$500,000 in Scholarships Aim to Diversify Counseling in Oregon

Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling has received a transformative grant in the amount of $500,000 from the Oregon Health Authority that aims to diversify the behavioral health workforce, particularly in regard to those who serve communities that have experienced inequities in access.

The graduate school will use these funds to provide substantial scholarships to graduate students who, as practitioners, will increase access to culturally specific and culturally responsive services for people of color, tribal communities, and individuals who have experienced barriers accessing mental health services.

Created as part of OHA’s Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative, the $500,000 grant will be distributed over the course of two years, with the first $250,000 awarded in fall 2023 and the second in fall 2024. In fall 2023, 17 graduate students across the Professional Mental Health Counseling; Professional Mental Health Counseling—Specialization in Addictions; and Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy programs received an award.

Nearly all of the scholarships cover the recipient’s outstanding tuition in full for the coming academic year.