A Decision to Make a Difference
Jhanille Brooks
Master’s Student
Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling
According to Jhanille Brooks, in her native country of Jamaica, seeking treatment for mental health issues is not a commonly accepted practice. “It’s just not part of the culture in Jamaica,” she says.
That’s one reason why Brooks plans to make increasing awareness of mental health issues in Jamaica and the value of counseling her life’s work.
Another reason for her firm commitment to mental health and counseling is the indelible impact of losing a friend to suicide. With an unassuming demeanor that belies her strong conviction and inner strength, she says the loss was a turning point.
“I always had the inclination to help people, but after that, I knew that I wanted to dedicate my life to mental health.”
Enrolled in the College of Behavioral & Community Sciences’ program in rehabilitation and mental health counseling, Brooks plans to return to Jamaica to become a high school guidance counselor. She hopes to eventually develop a private practice and branch into marriage and family counseling.
To reach that goal, Brooks is attending USF as the result of receiving a prestigious Fulbright scholarship. Sponsored by the U.S. government, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international exchange program that is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries while promoting leadership development. Participants are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential.
Brooks finds the dual focus of the program at USF in mental health counseling and rehabilitation, as well as the interdisciplinary nature of the field, intense but solid preparation for her future. “The class in mental health foundations was excellent. We did a lot of introspection because the better you know yourself, the more effective counselor you can be.”
She also finds the required 1,000 hours of field work – two practicums and an internship – an excellent opportunity to gain experience and help pinpoint an area of future specialization. Brooks’ field work has given her experience with substance abuse clients in a detox facility, with veterans in the vocational rehabilitation department of a major veterans hospital, and with at-risk teenagers as a resident assistant in a juvenile mental health facility.
“An effective mental health counselor needs to be compassionate, a good listener, and able to treat each client as an individual with unique needs,” Brooks says. “But first of all one must have the desire to help.”
A quality Brooks has in abundance.
-- Mary Beth Erskine, University Communications & Marketing