A guest post by Willow Young, M.A., L.M.F.T., Chair of Pacifica's M.A. Counseling Psychology Program
Dear Pacifica Community,
We are happy to announce the state wide 2015-2016 MFT CA Educational Stipend ($18,500) was awarded to 4 Pacifica students: Omar Rodriguez, Candice King, Eryn Coffey, and Aaron Oravetz. In the 4 years that Pacifica has been eligible to receive these funds, 15 Pacifica students have been awarded stipends.
The MFT Consortium of California, representing the academic institutions with graduate programs in marriage and family therapy, awarded 111 educational stipends throughout the State for the 2015-2016 season. This statewide stipend program, administered by Phillips Graduate Institute in Chatsworth, CA, is part of the workforce development efforts funded through the Mental Health Services Act under the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.
The MFT Stipend Program is one of several incentive programs funded through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) under the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. These programs promote the academic education and practicum training of students in the mental health disciplines within the principles and values espoused by the MHSA in addressing the statewide workforce need for mental health practitioners in underserved communities.
Please see the note from Angie Mohan, Core Profession Program Coordinator of the MFT Stipend Program. To qualify, Pacifica faculty must attend the Central Coast and Los Angeles regional meetings. Those meetings are attended by Professor Angela Mohan, Core Profession Program Coordinator of the MFT Stipend Program; Lou Anne Wallner, Core Professor and Director of Clinical Training, and others from the Practicum office, members of the admissions team, and myself. The meetings are a valuable opportunity to spend time with our colleagues from similar schools and are a source of current information pertaining to CAMFT, AAMFT, and the BBS. At each meeting there are teleconferences with the BBS, CAMFT, and the state representative from AAMFT, Olivia Lowey.
We are proud of our students and applaud their meaningful award. Each student will work in their home county at a Behavioral Mental Health Site for one year.
Thanks to each of you who actively support our program, for which we are very grateful.
~Willow Young
