Document Type

Article

Domestic/International

Domestic

Location

Butler Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

This summer, I worked at Butler Hospital, a private, non-profit, psychiatric hospital for adults, adolescents, and seniors. Their mission is to “provide treatment for psychiatric illness in an atmosphere of dignity and respect, contribute to knowledge through education and research, and continuously improve the ways we serve our patients and our community.” As a Mental Health Worker (MHW) in the float pool, I gained diverse experience by working with patients across various inpatient psychiatric units, including general treatment, intensive treatment, adolescent, and alcohol and drug detox. My experience at Butler was difficult but greatly rewarding. I worked with a wonderful and positive cohort of long-time employees and fellow summer temps whom I learned alongside, but I saw social inequality in real time. I saw the need for better state social programming and more comprehensive therapeutic interventions in the inpatient setting. With this, there needs to be more advocacy for social work and nurses on the frontlines at psychiatric hospitals, as it is invaluable work.

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The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.