$1.8 Million HRSA Grant Awarded to Chatham University's Counseling Psychology Program
PITTSBURGH— Chatham University announced today that it has received a $1.8 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for a Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program. The BHWET program is designed to increase the number of psychologists trained to meet the behavioral health needs of vulnerable and medically underserved populations and provide high quality care in an interdisciplinary setting.
With the grant, Chatham’s Counseling Psychology PsyD program will partner with five integrated care clinics at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and two community integrated-care clinics serving the behavioral health care needs of vulnerable and medically underserved individuals. This includes clients whose care is complex because of psychosocial pressures, required medical care, or both, such as LGBT youth, medically challenged youth, pediatric transplant patients, cancer patients, GI disease patients, and medically complex older adults.
The grant will allow Chatham’s PsyD program to build upon its existing partnerships with several clinics at UPMC, including the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Hillman Cancer Center (pediatrics and adult), Visceral Inflammation and Pain Center and Benedum Geriatric Center, to expand the number of practicum offerings focused on integrated care models across the lifespan. The funding allows Chatham to double the number of advanced PsyD practicum training slots currently available in integrated care settings.
“Chatham is thrilled at the opportunity to partner with UPMC on this important initiative,” said Project Director and Associate Professor of Graduate Psychology, Dr. Jennifer Morse. “Psychologists working in integrated care settings are optimally poised to help clients whose care is complex across the lifespan. Psychologists can also help those clients activate family and social support or urge connection and social integration when family support is not available while helping to identify suicidality, substance use, and trauma and addressing barriers to receiving integrated care, including discrimination and economic disadvantage.”
The grant also funds an Integrated Care Training Committee that will guide an enhanced Practicum course for training in an integrated care model that uses evidence-based treatments; is strength-based; developmentally appropriate; culturally sensitive; and responsive to risk of suicide, substance abuse and trauma. Chatham will also conduct continuing education training for students, faculty, and supervisors; professional development and career planning for students; and develop a Community Advisory Board to ensure community and family involvement.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant #M01HP31291-01-00 Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for $1,883,955. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
About Chatham’s PsyD Program
Chatham University's Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Counseling Psychology program is one of a small number of APA-accredited Counseling Psychology PsyD programs in the nation. The hallmarks of the program include: science-informed practice; an emphasis on promoting sustainable health and well-being; a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and social justice; and access to a broad range of training opportunities. The program includes three years of coursework and practicum experiences, followed by a one-year internship.
About Dr. Jennifer Morse
Jennifer Q. Morse, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Graduate Psychology at Chatham University. Dr. Morse earned her BA at Bryn Mawr College and her PhD at Duke University. Prior to Chatham, Dr. Morse was at the University of Pittsburgh, where she conducted NIH-funded clinical research on personality disorders and late life mood disorders. At Chatham, her research interests have expanded from clinical topics to also include graduate training and social justice.
About Health Resources & Services Administration
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving health care to people who are geographically isolated, economically or medically vulnerable. HRSA programs help those in need of high quality primary health care, people living with HIV/AIDS, pregnant women and mothers. HRSA also supports the training of health professionals, the distribution of providers to areas where they are needed most and improvements in health care delivery.