As a graduate from Medaille College with her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling, Lynnette is a valued member of the Horizon team. Lynnette first joined the Horizon team as a Behavioral Health Assistant, and now works as an Advanced Practice Clinician for our Horizon Village Terrace House location. Through her impactful work each day, Lynnette is living out Horizon’s mission of changing and saving lives. Learn more about her experiences below!
Q&A with Lynnette
What made you choose Horizon?
I was in between careers at the time and knew that I wanted to help others, but wasn’t sure of what career opportunities would provide that. After seeing an ad on Indeed for Behavioral Health Assistant positions at Horizon Village Terrace House, I was immediately interested. Seeing this online encouraged me to further research Horizon and their mission, and I felt like Horizon would be a great fit for me! From the information on Horizon’s website, to the application and onboarding process, I knew that Horizon would provide the structure and support I needed to care for the patients that I serve. It’s been over 6 years now and I have no regrets!
How has your education shaped your career?
I would argue that Horizon helped shape my education, leading to my education shaping my career! When I started at Horizon, I was drawn to the idea of helping others, but wasn’t sure in what capacity. Through my first supervisor at Horizon, along with encouragement from my co-workers, I decided to take a leap of faith and start schooling for my Master’s in Mental Health Counseling. My education helped provide a better understanding of what a career in counseling would entail and throughout that experience, I knew that I wanted to continue to develop my career with Horizon. It was empowering to build my clinical skills in school while having the ability to practice those skills in my role as a Behavioral Health Assistant.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
With working at one of Horizon’s residential facilities, there’s no “typical day”! Since I’m working in the space that our patients live, it’s important to be flexible and be receptive to the changes in the daily flow of things. Depending on the day of the week, it could be filled with group and individual therapy, supervisions, or completing case management tasks. Running group therapy sessions grants me the opportunity to work with all the patients on my floor, providing me with an even greater chance to support patients, to teach them healthy ways to navigate the world, and to learn more about the patients we serve. Individual counseling sessions allow me to build deeper connections with my caseload while also supporting the patients’ needs and goals.
What keeps you motivated in your role?
To put it simply, I love what I do and I love my co-workers! Although there are challenging days, I know that I can navigate these challenges with the support and encouragement of the interdisciplinary team I work with. On top of that, I have the pleasure of walking alongside the patients I serve to support their growth and development, while also learning more about myself and my clinical style.
What is your favorite Horizon benefit/perk?
The PTO! I appreciate knowing that my hard work pays off, leading to accruing PTO to support self-care. I am grateful that Horizon encourages staff to use PTO and to engage in a healthy work-life balance.
There’s a reason Horizon has been named a Best Place to Work in NYS for the past 14 years in a row! At Horizon, you’ll be a valued member of our team and will be provided with opportunities for growth. View our career opportunities here to join our team today.