We are passionate about our mission to provide the support, training and resources to help you and your clients succeed. We love hearing and sharing the “whys” of those who are chasing their dreams of helping make the world a better place. Our students choose to pursue an education in the behavioral healthcare field for various reasons, and we’re proud to be a part of their journeys toward making a difference. Each month we feature a student who is on the path to truly making an impact on the lives of others.
Our Student of the Month, Anika Buchan, shares her experience with ATI:
I am the Health and Wellness Facilitator and HOPE support staff. I currently work at a residential treatment facility. My hobbies include cooking, I love to feed people because food is love and it also tastes amazing! I am passionate about living an authentic life. I spent 14 years living the life I thought I was expected to live. I didn’t know there was another option. It was scary walking away from the stability and safety of the life I had created but I also knew I couldn’t continue the way I had been. The road less traveled led me to the mental health field and I fell in love with the work and the people. No matter how hard the day is, I go to sleep with a full and grateful heart.
I was unfamiliar with drug and alcohol counseling. After my break, I found a job in Wilderness Therapy, which helped troubled teens. It was my first exposure to mental health counseling, and it married my love of nature to my desire to help people. I left Wilderness Therapy after 2 years and found my current position in drug and alcohol rehab which combines my passion for functional medicine and mental health counseling. It has ended up being the perfect fit and I can easily see myself in this field for the remainder of my working years.
My supervisor recommended ATI and I also have peers who have completed their SUDA training through ATI and are all successfully practicing now. I appreciate how well thought out each class is. Each week had a study deck, references, and quizzes to check for comprehension and retention. It never felt like superfluous work, it was all important and relatable to the topic at hand. The online classes are also so much more accessible when you’re already working a 40-hour work week.
I plan on continuing with my current position and now can work individually with clients on their specific treatment plans, help them work through their barriers, and support them through this process. Each day brings a new challenge, and I love to see the growth. Being able to see someone begin to hope again and begin to realize they do deserve a life full of joy is the most rewarding. I love the laughs and the hard talks. This field really runs the gamut of the human experience.