Vocational rehabilitation and CO-occurring mental health counseling virtual training initiative

Winston-Salem State University received a $222,214 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) under the Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program (CFDA 84.129), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The award funds the Vocational Rehabilitation and Co-Occurring Mental Health Counseling Virtual Training Initiative, which provides academic training to prepare rehabilitation counselors with specialized expertise in serving individuals with co-occurring vocational rehabilitation and mental health needs. This initiative addresses identified personnel shortages in the state-federal vocational rehabilitation system by developing and delivering virtual training content designed to enhance the competencies of practitioners working with this population.

In accordance with program requirements, a minimum of 65 percent of the project funds must be directed toward scholarships covering student stipends, tuition, fees, books, supplies, and travel for participants enrolled in the virtual training program. The project is positioned within WSSU's broader portfolio of STEM education innovation and institutional capacity-building initiatives, leveraging the university's expertise in developing evidence-based curriculum and virtual training delivery mechanisms to strengthen the vocational rehabilitation workforce.