Interdisciplinary Training Opportunity
A new federal training grant will provide four semesters of scholarship funding for School Psychology Ed.S students and MSW students interested in School Social Work and mental health for K-12 students. Project LEADSS (Leading Educators to Advance School-Based Services in Mental Health) is a training grant focused on preparing school psychology Ed.S and social work MSW students in school mental health (SMH) practices and in leadership of interdisciplinary SMH teams. Selected students will engage in specialized training including a 9-week summer internship providing mental health services to children and families, a bi-monthly seminar focused on providing supervision skills, additional specialized supervision, school crisis intervention training, and an advanced-year field placement in a Dane county K-12 school.
The specific aims for Project LEADSS are, over the course of five years, to recruit and train a total of 20 high-quality graduate student scholars (10 in social work and 10 in educational psychology) and benefit special education service delivery by (a) recruiting high-quality SP and SW trainees who will gain expertise in SMH and supervision skills; (b) alleviating personnel shortages in both areas; and (c) training students in an interdisciplinary approach, with specific competencies in leadership, assessment, intervention and supervision. Participation in this program provides opportunity for cross-collaboration and training with graduate students in the School Psychology program.
As a stipulation of this federally funded traineeship, upon exiting the training program, students must subsequently maintain eligible employment: 1) on a full-time or fulltime equivalent basis; and 2) for a period of at least two years for every academic year for which scholarship assistance was received in the provision of service to children who are receiving special education, related services, or early intervention (broadly defined).
For more information, contact Amanda Ngola (Co-Investigator; Amanda.ngola@wisc.edu) or Audrey Conn (co-investigator; amconn@wisc.edu).