My time at the John Umstead Hospital has given me a great number of lessons, not the least of which being a profound and renewed respect and admiration for people living with mental illness. Teaching mentally-handicapped children once a week has given me valuable experience in enhancing my teaching abilities and my patience in working with others. Most of all, my time at the John Umstead Hospital has taught me that it is important for all of us to truly care about these all-too-forgotten people in our society: those living with mental illnesses.

I always had a personal, family connection to the experiences of people living with mental illness, and have always been fascinated by the subject of mental illnesses and the lives of those who live with them.
I knew that I wanted a challenge, and I figured that working directly one-on-one with people, and especially children, with mental illness would certainly challenge me. If you are looking for an enriching but also challenging placement, I would truly recommend volunteering at the John Umstead Hospital.

I volunteered for roughly three months, teaching a health and nutrition class to children (ages 12-18) for one hour, once a week. The number of hours is much higher than that, however, as the driving time (which is substantial), as well as the lesson-planning time, help me to achieve the minimum hour requirements for my class. The staff at the John Umstead Hospital have helped me in planning the course, as well as with managing the children, helping them to learn and me to teach. Each class was more interesting than the last, and the staff I worked with helped make my time at the hospital enjoyable and rewarding.

John Umstead Hospital
Director: Patricia Christian
1003 12th Street
Butner, NC 27509
Phone:(919) 575-7211

Fax: (919) 575-7643
http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/mhddsas/Umstead.htm