Longwood’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office has been awarded a $200,000 grant through the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV), in partnership with the Virginia Health Care Foundation, to increase the number of licensed mental health providers and boost mental health access on campus.
The grant funding will underwrite the salary and benefits for an onsite licensed professional counselor (LPC) candidate for two years and extend a current grant-funded position for six months. Angela Whitaker, M.S. ’24 has been hired as the LPC candidate and will start her residency in counseling on Sept. 25. CAPS will train and supervise Whitaker, who will gain valuable supervised clinical experience and hours needed for licensure.
Longwood is one of five universities in the commonwealth to receive a portion of the $1 million grant total from the second round of the Higher Education Mental Health Workforce Pilot. Previously, CAPS was awarded $135,625 in grant funding from the first round of the unique program, which seeks to expand mental health services to students on campus while also increasing the mental health workforce pipeline.
Associate Vice President for Health and Well-Being Dr. Maureen Walls-McKay, director of CAPS and project director of the grant, said that the second grant will further support the CAPS team’s ability to sustain existing, successful programs, while also expanding capacity for much-needed preventive services, increasing protective factors and building resiliency and well-being among the community.
With support provided in the first round of grant funding, LPC candidate Tianna Jordan, M.S. ’22, was hired by CAPS in January 2023 and continues to make significant contributions to the Longwood community, with a special focus on historically marginalized populations.
“Not only has this position addressed the demand for counseling but it also has expanded care through outreach and embedded counseling in the Office of Multicultural Affairs to better reach marginalized communities,” said Dr. David Davino, CAPS training director and Jordan’s clinical supervisor.
Walls-McKay said the addition of the grant-funded LPC candidate position has freed up time for the other full-time CAPS clinicians to increase preventive services, a core need that has been under-resourced due to increased demand for direct counseling services.
“It is an honor for Longwood University to be contributing to the mental health workforce pipeline through this SCHEV pilot program. This second round of grant funding will build on the work we have been doing to further cultivate a culture of well-being at Longwood,” said Walls-McKay. “The position has been beneficial in alleviating the caseloads of our clinicians, who can now invest in other vital projects such as preventive outreach to the campus community, psychological testing, professional development opportunities and expansion of clinical services and DEAI initiatives.”
Vice President for Student Affairs Cameron Patterson praised the CAPS team for continuing to seek out new and creative sources of funding to bolster their efforts and support students.
“This is the latest example of the CAPS team’s commitment to supporting the needs of Longwood students,” Patterson said. “Since implementing this program, we have successfully worked to prepare mental health professionals for licensure along with serving a critical need in helping our students. The mental health concerns of our students continue to be an important priority.”
The first round of the pilot program improved the ability of six universities to meet student demand for counseling and reduced staff burnout at counseling centers, according to a recent SCHEV report. The Virginia General Assembly funded the first pilot in 2022 and allocated continued funding in the 2024-26 budget.
“The first round of the pilot showed promise in helping students with their mental health needs while addressing the shortage of licensed mental health professionals,” said Scott Fleming, SCHEV director. “In round two, we received proposals from more institutions than we could fund, and we hope to see expanded support of the program in the future.”
Established in 1956, the State Council of Higher Education’s mission is “to advocate and promote the development and operation of an educationally and economically sound, vigorous, progressive and coordinated system of higher education in the commonwealth of Virginia.”
In 2023, CAPS was reaffirmed as fully accredited by the International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS), the premier leader in setting the benchmark for the full range of professional counseling services on college and university campuses worldwide. CAPS has maintained full accreditation continuously since 2006. Longwood is one of approximately 200 higher education institutions accredited by IACS and one of eight in Virginia.
Longwood’s Office of Research, Grants and Sponsored Projects (ORGSP) provides support to university faculty and staff interested in obtaining external funding for their research, scholarly and creative activities. If you would like more information about ORGSP, please call 434-395-2987 or email Dr. Alix Fink ([email protected]) or Jim Wiecking ([email protected]).
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