$2.2 million grant propels aspiring school psychologist toward a career

When Emily Russell ’15CAGS started teaching 16 years ago, she quickly realized that academics were taking a backseat to her students’ social and emotional needs. The more time she spent in the classroom, the more she wanted to help in a way that focused on their mental and behavioral health. “I loved being a classroom teacher,” she says, “but I saw a need in some children that surpassed what I was able to provide.”

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated one in five children has a diagnosable mental health disorder, and nearly two-thirds of them do not receive the help they need. Compounding the issue, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) projects a cumulative shortage of close to 15,000 school psychologists by 2020. Without early diagnosis and treatment, children with mental health issues often have problems at home and in school that can continue into adulthood.

Determined to be part of the solution, Russell returned to graduate school, first earning a master’s degree in school psychology, then enrolling in PSU’s Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies program in school psychology. As a married mother of two young children, Russell immediately felt the pressure of balancing work, studies, and family. Given the demands of her internship—an unpaid 1,200-hour, yearlong field experience in a public school setting—the last year has been especially challenging. Russell is interning in four schools with students from preschool to 12th grade in both general and special education. Having a part-time job on top of her other responsibilities was nearly impossible.

Until this year, most interns in the PSU counselor education and school psychology program faced similar challenges. But when the Sandy Hook shootings brought into the national spotlight the need for more behavioral health professionals in schools and communities, President Obama took swift action. Last fall, Obama, with the support of the US Department of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), launched a grant initiative to provide funding for students pursuing degrees in behavioral health. The grant netted PSU a remarkable $2.2 million—one of the largest social sciences grants ever awarded to a University System of New Hampshire institution.

For Russell and other interns in the school psychology, school counseling, and clinical mental health counseling programs—39 this year alone—the grant represents $10,000 that will not be coming out of their own pockets. Instead, they can focus on preparing to hit the ground running as behavioral health professionals next year. And there is an excellent chance they will have a job when they graduate: PSU’s school psychology program has had a 100 percent job placement rate over the past three years; school counseling and clinical mental health counseling boast similar success.

Without the financial support, Russell says, “I would likely have had to take out loans. The stipend was enough to make a year of full-time unpaid work feasible for my family.”

Addressing a Critical Shortage
Professor of Counselor Education and School Psychology Cindy Waltman was the primary author of PSU’s HRSA grant application. Waltman knew Mary Sherlach, the school psychologist who was killed in the Sandy Hook tragedy. When she heard about the grant initiative, she knew right away it was just what PSU—and this country—needed. “We hope to fill the schools with well-prepared school psychologists and school counselors,” she says. “And we need more clinical mental health counselors in our communities.”

Russell says, “This grant allows people to enter into these programs who may not have otherwise, and in that way it’s increasing the work force.” PSU, NASP, and the New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists are dedicated not only to growing the numbers of school psychologists in the field, but to broadening their role to better serve all children. The grant addresses the need for training at a range of intervention levels, from children with minor social skills issues to those who struggle with substance abuse, violence, or suicidal tendencies.

In Russell’s internship, she has witnessed first hand how the shortage in mental health services has affected children. It’s not uncommon for a school psychologist to be in four or five different schools during the week, she says, making it challenging for them to focus on the primary tier of prevention: an approach that decreases risk factors and builds resilience for all students. Instead, they end up seeing the students who are already having more significant trouble. When she begins her career as a school psychologist next year Russell plans to build a support network to identify and help children before they start to struggle. “This grant and my work at PSU have helped train me to build partnerships with agencies, teachers, school counselors, and families to help as many kids as possible and prevent problems before they begin,” she says.
—Emilie Coulter

For more information about PSU’s CAGS programs in school psychology, school counseling, and clinical mental health counseling, visit plymouth.edu/graduate or contact Professor Cindy Waltman at (603) 535-3119.

 

 

Tags:  behavioral health CAGS Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies clinical mental health counseling counselor education grant HRSA internship mental health NASP Sandy Hook school counselor school psychology substance abuse violence