New TN scholarship will give up to $30k to aspiring behavioral health professionals to get a master’s degree
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A new Tennessee state scholarship program is paying for students’ post-graduate degrees in behavioral health in hopes of curbing the mental health professional shortage in the state.
The scholarship gives eligible students up to $15,000 a year in tuition assistance for up to two years.
To apply, a student must be a Tennessee resident working toward a master’s degree in counseling, psychiatric nursing, social work, psychology, or a similar behavioral health profession.
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In return, for each semester funded by the program, students commit to work for a Tennessee public behavioral health provider for the same amount of time.
“The biggest barrier really is the cost of it,” said Carsen Hill, a scholarship recipient and current University of Tennessee graduate student.
Hill was considering giving up on her dream of being a therapist when she got the email saying she received the scholarship.
“Just crying, calling everybody, screenshotting the email to everybody,” Hill recalled. “I was kind of in a financial situation at the time, and it just came at the perfect time.”
About eight years ago, Hill was in recovery from an opioid addiction. After rehab and intensive, trauma-informed therapy she began dreaming of helping people struggling with addiction and maybe even going to work at the same clinics where she was treated.
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“It would just really be kind of a full circle thing for me,” she said.
The scholarship was funded during the August special legislative session as a part of the Tennessee General Assembly’s wider push to retain and recruit mental health professionals.
“I will say that all of them are struggling for staff,” Smith said of the clinics she works with.
Smith said since the applications for the scholarship opened at the end of February, her team has received more than 500 applications and she understands why there is so much interest.
“It’s difficult to ask somebody to go to a four-year college to then invest in a two-year graduate program…then come work for a community agency where you’re not making so much money,” Smith explained.
And while the funding for the program was a one-time investment, Smith hopes they will be able to continue to offer it in the future.
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To learn more about the program, go to the TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ website.
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