The University of Vermont has received a $1.2 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand its clinical psychology doctoral training program in response to Vermont’s growing mental health crisis and critical shortage of trained professionals, especially in rural communities. The grant, titled VT HEALS, will support UVM’s nationally accredited clinical psychology Ph.D. program over three years, emphasizing integrated care, substance use treatment, and trauma-informed approaches.
Training Program Details
The initiative is led by Matthew Price, Ph.D., the George W. Albee Green & Gold Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychological Science at UVM’s College of Arts and Sciences. Twelve Ph.D. students—four per year—will participate in placement training hosted by three local partners: Community Health Centers of Burlington, St. Albans Primary Care, and Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, New York. The grant will also fund a seminar series bringing in experts on substance use treatment, rural community work, and integrated care, open to all members of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program and other mental health training programs.
Price emphasized the necessity of the grant, stating: “Our state and local communities are facing an urgent mental health and substance use crisis, particularly in rural and underserved areas. While our leaders continue to call for expanded services, a major barrier remains: We simply don’t have enough trained providers. This grant allows us to grow our impact by preparing the next generation of clinicians to serve the communities that need them most.”
Institutional Context
UVM’s clinical psychology doctoral program has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1973. The grant follows a $3.8 million award from the U.S. Department of Education to support the Catamount Counseling Collaborative for Rural Schools. As UVM’s land grant university, the institution is committed to addressing the state’s most pressing challenges through education, research, and community engagement.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.uvm.edu/cas/news/uvm-secures-12m-grant-address-vermonts-mental-health-workforce-crisis