Family Science and Social Work awarded two grants for mental health care in underserved communities
The awards promote strengthening the Ohio clinician workforce and removing barriers to healthcare.
Family Science and Social Work awarded two grants for mental health care in underserved communities
The awards promote strengthening the Ohio clinician workforce and removing barriers to healthcare.
Faculty and Master of Social Work (MSW) students at Miami University will receive educational funding thanks to new grants aimed at expanding behavioral health services in Ohio and Kentucky.
Funding – totaling $336,000 – from the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) will support a dozen incoming graduate students in the College of Education, Health, and Society as they pursue advanced degrees in social work. The aid is part of a statewide initiative to increase the number of licensed behavioral health professionals working in underserved Ohio communities.
“We are committed to building a strong workforce to address the mental health challenges Ohioans are facing,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a 1969 Miami graduate. “These scholarships are filling a critical need in behavioral healthcare and encouraging students to remain in the state to serve their fellow Ohioans in the most needed areas.”
Students entering the MSW graduate program this fall are eligible to receive up to $15,000 per year, renewable for up to two years, with the condition they commit to working in an eligible underserved area within the state for the same duration of time they received the funding. These students will also receive matching aid from Miami to eliminate additional financial barriers.
For Miami University, the scholarship program is led by Family Science and Social Work faculty and staff Nichole Carr, Angela Curl, Adrienne Newman, and Amy Roberts.
In addition to the grant above, Family and Social Work faculty member Kayleigh Gregory is partnering with the University of Kentucky’s Associate Professor of Social Work Aubrey Jones and the Miami University Discovery Center to address maternity care deserts and improve access to services for rural and underserved populations in Kentucky.
As part of a $3.8 million grant, Gregory received $526,428 to support the Kentucky Rural MOMS Network, an initiative focused on improving maternal mental health outcomes and reducing maternal mortality in rural Kentucky. The project will expand access to perinatal mental and behavioral healthcare, strengthen the rural healthcare workforce, and reduce barriers to care.
Key efforts include establishing new partnerships with rural healthcare providers, developing and supporting a pipeline of social work professionals trained in perinatal care, providing specialized training and certification for healthcare providers, and improving community education, screening, referrals, and care coordination. Together, these efforts aim to build a stronger perinatal mental health workforce and ensure more women in rural Kentucky have access to the care and support they need, according to Gregory.
“This recognition and funding affirm the vital work happening within our Department of Family Science and Social Work,” said Amity Noltemeyer, Dean of the College of Education, Health, and Society. “Our faculty, staff, and students are leading the charge to strengthen the regional workforce and improve access to care for families across Ohio and Kentucky.”