The National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS) recently received a $2.3 million federal grant for 2025-2029 to increase access to behavioral health services for children, adolescents, and young adults in underserved areas in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
The award is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) program. This grant will support the NCSSS initiative, “Expanding and Strengthening the Behavioral Health Workforce through the Trauma-Informed Practice Scholars Program (TIPSP),” which will fund field work in community-partner agencies and the launch of a new, nine-credit graduate certificate program.
As part of the initiative, 60 master of social work students will be selected as TIPSP scholars — receiving specialized training for trauma-informed behavioral health and a $25,000 stipend. The program will include placement at a community-partner agency, participation in the Strengthening Resilience: Interdisciplinary Approach to Intergenerational Trauma (IAIT) certificate program, and simulated learning experiences for students to role-play scenarios in interdisciplinary behavioral health settings.
The TIPSP director is NCSSS Professor Eun Koh. NCSSS Associate Professor, Assistant Dean, Chair of the Ph.D Program Eileen Dombo, will lead the development of the certificate curriculum as co-director of the initiative. Frank Gaetani, director of field education, will lead partnership development for field placements.
Psychology Chair and Associate Professor Brendan Rich and Nursing Clinical Associate Professor Sandra O’Brien will advise the project for interdisciplinary collaboration. The project will create opportunities for graduate-level students and working professionals in nursing and psychology for training alongside MSW students.
“We’re proud to play a part in building a stronger, trauma-informed behavioral health workforce for our region and look forward to recruiting our first cohort of scholars,” said National Catholic School of Social Service Dean Jo Ann Regan.
