As a Program Manager in IT, Jim Piotrowski has utilized his counseling skills to work with higher up within his organization, but as he gears up for retirement, he’s looking forward to using his Counseling degree for just that, counseling.
“When doing Project Management, you have to consider different agendas. The skills I have learned in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program have taught me to lead your leaders,” Jim said. “Facilitation skills come into play often during meetings and this program has helped me with leveraging values.” Piotrowski has been searching for different Mental Health programs over the course of five years. When he began his new job as a Program Manager within Providence Health, he started exploring the opportunity to continue his education through University of Providence and came across the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. As Jim approaches retirement, he has been looking get involved with something to legitimately help others.
As someone who has been involved in years of international mission trips, Piotrowski knows firsthand the struggles and duress that third-world countries encounter and would love to do mental health counseling overseas because there’s only so much you can do in international missions if you don’t have a certain skillset.
Piotrowski explained how the international community is different and how he wants to make an impact. “You see people under extreme duress come together for the first time, they spend time to socialize. They laugh together and there’s a friendliness that people afford you that is just so welcoming. Ultimately, I would like to come alongside people, meet them where they are, and help them move forward.”
To Jim, it’s all about doing something bigger than himself. With a couple more years to go before receiving his degree, Jim is looking forward to his residency in Olympia, Washington at a patient crisis center. As someone who lives in Washington, having a remote program was a huge asset. In preparing for his practicum, Jim said, “It’s been highly educational and helpful to see how the professors would support us. In the program, you cover a lot of territory, but you get out of it what you put into it.”
