The National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship Program will administer over 40 master’s degree-level counseling fellowships of $15,000 for addictions counseling students, plus the travel expenses to participate in other program-related trainings. Eligible applicants must demonstrate knowledge of and experience in addictions/substance abuse services to 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.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, not currently work for a federal agency, must be in good standing in an accredited master's-level addiction counseling program, and must commit to providing substance use disorder services to an underserved community for two years post graduation.
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.