Cayman Tirado is a mental health services instructor at San Jacinto College. She is also a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor – Intern.
Question: What attracted you to the field of mental health services?
CAYMAN TIRADO:
I always knew I wanted to help others, but did not know it would be in the area of mental health. My college major was anthropology with a focus on anxiety disorders in cultures, and I learned about how different cultures deal with mental health issues. The more I researched, the more interesting the subject became. It’s a fascinating field. It’s like trying continually to piece together a giant puzzle, and there are always new developments in research and treatment.
Q: Talk about some of your experience in the field.
CT: I worked with Phoenix House in the area of substance abuse prevention and intervention for young people from kindergarten through high school. Through that, I became a certified prevention specialist. I worked at a juvenile detention center specializing in intervention with at-risk students. I’ve also worked at the Women’s Home in Houston, which provides transitional help for women who have become homeless due to mental illness or substance abuse. I absolutely love the work. You work with people who are in such need. You assist people who are neglected and underserved who put their lives back together to create wellness and wholeness.
Q: Please share a success story.
CT: At the Women’s Home, I worked closely with a woman – 25 years old, grew up in a broken home, mother was an alcoholic. Like many in that environment, she started drinking and became an alcoholic. Through counseling, she made progress, but then relapsed. In fact, she relapsed several times. But I would not give up. I never tried to make her feel bad about relapsing, but tried to empathize, and kept working with her. She has made remarkable progress, and is holding a job and maintaining sobriety. She was recently featured as a success story in The Women’s House newsletter.
Q: That must be rewarding to you.
CT: Oh, yes. It brought me such joy. It’s hard to describe. It’s something no amount of money can buy.
Q: Many attach a stigma to mental disorders, and do not really like to talk about the issue. Why is that?
CT: Yes, in our society we do tend to sweep it under the rug. We don’t want to confront the problem and deal with it, which is unfortunate. As to why, I think it might be because we do not really understand the problem very well. Also, I think we do not know how to deal with it. We cannot just magically repair those who suffer from mental disorders, and that is hard for us to admit. It is a complex and mysterious subject that involves biology, psychology, environment, physical health, and many other factors. Fortunately, there are new developments in research and treatment that show some promise.
Cayman Tirado and her husband Jess live in Jersey Village with 10-year-old daughter Jessann. She attended San Jacinto College when she graduated from Deer Park High School in 1995 and transferred to the University of Houston. She holds a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Houston, and a master’s degree in sociomedical anthropology from the University of Manchester (UK).
San Jacinto College offers mental health services courses and degree plans at the North and South campuses. Some courses are also available online. The courses are offered in a variety of formats including face-to-face, online, and hybrid sections.
Rob Vanya