The NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Mental Health Counselors (Doctoral) administers up to doctoral-level counseling fellowships, plus the travel expenses to participate in program-related trainings. This program is made possible by a grant awarded to the NBCC Foundation by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Eligible applicants must demonstrate knowledge of and experience with one or more of the following: underserved minority communities, child/adolescent and geriatric groups, minority communities in inner cities and rural areas, minority persons (including LGBTQIA2S+), or those who are veterans or are from military families. Eligible applicants must commit to teach, administer services, conduct research, and/or provide direct mental health counseling to at least one of the above-listed populations.
Eligibility requirements for MFP awards are defined by SAMHSA. The program is not limited to individuals from minority populations; however, SAMHSA does prioritize individuals from the following communities: African American, Alaska Native, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander. SAMHSA’s priority population decision is based on the documentation of significant mental health disparities within these communities and the SAMHSA-identified strategy of increasing the number of individuals representing these communities in counselor education and leadership. This priority is considered when there are applicants with equivalently strong results to the review process. In that case, those applicants who meet the SAMHSA priority are chosen.