Case Western Reserve awarded $1.4 million for Ohio’s Great Minds Fellowship initiative
Eligible students may receive up to $10,000 for pursuing careers in behavioral health
As part of a statewide effort to encourage more students to pursue behavioral health-related professions, the Ohio Department of Higher Education has awarded Case Western Reserve University a $1.4 million grant.
Most of the students receiving financial assistance will attend the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.
The state-funded Great Minds Fellowship offers up to $10,000 in financial support to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing clinical behavioral health-related degrees—in fields that include substance abuse and mental-health treatment.
Expanding the behavioral health workforce in Ohio is “a critical imperative” to address the state’s growing mental-health needs, said Dexter Voisin, dean of the Mandel School.
“There’s an urgent need to develop more behavioral-health workers in the state of Ohio,” Voisin said. “We are delighted to receive this scholarship from the state. The Mandel School has been a leader in training behavioral-health specialists across the state. This added student support will enable us to foster and expand a roster of change leaders who are committed to behavioral health.”
Carol Musil, dean of Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, noted the increasing need in the workforce for skilled and trained professionals in the health, human and social services fields.
“These programs thoroughly prepare students to work in the behavioral healthcare field and address the mental health needs of our community,” said Musil, also the Edward J. and Louise Mellen Professor of Nursing. “This award reaffirms our commitment to leadership in nursing education and research—and to produce dynamic healthcare thinkers through our innovative prelicensure and graduate programs.”
Great Minds Fellows at CWRU and other participating colleges and universities in Ohio will be eligible for scholarships during their undergraduate and graduate studies to assist with:
- Student costs of obtaining degrees and certificates.
- Paid internships at one of Ohio’s Community Behavioral Health Centers.
- Fees associated with required license and certification preparation and exams and other costs related to the degree or certificate.
For more information—or to apply—visit the Great Minds Fellowship page for the Mandel School or the nursing school website.
This article was originally published on the CWRU Daily.