Nearly $2 Million OHA Grant Brings Big Scholarship Opportunities to Graduate Students
This funding will support at least 100 graduate students pursuing degrees in counseling, therapy, and school psychology over the next two years.
On the heels of $500,000 in scholarship funding received earlier in 2023, this second grant totals nearly $2 million and will provide recipients with direct tuition assistance up to $15,000 along with $3,000 in unrestricted stipends. Depending on need, it is estimated that this funding will support at least 100 Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative scholarships for Lewis & Clark graduate students over the next two academic years (2024-25 and 2025-26). The new scholarships will help the Graduate School facilitate the recruitment, development, and graduation of diverse, well-trained, culturally responsive, and clinically sound cohorts of newly minted mental health providers each year, resulting in significantly expanded access to culturally responsive health care services throughout the state.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) in addressing the urgent need to increase the mental health workforce here in Oregon,” says Cort Dorn-Medeiros, professor and chair of the Counseling, Therapy, and School Psychology department and lead contributor on the grant. “The Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling is truly leading the way in our commitment to help diversify the Oregon behavioral health workforce.”
Both continuing and admitted students in the programs of Art Therapy; Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy; Professional Mental Health Counseling; Professional Mental Health Counseling—Specialization in Addictions; and School Psychology are eligible to apply for the new Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative scholarships as well as the previously announced Healthy Oregon Initiative (SHOI-like) scholarships.
“We aim to provide the highest quality education to prepare future counselors, therapists, and school psychologists to serve high needs and historically underserved communities. The grant support received through OHA is transformational in our mission to provide our students with cutting edge training and serve communities across Oregon.”
Scholarship applications are currently open. Applications received by March 1, 2024 will receive priority consideration.
Strategically pursuing new funding and scholarship opportunities is one of the many ways in which the Graduate School’s commitment to its mission of social justice and to providing accessible mental health care to clients throughout Oregon is realized. A recently launched pilot program in partnership with the Community Counseling Center, the Professional Mental Health Counseling Program, and TransActive Gender Project is providing trans-competent mental health care to trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming youth, and a newly completed renovation of the Counseling Center offers support to the community with art therapy services for the first time as well.
Funding for both grants from the Oregon Health Authority became available through The Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative, which was a direct result of House Bill 4071 (2022) and House Bill 2949 (2021).
