Jonathan Thompson

I was aware of Comprehensive Healthcare because I was a client before I became an employee. Since 2019 I have been coming here for coping strategies to help with my depression.

Coming to work here wasn’t something I had planned for. My original goal was to go into school for English and History as a double major and then start a career in education. But this job really suits me. I’m always trying to make sure people are ok – even when I’m not working, I’m looking after my friends and family. I’m always the one that they come to talk to.

I work as a Behavioral Health Associate. This entails doing intakes, observing behaviors, screening for risks, and discharging patients. We also help with basic personal care and treatment care – anything really that forms a part of our patient’s daily routine.

Every morning starts for me at 7:45am. I’ll come in and say hi to all the clients before going over the calendar for the day, to see who has which appointments. We’re a residential facility, so we try as much as possible to make it a comforting, homey environment and to encourage the residents to take care of themselves. This is a big part of my role right now, trying to make sure that they’re able to remember self-care and their daily activities. They are the ones in charge of their life and I’m here to remind them about that, every day.

At the end of the day, it’s about care and that can mean a lot of different things to different clients. Sometimes it is about making sure that they can care for themselves and be more independent. Other times, it’s just about watching TV together. Whatever they need, we’re here for them.

Day-to-day, we start with their normal schedule, and then throughout the day, we have a general routine. We’ll fit in a morning snack, some group time, lunch of course, and then we maybe try to do an hour of outside activity. But we’re always flexible!

What I really like about Comprehensive Healthcare is that working here feels like being part of a team. It’s very welcoming – people here are from different backgrounds and they come from different places. Everyone works hard to communicate clearly, to be constructive and supportive. Being in a place like this, where you have clients, it kind of feels like you have to be your own version of a family. You’re working together to take care of others.

Having people and a team around me is very important to me. I live right here in Walla Walla, but I am originally from Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve moved around a lot and Arizona will probably always feel like home. But Walla Walla is now a place that is really close to my heart. I’ve got a lot of family and friends here and it is good to know that I’m working in a place that is going to have a positive impact on the community.

Taking care of people and taking care of each other, that’s what it’s all about – wherever you are, wherever you live.

If you would like to see the latest career opportunities with Comprehensive Healthcare, whether you have healthcare experience or not, click here