Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Education - Office of Special Education as part of the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Programs
Years: April 2023 - Dec. 2027
Funded Amount: $5.388 mil
The grant will fund 72 graduate students over the course of five years. This project will result in the enhancement of innovative practical learning experiences and more accessible pathways to prepare school-based MHSPs to serve in high-need schools located in Keystone and Mississippi Bend AEA.
Ann Santos, Clinical Associate Professor in School Psychology, will serve as the project director. Co-project directors include:
- Enedina Vazquez, School Psychology Clinical Professor
- Gerta Bardhoshi, School Counseling Professor and Scanlan Center for School Mental Health Director of Research and Training
- Sarah Witry, Social Work Clinical Assistant Professor
- Ebonee Johnson, Public Health Assistant Professor
Partner Area Education Agencies include Keystone (AEA1) and Mississippi Bend AEA (AEA9).
Graduate Funding Opportunity
Students pursuing either (a) a EdS in school psychology (College of Education), (b) master's degree in school counseling (College of Education), (c) master's degree in social work (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), or (d) master's degree in public health (College of Public Health) will acquire the expertise and practical experience necessary to address the broad range of mental health concerns encountered by high-need LEAs within our partner AEAs (Keystone and Mississippi Bend AEA).
MPath will address the MHSP shortage and gaps in training in Iowa by expanding practicum placements of UI graduate students in high-need LEAs and creating hybrid coursework and workshops for master’s students in school psychology, school counseling, school social work, and public health focused on offering content and skills not covered in the existing graduate-level programming. MPath candidates will also receive the following:
- Access to workshops/seminars on specific mental health topics
- Placement in high-need school settings that often have more complex presentations
- Exposure to community partners
- MPath trainees will receive practicum supervision from qualified credentialed professionals in their respective degree programs along with practicum hours necessary for licensure/certification
Students in school psychology, school counseling, social work, and public health will have access to the following funds:
- $5,000 one-time stipend for living/program expenses
- Two semesters of tuition for school psychology students during a beginning and advanced practicum
- Two semester of tuition for students in practicum for school counseling
- Two semesters of tuition for students in specialist practicum for social work
- Two semesters of tuition for students in practicum for public health
- Six first-year tuition scholarships per MPath cohort are available to students who meet specific under-represented minority criteria, or those who meet recruitment criteria from partner AEAs.
Potential applicants meeting the following criteria are strongly encouraged to apply:
- Interest or current enrollment in programs for an EdS in School Psychology OR an MA in School Counseling, Social Work, OR Public Health
- Undergraduate GPA 3.0 or above
- Other program specific requirements
- U.S. citizen
Contact your program of interest
- Public Health: Ebonee Johnson, ebonee-johnson@uiowa.edu
- School Counseling: Gerta Bardhoshi, gerta-bardhoshi@uiowa.edu
- School Psychology: Ann Santos, ann-m-garcia@uiowa.edu
- Social Work: Sarah Witry, sarah-witry@uiowa.edu
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