Fostering Knowledge with Taylor Johnson

Taylor Johnson was working toward a degree in public health at UAB a few years ago when her public health class, Health Meets Life,  sparked her curiosity to learn more about mental health issues in children. This class would ultimately encourage her to pursue a career in behavioral health and pediatrics at Children’s of Alabama.

When she graduated in 2017, Taylor joined the Children’s team as a Behavioral Associate. Today, she works in the Ireland Center, specifically in the psychiatric unit. 

Fueled By a Passion for Behavioral Health

“Public health offers a lot of different options. With this degree, you can go into the medical field and you don’t have many limitations. I went into public health because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I did know that I wanted to work with children and working within Children’s in some capacity had always been a dream of mine. It was that original public health class at UAB, where we briefly learned about behavioral health, that had me begging for more experience in this field. I had so many unanswered questions. Today, in my role at Children’s, a lot of them are being answered.” 

Patient, Parent and Staff Interaction

“I love working with this unit. It is a very different environment than the rest of the hospital from a patient perspective. From a staff perspective, it is similar in the fact that every floor has a team that they work with. At the end of the day though, our team differs because we have to deal with behavioral issues forcing us to work with an ‘expect the unexpected’ mindset. We have to have each other’s back, 24/7, all day long.

“In this center, we have to not only take care of patients, but also cater to the patients’ parents. In behavioral health, we have to provide family counseling because the problems we see go beyond just the child and into their families. Also, elsewhere in our hospital, the parents can stay with the kids. At this center, parents have to drop off their kids with a staff they don’t know, at a place they don’t know. It is our job to make them feel comfortable.” 

Work Life in the Psychiatric Unit

“In our unit, we have my role, behavioral associate, as well as behavioral interventionists, nurses, psychiatrists and therapists. The behavioral associates and behavioral interventionists interact with the patients the most. We are working hands-on with the patients every day, and we come to witness their biggest triumphs and progress. We get to be a part of different therapies such as music therapy. We play a huge role in the healing process.

“We get to see the impact we have made in these children’s lives from the beginning to the middle and end. I love going to work and seeing change and progress—it reminds me of why I go to work every day. It is very rewarding.”

Taylor said, “Following a career in behavioral health is nothing short of rewarding. The progress you see, the faith and the hope your patients and families have in you and the faces you see on discharge day, it all allows you to feel something that can’t be explained. If you have any interest in pursuing a passion for behavioral health, this is the place to do it.”

If you are interested in a career at our Ireland Center, apply today!