BA (Hons) Working with Children and Families
Name
Kaitlin Taraldsen-Johnson
What course did you study?
Working with Children and Families
Year of graduation
2017
Where are you from originally?
Ormskirk
Why University of Cumbria, what attracted you?
I chose to study at the University of Cumbria for a new experience, due to it being a few hours away from my home town a new sense of independence, meeting new people and the different opportunities that were offered attracted me to becoming a student here.
The university offered me a great course during my application process especially since I was unsure of the career path I wanted to take, and if it wasn’t for this course I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Job title
Mental Health Practitioner
What sector/industry do you work in?
Children’s mental health
Briefly describe your role and responsibilities
My role includes providing the best treatment, support and care for children and young adults regarding their psychological needs. I review and asses each referral to ensure the best possible therapies and support it is they require when coming into our care. Along with this I must prioritise patient care on an ongoing basis and to be able to work with a variety of levels of patient dependence and a range of conditions, supporting their independent living with their mental health needs, and helping them with the big transitions in their lives.
Briefly describe your career progression from graduation to where you are now
When I graduated in 2017 I was still unsure of the path I wanted to follow, so I took a few years out and moved to Spain in 2017. Here I became a hotel entertainer and learned many different languages, met amazing people and traveled to many different countries I would never have thought to travel too.
At the end of 2019 I moved back to the UK to study a masters degree in mental health, particularly focused around children and young people and whilst set to graduate in December 2020, I got a job offer in the February as a mental health practitioner first as an internship more or less, but after 3 months they offered me my full-time position.
What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?
The most satisfying aspect about my job is seeing this topic so talked about across the media in a different perspective and from the eyes of my young patients, they all have the same goals and aspirations as anyone else and being able to support them and help them learn to deal with their mental health problems whilst achieving their goals and moving forward is a great reward.
What are your ambitions, now and in the future?
As of right now, I am content with where I am at since this is a new industry for me to be in, however, I am looking into doing a PhD along with looking at working more into the management of services.
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when you just graduated?
I would say just trust yourself and your decisions, don’t regret anything you think you should have done because of what it looked like other people were doing. Everything will fall into place and you have worked hard for it.
What top tips would you give to new alumni who are wishing to pursue a similar career to you?
It’s not an easy job, but it’s a great job. There will be good days and there will be hard days but that is part of the profession. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions, you’ll be continuing to learn every day, even though you’ve graduated, every day is a different day but trust yourself, your employer hired you for a reason, believe that you can do it because they do.
Do you have any support messages for the class of 2020, just embarking on their careers during the Covid-19 pandemic?
It’s a difficult time, but it doesn’t mean that’s it. This is just another barrier in life that will/has got in the way, but it’s not something you can’t overcome. There are higher pressures but you’ve made it through university and your hard work has got you to this point so far so keep it up!