Hampton University News October 14, 2014 HU Awarded Grant to Provide Training to Mental Health Counselors Hampton University's Department of Counseling was awarded $986,845 over a three year period by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide behavioral health workforce education and training for professionals. Of all the university and college programs in Va., Hampton University's Department of Counseling was the only one to receive this specific grant. The HU Department of Counseling will address the increase need for mental health counselors to expand and diversify their focus in adolescents by developing a partnership with integrated agencies. These partnerships with interdepartmental and intradepartmental agencies will aid in the development of well-trained and prepared mental health counselors. "This grant supports our view of health as integrated between physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual," said Dr. Spencer Baker, associate professor in HU Department of Counseling and principal investigator. "Our goal is to create a diverse group of mental health providers to serve a diverse community that avoids seeking mental health care." The proposal is designed to address three objectives: Objective 1: Enhance the training of mental health counselors in the integrated model of care. Objective 2: Enhance the training of mental health counselors in prevention and clinical intervention and treatment for those at risk for engaging in harmful behaviors, including violence and substance abuse. Objective 3: Enhance the training of mental health counselors in the involvement of families in the prevention and treatment of behavioral conditions. HU will also work juvenile detention facilities in the cities of Newport News and Norfolk, Va. to further explore the causes of juvenile delinquency, while also providing professional training focused in clinical intervention and treatment of juveniles. As proposed by the White House in the January 2013 "Now is the Time" initiative, one of the nation's goals is to improve behavioral health services for at-risk children, adolescents and transitional-age youths by training more behavioral health professionals to serve these populations Three-fourths of mental illnesses appear by the age of 24, but less than half of children with diagnosable mental health problems will receive treatment. Such statistics create a call of action that HU is ready to take a leadership role in rectifying. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2014meeting-form.html for the October 26-28, 2014 HBCU Library Alliance 6th Membership Meeting in Atlanta GA!