Mike Audi

Belmont Pines Observational Sheet

I learned a lot throughout my clinical experience at Belmont Pines, and got the

opportunity to witness many different mental health problems and how they are manifested.

The staff at Belmont Pines were extremely helpful to the patients, and it was obvious that they

loved what they did. The entire day was very structured and scheduled, which is beneficial to

the mental health of the patients. The day was composed of various kinds of group sessions and

activities, and there was very little free time. The most interesting part of the day was the

group sessions.

During the group sessions, patients had the opportunity to tell the group how they felt

or what they have been through. Often, the group would give positive support and advice to

the patient who shared their thoughts. This portion of the group sessions was very different

when comparing the boys’ group to the girls’ group. The girls were very supportive of each

other, and there was a plethora of advice and attempts to help each other. The boys, on the

other hand, gave much less support to one another. There was some advice given by some

members of the group, but it was much less than in the girls group.

One shocking experience from my clinical experience was reviewing some of the charts

of the patients. Many of the reports and assessments in the charts were difficult to read, and I

would have never known that the patients had gone through the horrible experiences in the

charts. Many of the patients seemed completely normal when conversing with others in the

group, and their mood and behavior also seemed normal. Although, after reading the charts, it

became obvious why many of the patients were there. Many of them had gone through
 Mike Audi

horrible trauma, and undoubtedly need assistance in dealing with their altered thoughts and

emotions caused by past experiences.

My clinical experience at Belmont Pines was very informative, as well as eye-opening. It

was difficult to hear some of the horrible stories of self-harm and abuse coming from the

patients that are so young. The staff at Belmont Pines did a great job of providing support to

the patients, and I learned a lot from watching them. This experience was well worth the

information and has given me a different perspective on mental health and mental illness.