Continued funding for marriage and family therapy interns providing services for rural Appalachian youth

Posted Nov. 29, 2017 at 1:23 p.m.

BOONE, N.C.—Dr. Karen Caldwell, professor in the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling at Appalachian State University, and Dr. Nicholas Jordan, Associate Dean of the Reich College of Education and assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling at Appalachian, received $166,981 in additional funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration to continue the third year of a program for marriage and family therapy interns to provide services for children, adolescents and transitional age youth in rural Appalachian communities.

This funding, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, improves the availability of culturally sensitive behavioral health services to clients ages five to 25 through support for recruitment and training of Appalachian’s marriage and family therapy interns committed to careers serving children, adolescents and young adults at risk for developing behavioral health problems. In addition to supporting marriage and family therapy interns during their yearlong clinical placements in community mental health centers, the funding also supports the development of curriculum on interprofessional practice and integrated health care.

About the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling at Appalachian

The Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling organizes and provides instructional programs in counseling and other human development functions for public schools, colleges/universities and various agencies. It is housed in Appalachian's Reich College of Education and offers the Master of Arts degree in these majors: clinical mental health counseling, professional school counseling program (K-12), college student development and marriage and family therapy.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.