Counseling program to benefit supervisor shortage through grant

TIFFIN --- Heidelberg University's Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program received a $990,900 grant, titled "Serving Marginalized Adolescents in Rural Towns Training," also known as SMARTT. The grant, co-authored by MAC faculty members Dr. Robin DuFresne and Dr. Meagan McBride, has been fully funded for 2023-2025 by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), according to information provided by the university. Heidelberg's MAC program is the only program in Ohio to be awarded this grant. The goals of the grant include adding, expanding and fostering the development of clinical counseling sites that serve children, adolescents and young adults in rural settings, which are often underserved in regard to mental health services. The grant funds will directly support students, internship supervisors and training. Throughout the project, MAC has 90 percent of its graduates employed in underserved or rural communities. "The project aims to fund, train and graduate 43 new behavioral health professionals over a two-year time period and support a minimum of 43 current supervisors in their competencies in culturally competent care for underserved, marginalized and rural youth and adolescents," McBride said, noting the training is multi-faceted. Students will be trained "through attendance to conferences, speaker series, and through increased training for their faculty," McBride continued. "Additionally, students will get the training needed to become board-certified telehealth providers." The faculty in the MAC department will focus on supervision and serving rural and minority youth populations to increase focus on students and supervisors, information provided by the university stated. Additionally, clinical supervisors will be granted the opportunity to attend training sessions and speaker series. Those interested in becoming supervisors will be provided the training to gain their supervisor designation. When the grant funding concludes in two years, MAC will increase the number of counselors with their supervisor designation by 10 in the first year and 20 more in the second year. "We're very excited to be able to support our students in this manner," said DuFresne. "Additionally, this opportunity will increase the number of skilled clinicians and supervisors in the region as we are able to provide professional development options to our partner agencies." McBride added, "We have a drastic shortage of supervisors." McBride noted further that these free training sessions will not only benefit supervisors and the profession but will help to reduce the shortage of mental health providers. The grant will provide $15,000 stipends for paid internships for MAC students as well as funding for them to complete telehealth training, according to information provided by the university. Funds will also be available to students to attend the All Ohio Counselor Conference. In exchange for the support, each student will commit to working at least 30 hours of their required internship. Each internship site supervisor will also receive a stipend and be funded to attend the All Ohio Counselor Conference. Additionally, MAC will create a Supervisor Summit that will provide 24 continuing education hours (CEU) of supervisor training. Faculty members who teach in the MAC program will be able to attend training sessions as well. "The training will ensure that we are able to infuse our courses with the most recent evidence-based information," DuFresne added. While this is a two-year grant cycle, the community will feel the impact for years to come. This grant will help children, youth and adolescents, and transitional-age youth, explained McBride. "To be able to offer this to our students is truly an incredible feeling, they work so hard to become counselors and to get to meet with them and tell them we can remove this stressor is enormous," she said. "To be the only university in Ohio to be able to offer this to our students and community speaks volumes. MAC at Heidelberg has a rich history of going for and receiving federal grants, but more than that, we have a history of administering them with 100% fidelity and goal completion. We are looking forward to continuing to graduate exceptional counselors."