We Are Nevada State Employees: Patricia Wright

A job in public service can be a lifelong career, but for Patricia Wright, it is also a calling. As a mental health technician 4, Patricia works with the most vulnerable in our community while training and supervising the next generation of mental health workers.  

An immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago, Patricia has been a state employee for 25 years, and doesn’t see herself stopping any time soon. As a mental health tech at Rawson Neal Psychiatric Hospital, she helps stabilize people suffering from a mental health crisis and helps them learn to live with their conditions.  

“When a client comes in, they are at their worst. We care for them and teach them basic life skills to be able to live with whatever conditions they have. Often, there is nowhere else for these clients to go so that’s why it’s important the state have Rawson Neal and other public facilities like this.”  

Working in mental health has been life-changing for Pat, who said that working in this field has given her a better understanding of mental health. Many of the clients at state facilities like Rawson Neal are the most vulnerable in our communities – uninsured, undocumented, and unhoused populations.  

“There is a lot of misunderstanding about mental health. For me, it’s not just helping the client but also their families who may not know how to help their loved ones. I know that I am helping our community and making a difference.”