Oliver-Pyatt Centers Primary Therapist Jessica Jaramillo, MS, RMHCI shares her personal journey to joining OPC and how she and her team work together to provide treatment. Read on to learn more about Jessica and the OPC team…
What is your name and what are your credentials?
Jessica A. Jaramillo, MS, RMHCI
Please give us a brief description of your background.
Before OPC, I had the pleasure of working at Banyan Health Systems in a psychiatric unit with the elderly; which gave me a nice solid background into the challenges of dealing with the more complicated aspects of mental health. I also interned for a year at a private practice (Alternative Counseling Centers), providing individual and family therapy. During grad school, I was able to work at two different psychological programs in FIU. The first one was at the Center for Children and Families, where I was a therapist at the Saturday Treatment Program —specializing in children with behavioral problems. I then worked at SUHN lab, which is a neuropsychological research study where I was able to conduct psychological assessments to see the effects of chronic drug use in adolescents.
What does a typical day look like for you at OPC?
There are no two days alike, and every moment with the women is a therapeutic learning opportunity that goes both ways. The workload is hefty but the reward is directly proportional. Most days are a variation between treatments, meetings and all the clinical documentation that must follow.
In your own words, please describe the philosophy of OPC.
In a few words I would say, “It’s all about our patients”; I think that’s the driving force behind everything we do and the mentality that pushes everyone to constantly deliver to the best of their knowledge and abilities.
How does your team work together? How do your roles overlap and differ?
We’re a spider’s web (if the analogy serves). We stand as a unified machine in order to yield results. No one job could stand on it’s own, and each one of us provides a piece that it is pivotal to treatment. Constant communication and mutual support could very well be the main pillars of our teamwork. Personally, I wouldn’t consider there to be a lot of overlap in each one of our functions, we serve a purpose individually but also rely on one another to make that happen efficiently.
What is your favorite thing about OPC?
How qualified, intelligent, and caring my co-workers are; I am constantly fascinated by the people I share this job with. Few things bring more joy to your work place than being able to admire the people you’re surrounded by. Furthermore, the way the program is designed is truly aimed to help women recover and improve in every way possible. Everything we do is geared towards this sole purpose; it is a true testament to mental health ethics and the good practices of the OPC community.
Please share your favorite quote and why it is important/meaningful to you.
“This too shall pass” – some may regard it as a platitude, but for me it is a simple phrase that holds an infinite amount of wisdom. It not only provide solace for the difficult times, but also serves as a solid reminder to rejoice in the good as well as forgo the bad because the nature of everything in life is, and always will be, ephemeral.
What are three facts about you that people do not know?
I absolutely love listening to political podcasts, my favorite type of music is metal, and my “secret” hobby is writing short stories.
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