Haleigh Briggs

Throughout my childhood experiences of anxiety and alcoholic parents at a young age, I was always interested in helping others. My mom became a Drug and Alcohol Counselor after she got sober when I was a little girl. Between my mom helping those with addictions to my childhood and wanting to help others, I have always been interested in working in the mental health field. At the age of 18 I started working in the mental health field for Social Stars Learning Center in El Dorado, Kansas, a program at South Central Mental Health in 2010. I worked with children from the ages of 3-6 years old with mental and behavioral issues. I worked as an attendant care worker and providing observation, assistance, and encouragement to help them change and improve their behavior. This job was just the start of getting interested in mental health.
After working there for a little over two years, I had an opportunity to work with older children ranging from ages of 4-18 years old at Cowley County Mental Health (CCMH). After working as an attendant care provider, I was offered a different career opportunity with the same company in 2013 and I was transferred to the Community Day School (CDS). The CDS specializes in behaviorally difficult children that cannot maintain in a normal school setting. This school provided education and paras from USD, along with mental health from services with CCMH. I worked in all schools, the elementary, and the middle school and high school combined. Most of my work was mainly with S.E.D. (severe emotionally disturbed) children and providing attendant care and psychosocial group. My focus was working with children on making progression towards their long- and short-term goals addressed on their treatment plan by doing one on one sessions to group activities and initiatives. In 2015, our company Cowley County Mental Health, merged with Four County Mental Health (FCMH) and maintained with the same clientele. FCMH’s motto is “Helping make lives better,” to summarize our mission statement.
In 2016 I was promoted to a Group Leader at Four County Mental Health (FCMH) for our after school and summer Quest program. The Quest program is designed to provide children with group activities and initiatives, along with one on one support for high needs children from the attendant care staff and work with them on team building, controlling their impulsive behaviors, increase of positive socialization and interaction, along with teamwork and independency throughout. I continued as a group lead until there was a Case Management position became open. To be a candidate for Case Manager, you have to have 4 years of experience, education or a mixture of both. I had 4 years of experience, along with over 2 years of education.
I applied for and got the position to be a Case Manager for FCMH and I was thrilled. Not only was I at a stage of moving further up in school, but I was also moving further up in my dream job. After attending Butler Community College, I then attended Newman University and Friend’s University. I became a Case Manager December 2018 and I now work only one on one with my patients ranging from ages 4-18 focusing on their strength assessments, short- and long-term goals on their treatment plan, along with their CBCL’S (child behavior checklist) which develops their LOC (level of care) for services. I feel that I have developed and grown tremendously with both my career and education. I have gained knowledge, communication, bond building, teamwork, and leadership.
Throughout this journey of employment and education, my high school soulmate, Brady, and I were common law married in the state of Kansas in 2016 and officially got engaged July 8, 2017. He was following the “old fashioned” routine and asked my father before he proposed. After getting engaged my family and his family were ecstatic, they couldn’t wait! My companion that has been there and supported me throughout encephalitis, memory loss leading to lifelong brain trauma, academics and employment had just asked me to marry him. I felt as though my dreams and prayers were coming true. I was able to overcome encephalitis, get an education, have a stable career, and now be engaged. Two weeks after our engagement we found out we were expecting a child. On March 7, 2018 I delivered a beautiful, healthy baby boy that we named Ryker Lee. We are still engaged, Ryker is almost two, and I am still working as a Case Manager at FCMH while attending Friend’s University full time.
Between attending three colleges, moving up throughout the mental health career field, and my family, I believe that my life experience and family is what has gained my insight to become a Marriage and Family Therapist the most. There have been many ups and downs throughout my life and the one thing that has maintained my focus and motivation is my family. I gained interest in this field throughout my mom and husband, but also throughout the personal experiences in my life. I have strived to gain the best education that I possibly could to achieve the line work I have always dreamt of. I have pushed to gain the best education that I can and have shown that by earning a great GPA, being on the Dean’s Honor Role, and National Honor Society.
I believe that my experience throughout life, facing personal and emotional challenges, work, and the support throughout friends and family has provided me the experience to provide the support and feedback to the clientele in a positive manner throughout the situations or circumstances taking place. Throughout this journey I have gained motivation, perseverance, and determination to continue to complete an education of a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. My desire to obtain my degree in Marriage and Family Therapy is fueled by my aspiration to help others, to provide an understanding, knowledge, care and compassion to others as it has been offered to me. I am determined to earn an MFT degree and I will strive to continue to provide efficient support and guidance for others.