NDEAM Collaborative -Mike Ochoa Spotlight
Please start with who you are, what you do, and a brief bit of your professional journey.
I am Michael Ochoa, and I work with adolescents as a mental health group facilitator. My background is in Social Work, working in different areas of crisis assistance. My first position was working on a crisis line while I was studying Sociology at the University of Colorado. My crisis line experience allowed me to help people when they needed it most and learn how to provide support for any situation that might arise. The crisis line experience transformed into in-person work. I have sat across the table from people in times of great need and been that person they can turn for assistance. I have worked in domestic violence safe housing, veteran housing assistance, and mental health care. These opportunities would not have been available to me if I did not have the background of crisis assistance in college.
How would you describe your personal work journey?
My personal work journey has been a very rewarding experience. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the most resourceful and compassionate people. It hasn’t always been a straight line, and I did have to detour a bit to find a partner I love and adore. All the difficult days pale in comparison to the change I have been able to effect on an individual and organizational level. I have seen the effects of my hard work in individual outcomes and in lasting policy in organizations that I worked for. I am proud of all the things I have accomplished professionally. I do want to mention that I would not have been able to do some of these things without caring and thoughtful mentorship. I have been blessed to have many enthusiastic and selfless mentors in my career.
Does your work have a creative element to it? If so, what are the benefits of that creative element? If not, what parts of your job offer lasting joy?
My work does have a creative element. Providing group therapy can be very dry when working with young people because they are stuck in the liminal space between childhood and adulthood. It makes it very difficult to connect material to the person. I have realized that I must sometimes come at things sideways. If I can incorporate mental health skills in a competition or game environment they young people I work with retain the knowledge and skills that are taught better than if I provided a college-style lecture of why these skills may benefit them.
Does your workplace journey differ from where you expected you would be when you were younger?
I did not think I would have as many different jobs as I have had. Every position came with its own set of challenges and lessons. Part of the reason I am such an effective facilitator is that I have breadth of knowledge on a variety of subjects. In every job I have had, no matter the skill level required, I was able to learn. I think I have been able to translate that curious and adventurous spirit into my current position.
What do you currently love about your work?
I love the knowledge I get to impart to others. I am not a formal teacher, but I get to use modeling to impart all the lessons I have learned throughout my career. One example of this is something as simple as taking out the garbage at the facility I work at when it is full. Staff and clients look at me a little funny when I do this since it is not part of my job duties. The thing that I model is that if your environment is clean and safe, then you are more likely to be happy and healthy. This lesson for me was learned working in a shelter environment where I could almost predict what the day would look like if the trash was collected that day or not.
Finally, what advice would you offer someone who feels like they aren’t where they should be in their workplace journey?
The best piece of advice I would impart is that you may not be where you want to be, but you have learned more than you realize. Take stock of what you have learned and use that to help propel you forward. As hard as it may seem, every position is an opportunity. I have learned more from the position I did not want to take then “dream” jobs. I also understand that with AI integration, the job search is the hardest it’s ever been. This means that you will have to work smarter and choose opportunities carefully. No matter your position or if you are having trouble finding one, there are things to be learned. No one can stop you from learning. One perfect example of this is when I broached the subject of integrating role-playing games into support programs where I worked. The idea was entertained but never taken seriously. In my current role, I get to use all the ideas I had in my lesson planning. I always had the idea and knowledge. I needed the right team and place to apply that knowledge. I hope that you find your team and that you find a place that lets you feel as fulfilled as I do.
Where can people find you?
People can find me on my LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmichaelochoa/