Mashaya Engel

I am currently a Master of Social Work student and University of California in Los Angeles, CA. I am studying to become a clinical social worker and focus on adult mental health and work back home at our Indian Health Clinic on the reservation I grew up in Ft. Thompson, SD. I am very open-minded and like to gain knowledge and an substantial leader within my community. I grew up instilled with having passion to wanting to help people, just like my family. I grew up in a rural area on my reservation and have seen the stigmas and the severe impacts of what neglected mental health can do. I, myself have anxiety and it took until high school to realize what was going on with me and how to control it. Later on, in my undergraduate, I was part of Lost & Found, which is a campus organization at University of South Dakota focused on suicide awareness. That helped open my eyes more to realize that no one is alone in this world and that myself as a caring relative or community member or colleague can make an impact of helping those around us who are suffering from mental health. After graduating from my undergrad I started working at Ft. Thompson I.H.S. on my home reservation and focused on being a mental health advocate and working under two grants that focus on suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention and domestic violence prevention. Working at this job helped me gain more insight and knowledge and increased my interested even more of becoming a clinical mental health counselor and work in my home community.