NAMI Partnership Brings Real Mental Health Stories Into Future Healthcare Training
Instead of studying mental health from a distance, PNWU occupational therapy students are learning directly from individuals who have navigated mental health challenges firsthand.
Through a collaboration between the university’s School of Occupational Therapy and the Yakima chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), students in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program recently participated in the NAMI Provider Program — an immersive learning experience where individuals living with mental health conditions and their family members share their stories face-to-face.
The NAMI Provider Program is led by people with insightful, inspired firsthand perspectives— either in managing their own mental health or supporting a loved one through crisis and recovery.
Their message is simple: “See us as whole people — not diagnoses.”
“Through our program, PNWU students gain invaluable real-world perspectives that extend far beyond textbook learning,” explained Angela Bazan, MSML, Program Director for NAMI’s Yakima chapter. “Professionally, it helps them develop essential skills in recognizing mental health crises, understanding trauma-informed care, and learning evidence-based intervention techniques that will ultimately make them more effective healthcare providers.”
In addition to in-depth discussions on stigma and social barriers, students also completed Mental Health First Aid training, led by community educator Karla Gray, who recently retired from her faculty role in the SOT.
“Mental health is integral to overall wellness, not a separate concern,” Bazan added. “The training prepares them to act when it matters most.”
Throughout their time with NAMI instructors, PNWU OT students explored how to recognize, interpret, and respond to signs of behavioral health crises across clinical and community settings.
In one powerful exercise, students were asked to perform simple tasks — such as drawing a picture or reading a short passage — while classmates stood behind them repeating distracting phrases. Within seconds, the seemingly simple tasks became chaotic.
Focus slipped. Frustration rose. Anxiety kicked in.
The disruption simulated auditory hallucinations, offering a glimpse into what daily life might be like for individuals managing symptoms of psychosis while trying to complete routine responsibilities like filling out medical forms or answering provider questions.
Students later reflected on how easily confusion or defensiveness in such moments could be misinterpreted as resistance — or even aggression — further widening the gap between patient and provider.
For Jennifer S. Pitonyak, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Professor and Director of Curriculum in the School of Occupational Therapy, this type of training is more than a class activity — it’s a return to the profession’s origins.
“The profession of occupational therapy was born in mental health,” explained Dr. Pitonyak. “We emerged from the moral treatment movement of the late 1800s as a discipline uniquely trained to address behavioral health needs through meaningful occupational engagement.”
That legacy continues today. Occupational therapy is officially recognized in national behavioral health legislation, including SAMHSA’s staffing recommendations for Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs).
“Occupational therapy practitioners are already providing services in CCBHCs nationwide,” she added. “Here in Washington, we’re actively shaping what that model looks like.”
Working through the Washington Occupational Therapy Association (WOTA), Dr. Pitonyak — alongside Dr. Jami Flick and Dr. Heather Fritz — continues to advocate for occupational therapy’s inclusion in the state’s evolving behavioral health system.
The timing of the training — held during National Recovery Month — underscored the message.
“Recovery-oriented care isn’t a one-month slogan,” said Bazan. “It’s a professional responsibility — one that belongs to every healthcare provider, regardless of discipline.”
Many PNWU MSOT graduates will go on to practice in rural or medically underserved communities, where behavioral health challenges are often invisible until they reach a breaking point. By placing lived experience at the center of training, PNWU is preparing students not just to treat — but to understand, respond effectively, and lead with compassion.
“Effective mental healthcare doesn’t happen in isolation,” said Dr. Pitonyak. “It happens when clinical knowledge meets community reality.”
To learn more about PNWU’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program and its community-centered approach to behavioral health education, visit the MSOT admissions webpage.