Nbccf minority fellowship program for mental health counseling (MFP-MHC) - the national board for certified counselors (nbcc) foundation proposes to continue the minority fellowship program for mental…

Nbccf minority fellowship program for mental health counseling (MFP-MHC) - the national board for certified counselors (nbcc) foundation proposes to continue the minority fellowship program for mental health counselors (MFP-MHC). The MFP-MHC will improve the quality and quantity of services for racial and ethnic minority populations by supporting post-baccalaureate training for mental health counseling professionals. The goals of the MFP-MHC are: 1) to increase the number of culturally competent mental health counseling professionals who teach, administer services, conduct research, and provide direct mental health counseling services to racial and ethnic minority populations; and 2) increase the knowledge of mental health counseling professionals on issues related to prevention, treatment, and recovery support for individuals who are from racial and ethnic minority populations and have a mental health disorder. The MFP-MHC will recruit underrepresented students and promote specialization in mental health services to underserved minority communities, particularly people with serious mental illness/serious emotional disturbance; child/adolescent, women's, and geriatric groups; minority communities in inner cities and rural areas; refugee and migrant groups; minority persons including lgbtqi+; and those who are active-duty military, veterans, or from military families. The MFP-MHC will use federal funds to support master's-level degree stipends, doctoral-level degree stipends, infrastructure development, and behavioral health care specialty training. Annually, 32 fellowships will be awarded to master's-level mental health counselors-in-training and 20 fellowships to doctoral-level counselor educators-in-training at accredited institutions. Specialty training will be provided to an additional 1000 mental health counseling professionals. The MFP-MHC will assure that 60% of fellows graduate within two years of the fellowship award and 80% graduate within three years of the fellowship award. Further, 85% of fellows will be employed as mental health counselors or counselor educators increasing services to racial and ethnic minority communities within one year of graduation. Over the proposed 5-year period, 260 fellowships will increase the workforce and 5000 working professionals will be better prepared to provide mental health counseling services to racial and ethnic minority communities.