Project Abstract Project Title: FY16 BHWET Competition Grant Program: BHWET Competition, announcement number HRSA-16-193 Applicant Organization Name: University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC Discipline: Counselor Education (School Counseling and Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling specializations) Project Director: Jonathan H Ohrt, Ph.D., ohrt@mailbox.sc.edu Applicant Contact: Rebecca Wessinger, rineharr@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-576-5554 Funding Amount Requested: $285,041 Project Summary The greater Columbia, South Carolina community is in need of more mental health professionals to work with at-risk youth, adolescents, and transitional-age youth (Children’s Trust of South Carolina, 2015) In order to increase the number of entering professional counselors who are adequately trained to work with the targeted at-risk populations, we will (a) provide stipend support to 20 students who commit to clinical field placements the provide services to at-risk children, adolescents, transitional-age youth, and their families, (b) develop formal partnerships with at least five additional schools or community mental health organizations to create clinical field placements, and (c) expand community training opportunities focused on evidenced-based practices for working with at-risk children, adolescents, transitional-age youth, and their families, and (d) recruit and retain diverse students to work with this population Goals (Aims) and Objectives Aim 1: Increase access of services for children, adolescents, transitional-age youth, and families who are at a greater risk of developing mental and substance abuse disorders Objective 1.1: Develop partnerships with local schools and community mental health organizations to create formal clinical internship placements focused on these populations Objective 1.2: Provide stipend support to students who commit to working with the target population at their clinical internship placements Aim 2: Improve knowledge of evidenced-based prevention and treatment interventions for atrisk children, adolescents, transitional-age youth, and families Objective 2.1: Support attendance at two interdisciplinary conferences focused on prevention and treatment for at-risk youth, and families Objective 2.2: Sponsor two workshops focused on at-risk populations Objective 2.3: Students will complete an action-research project evaluating their effectiveness in providing prevention and treatment interventions Aim 3: Increase diversity of students who are interested in pursuing behavioral health practice Objective 3.1: Partner with USC programs and HBCU’s to invite students to information and recruitment sessions Objective 3.2: Develop a mentoring program for minority students to promote retention Aim 4: Evaluate process and program outcomes for increasing access, competency, and effectiveness for children, adolescents, transitional-age youth, and families who receive counseling services Objective 4.1: Supervisors will evaluate students’ competency during their clinical field placements to assess improvement in working with the target population Objective 4.2: Students will complete a counselor self-efficacy assessment to evaluate their perceived competence before and after their clinical placement Jonathan Ohrt, University of South Carolina