Framingham State receives $1.4M grant to develop mental health pipeline

Photo | Courtesy Framingham State University Framingham State University campus

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By Isabel Tehan

Framingham State University and private family foundation Accelerate the Future together received a $1.39-million grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services to improve the pipeline of trained behavioral health professionals.

The funding will be used to place 300 community health employees into FSU’s mental health counseling master’s program, according to a Tuesday release from the university. Attracting employees with diverse backgrounds and experience in cultural competency is a priority.

The program builds upon an existing relationship between FSU and ATF foundation, which began with a pilot of 60 employees from three organizations: Children’s Services of Roxbury, The Home for Little Wanderers in Boston, and the Mass. Association of Community Health Workers. Under this program, students received waived tuition and instruction took place at their community organization or online.

“Our goal is to help resolve the severe shortage of licensed mental health counselors serving in low-income communities. This is one of the many steps forward we can take,” FSU president Nancy Niemi said in the press release.

The EOHHS funding will enable the program to expand to up to 12 additional community health organizations, which have not yet been announced. Collaboration with the Newton-based ATF Foundation has enabled FSU to reduce annual tuition for the Mental Health Counseling master’s program from $20,000 to $13,000 for students not part of one of the select community health partners, according to the press release.