My Personal Mission Statement

Posted byDr. Bree E. CookPosted inMental Health and WellnessTags:

As I have been recently working on creating my personal and professional brand, I was asked by a close friend “What’s your mission statement?”  After thinking long and hard, I realized I didn’t necessarily have one.  I’m clear about what I’m passionate about, which is part of it, but I had never narrowed it down to something specific, with a way to achieve it.  Understanding that this, like all things is a living ‘document’, and that it too will change over time, I still needed one to keep me focused on the here and now.

The questions I had to ask myself were: What am I trying to accomplish at this point in my life professionally?; What gets me going in the morning?; What’s going to guide my career, advocacy, education and activities? I answered all of these but then how do you craft it into one simple statement?  Seemed so much easier working on the ones for my business but this time…I was a LOSS for words!

I started checking on other sites and looking browsing what I found on Google.  After many drafts, I sent my final draft to a few of my close friends, ones who are familiar with what I’m doing professionally.

Last Draft: “My mission is to empower the African American community, particularly children and families, by reducing disparities in mental health.  I will achieve my mission through increased culturally relevant education, advocacy, and program development.”

Most said it sounded great, but one friend, the one who challenged me to create a mission statement in the first place, asked “to do what?”…after “children and families.”  GOOD Question!  Back to the drawing board.  BUT this time it only took me a few minutes.  What is below, is what I came up with.  Short, sweet, simple, and achievable!  

 “My mission is to reduce mental health disparities in the African American community.  I will achieve my mission through increased culturally relevant education, advocacy, and program development.”

 

This will drive everything I do and will keep me focused on my goals.  I am now updating all of my social media sites etc to reflect my newly crafted mission statement.  YAY!!!!

 

-Dr. Bree

Published by Dr. Bree E. Cook

Dr. Bree (Davis) Cook began her appointment as Vice President in May 2018. In this role Dr. Cook serves as the College’s Chief Academic Officer and as the Accreditation Liaison Officer. In her most recent position she served as associate dean of POC's School of Cultural & Family Psychology (SCFP). Dr. Cook has also held positions as the academic coordinator, assistant professor and clinical training coordinator in the SCFP. Prior to coming into higher education, Dr. Cook spent over 15 years in leadership and management positions in non-profits, serving as Family Based Services Director, Eden Dual Diagnosis Program Manager & IRB Chair and as a Staff Psychologist at the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Dr. Cook holds a Psy.D. and master degree in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Multicultural & Community from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, and baccalaureate degree from University of California San Diego. She is also a Certified Family Life educator (CFLE). Dr. Cook has presented over 25 papers, seminars and workshops at a number of professional conferences such as, WASC Academic Resource Conference, Race, Ethnicity and Place Conference, National Association of African American Studies & Affiliates International Conference. She is a member of the Society for Community Research and Action (Division 27 of the American Psychological Association), National Association of African American Studies and the National Council of Family Relations.

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