The initiative is aided by a grant from the FSSA Division of Mental Health and Addiction.
Indiana University Southeast and Southern Indiana Works have partnered for an initiative to provide internships for students in the field of mental and behavioral health. The partnership is aided by a grant from the FSSA Division of Mental Health and Addiction, which allows Southern Indiana Works to provide $20,000 in stipends for 10 students.
According to an article on Indiana University Southeast’s website, Dr. Michael Day, who serves as the university’s Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, was quoted as saying, “The stipend provided by Southern Indiana Works not only enabled the students to further their education in order to provide future mental health services to the local community, the support also enabled the students to provide real and meaningful mental health treatment to our local community during their education; services that otherwise might not be available and which significantly enhance lives.”
Thanks to the stipend funding provided by Southern Indiana Works, 10 students have the ability to complete unpaid internships that they likely would otherwise need to pass up due to being unpaid. The students who have received the funding for this summer include six Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate students, two Social Work graduate students, and two Psychology upper-level bachelor’s students, all of whom have internships in mental health with local nonprofit organizations.
Dr. Lisa Hoffman, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Enrollment Partnerships at the university, said, ”Our communities need many more highly qualified clinical mental health counselors and social work leaders, and IU Southeast is committed to growing this professional workforce. Southern Indiana Works has been a valuable partner in supporting our students with stipends for their hands-on internships and clinical work.”
For more information about Indiana University Southeast, visit the school’s website.