips start with the basics. Give your body what it needs and avoid what it doesn't need. Some tips are:

• Get the right amount of sleep for you. A regular sleep schedule, when you go to bed and get up at similar times each day, can help avoid sleep problems.
• Move your body. Regular physical activity and exercise can help reduce anxiety and improve mood. Any activity you can do regularly is a good choice. That may be a scheduled workout, a walk or even dancing to your favorite music.
• Choose healthy food and drinks. Foods that are high in nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and minerals are healthy choices. Avoid food or drink with added sugar, fat or salt.
• Avoid tobacco, alcohol and drugs. If you smoke tobacco or if you vape, you're already at higher risk of lung disease. Because COVID-19 affects the lungs, your risk increases even more. Using alcohol to manage how you feel can make matters worse and reduce your coping skills. Avoid taking illegal drugs or misusing prescriptions to manage your feelings.

Take care of your mind

Healthy coping actions for your brain start with deciding how much news and social media is right for you. Staying informed, especially during a pandemic, helps you make the best choices but do it carefully.

Set aside a specific amount of time to find information in the news or on social media, stay limited to that time, and choose reliable sources. For example, give yourself up to 20 or 30 minutes a day of news and social media. That amount keeps people informed but not overwhelmed.

For COVID-19, consider reliable health sources. Examples are the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Other healthy self-care tips are:

• Relax and recharge. Many people benefit from relaxation exercises such as mindfulness, deep breathing, meditation and yoga. Find an activity that helps you relax and try to do it every day at least for a short time. Fitting time in for hobbies or activities you enjoy can help manage feelings of stress too.
• Stick to your health routine. If you see a healthcare professional for mental health services, keep up with your appointments. And stay up to date with all your wellness tests and screenings.
• Stay in touch and connect with others. Family, friends and your community are part of a healthy mental outlook. Together, you form a healthy support network for concerns or challenges. Social interactions, over time, are linked to a healthier and longer life.

Avoid stigma and discrimination

Stigma can make people feel isolated and even abandoned. They may feel sad, hurt and angry when people in their community avoid them for fear of getting COVID-19. People who have experienced stigma related to COVID-19 include people of Asian descent, health care workers and people with COVID-19.

Treating people differently because of their medical condition, called medical discrimination, isn't new to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stigma has long been a problem for people with various conditions such as Hansen's disease (leprosy), HIV, diabetes and many mental illnesses.

People who experience stigma may be left out or shunned, treated differently, or denied job and school options. They also may be targets of verbal, emotional and physical abuse.

Communication can help end stigma or discrimination. You can address stigma when you:

• Get to know people as more than just an illness. Using respectful language can go a long way toward making people comfortable talking about a health issue.
• Get the facts about COVID-19 or other medical issues from reputable sources such as the CDC and WHO.
• Speak up if you hear or see myths about an illness or people with an illness.

COVID-19 and health

The virus that causes COVID-19 is still a concern for many people. By recognizing when to get help and taking time for your health, life challenges such as COVID-19 can be managed.

• Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. National Institutes of Health. https://covid19.nih.gov/covid-19-topics/mental-health. Accessed March 12, 2024.
• Mental Health and COVID-19: Early evidence of the pandemic's impact: Scientific brief, 2 March 2022. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-Sci_Brief-Mental_health-2022.1. Accessed March 12, 2024.
• Mental health and the pandemic: What U.S. surveys have found. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/03/02/mental-health-and-the-pandemic-what-u-s-surveys-have-found/. Accessed March 12, 2024.
• Taking care of your emotional health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://emergency.cdc.gov/coping/selfcare.asp. Accessed March 12, 2024.
• #HealthyAtHome—Mental health. World Health Organization. www.who.int/campaigns/connecting-the-world-to-combat-coronavirus/healthyathome/healthyathome---mental-health. Accessed March 12, 2024.
• Coping with stress. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/stress-coping/cope-with-stress/. Accessed March 12, 2024.
• Manage stress. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/health-conditions/heart-health/manage-stress. Accessed March 20, 2020.
• COVID-19 and substance abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/covid-19-substance-use#health-outcomes. Accessed March 12, 2024.
• COVID-19 resource and information guide. National Alliance on Mental Illness. https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/NAMI-HelpLine/COVID-19-Information-and-Resources/COVID-19-Resource-and-Information-Guide. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• Negative coping and PTSD. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/gethelp/negative_coping.asp. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• Health effects of cigarette smoking. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm#respiratory. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• People with certain medical conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• Your healthiest self: Emotional wellness toolkit. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nih.gov/health-information/emotional-wellness-toolkit. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• World leprosy day: Bust the myths, learn the facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/leprosy/world-leprosy-day/. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• HIV stigma and discrimination. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/hiv-stigma/. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• Diabetes stigma: Learn about it, recognize it, reduce it. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes_stigma.html. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• Phelan SM, et al. Patient and health care professional perspectives on stigma in integrated behavioral health: Barriers and recommendations. Annals of Family Medicine. 2023; doi:10.1370/afm.2924.
• Stigma reduction. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/od2a/case-studies/stigma-reduction.html. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• Nyblade L, et al. Stigma in health facilities: Why it matters and how we can change it. BMC Medicine. 2019; doi:10.1186/s12916-019-1256-2.
• Combating bias and stigma related to COVID-19. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19-bias. Accessed March 15, 2024.
• Yashadhana A, et al. Pandemic-related racial discrimination and its health impact among non-Indigenous racially minoritized peoples in high-income contexts: A systematic review. Health Promotion International. 2021; doi:10.1093/heapro/daab144.
• Sawchuk CN (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. March 25, 2024.

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