Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program

The fellowship is directly related to efforts to reduce health disparities among ethnic minorities in the U.S. by filling a crucial need for mental health professionals in psychology, nursing, social work, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and substance use and addictions counseling.

The MFP selects individuals with promise and a commitment to careers that address behavioral health services needs of ethnic minorities. Thus, the IMFP has two target populations at the center of its efforts: the members of ethnic and racial minorities in need of behavioral health services and ethnic minority graduate students in the six represented disciplines.

For more information, please see the frequently asked questionsopens in new window.

Applicants must:

• be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or noncitizen nationals;
• be master’s or doctoral students in psychology, nursing, social work, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, or substance use and addictions counseling;
• commit to enter careers in behavioral health services for ethnic and racial minorities who have a mental or co-occurring mental and substance use disorder immediately upon graduation.
• It is not required for applicants to identify as ethnic minorities; however, African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders are especially encouraged to apply.

Additional eligibility by discipline and training level:

Marriage and Family Therapy

Master’s eligibility

• must be enrolled in a program with an MFT identity

Doctoral eligibility

• must be enrolled in a program with an MFT identity

Mental Health Counseling

Master’s eligibility

• must not already possess a master's degree in a behavioral health field
• be enrolled in a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accreditedopens in new window counseling master’s program
• commit to becoming board certified by applying for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) certification prior to graduation and to completing the application process

Doctoral eligibility

• be enrolled full time in a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited doctoral counseling program
• be board-certified by holding the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential

If the applicant is not currently board-certified, they must document all of the following:

• a full state license as a professional counselor
• a passing score on the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
• a commitment to apply for the NCC credential and to complete the application within the shortest possible timeframe after notification of the MFP award

Nursing

Master’s eligibility

• must have an active registered nurse license;
• must be enrolled full-time in an accredited master’s degree behavioral health (psychiatric mental health/substance use) program in nursing.
• Master’s-level curriculum and plan of study must embody behavioral health disorders prevention, treatment, and recovery that are under girded with theoretical and clinical science.

Doctoral eligibility

• must have a master's degree or completed at least nine (9) credits related to psychiatric/mental health nursing or substance use
• must be enrolled as a full-time doctoral student in a fully accredited nursing program in psychiatric/mental health nursing or substance use
• must have an active registered nurse license

Psychology

Master’s eligibility

• be enrolled full-time in a terminal master’s program in psychology that:
  • prepares students to be license-eligible practitioners
  • is on APA’s list of eligible programsopens in new window
  • is not accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, not a marriage and family therapy program and not an addictions program

Doctoral eligibility

• be enrolled full-time in an APA-accreditedopens in new window doctoral program
• No fellowship support is available during a student's internship year.

Social Work

Master’s eligibility

• must be enrolled at a CSWE-accredited institutionopens in new window

Doctoral eligibility

• must hold a social work master’s degree from a CSWE-accredited program
  • In certain cases, social work doctoral students who are license-eligible in a partner IMFP field are eligible to apply for the social work doctoral fellowship as part of the IMFP.  Remember that you can only apply to one discipline per application cycle.

Please contact us for more information.

Substance Use and Addictions Counseling

Master’s eligibility

• must be enrolled and be in good standing in one of the following programs:
  • a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited master’s addictions counseling program or other master’s counseling program with a concentration in addictions
  • a regionally accredited master’s addictions counseling program or other master’s counseling program with a concentration in addictions
  • an addictions program accredited by the National Addictions Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC)

Required documents to be submitted online

Doctoral

• application form
• two essays
• curriculum vitae
• unofficial transcript(s)
• academic advisor recommendation
• two additional recommendations
• GRE report (if applicable—refer to the application instructions for details)

Masters

• application form
• one essay
• curriculum vitae
• unofficial transcript(s)
• two recommendation letters (with recommendation forms)
• GRE report (if applicable—refer to the application instructions for details)

Dates to remember

• Applications will open October 1 with a January 15 submission deadline.
• Review process: March through late April
• Notification: mid-May via the online application system

Download the application instructions

Instructions are also available by selecting "help" in the online application form. Documents below are subject to updates for the next application cycle.

Doctoral

• Applicant instructions (PDF, 669KB)opens in new window
• Recommender instructions (PDF, 317KB)opens in new window