VCSD students explore careers in mental health

Students speak with adults at round tables .The Voorheesville Guidance and Counseling Center recently organized a Career Cafe at the Jr./Sr. High School, focusing on careers in the mental health field. The event allowed students to discover career opportunities and ask questions during a lunch that the district’s food services department catered.

During Career Cafe events, professionals share their knowledge for 25 minutes before they move tables to talk with another group of students. Students wear professional attire and practice skills that would be required for a college admissions or job interview.

Students speak with adults at round tables .On this occasion, students engaged with:

  • Family psychiatric nurse Jodi Burch, who has a practice in Guilderland, providing psychiatric assessments, diagnoses, and making treatment recommendations, focusing on psychotropic medication when appropriate.  
  • Dr. Stephen Giordano, who is the Albany County Director of Community Services and the Albany County Mental Health Commissioner. 
  • Cassidy Smith, a 2012 VCSD alum, who has worked in the mental health field and is currently a first-year resident in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts.

Students speak with adults at round tables .The Career Cafe is one of many opportunities for students to explore career options, with field trips and a career fair scheduled for April. For information about future events, contact Kristen Heyde at 518-765-3314, ext. 203, or Timothy Kelley at 518-765-3314, ext. 205.