College of Education Grants Reach Nearly $2 Million

Continuing the traditions of student advocacy and community involvement, the College of Education (COE) and College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) at Governors State University have received a new four-year grant that will provide funding for students to continue their educations and bring critical services to underserved communities through hands-on learning experiences. This is the third Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) grant the university has procured in the last two years. This latest one, from the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET), totals $1,918,310 and benefits student interns in the Departments of Addictions Studies/Behavioral Health and Counseling at GSU.

In response to the need for substance abuse treatment and other mental health services in parts of the Southland that lack vital resources and access, Drs. Cheryl Mejta and Shannon Dermer co-wrote the grant in order to support intern work with underserved populations in their local communities.

Specific project goals are to:

1.Develop and expand the number of addictions and mental health counselors serving populations across the lifespan, with an emphasis on the impact of trauma in medically underserved areas;

2.Develop and/or enhance longitudinal internship sites in behavioral health that include inter-professional experiences in integrated healthcare available to addictions and mental health counselors;

3.Reinforce integrated primary and behavioral health services by providing intensive, longitudinal, inter-professional training for students, interns, faculty, and clinical site supervisors;

4.Increase the transition from student to employee in HRSA designated underserved areas;

5.Increase resources, and access to those resources, that promote inter-professional collaboration and integrated practice.

The first year’s disbursement totals $479, 429. Congratulations to Dr. Mejta and Dean Dermer on continuing to bring outstanding opportunities and support to students at GSU.