Augusta University Secures Historic Grant to Enhance Mental Health Support for Students

Augusta City Celebrates Groundbreaking Mental Health Initiative

Augusta is buzzing with excitement as two dedicated faculty members from Augusta University’s College of Education and Human Development, Dr. Jordon Beasley and Dr. Alicia Becton, have successfully secured the largest grant in the college’s history. The grant, titled “Train & Retain: A University-District Partnership to Strengthen Student Mental Health,” is a whopping nearly $5 million from the Department of Education, dedicated to strengthening mental health support for high school students in the Richmond County School System.

Aiming for Real Change

What does this mean for education in our community? Well, the aim is to create better-trained school counselors who are equipped not only with the knowledge and skills to serve students’ mental health needs but also to take care of their own well-being.

This initiative will significantly enhance how school counseling interns are trained at Augusta University, combining rigorous academic learning with real-world experience. Dr. Becton, who co-leads the project, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “This is huge for our program.” The goal is to prepare 64 counseling interns to work in 15 high-need schools across Richmond County over the next five years, potentially impacting up to 10,000 students.

The Bigger Picture

Dr. Beasley shared that the idea behind this initiative developed out of recognizing an urgent need for enhanced mental health support in schools. He noted, “This grant is the result of a shared vision that recognized the urgent need to address mental health support for educators and students.” With this partnership, interns will gain practical experience while offering evidence-based mental health support to their peers.

But there’s more to it! The grant will also allow non-traditional students to have access to paid internships, broadening opportunities for those who might struggle to pursue teaching careers due to financial constraints. Dr. Becton highlighted how this changes the game: “These counselors will be immersed and trained at an elevated level, highly skilled.”

Supporting the Supporters

This program doesn’t just help students; it has a significant focus on caring for the counselors themselves. As school counselors often function as first responders to students facing mental health challenges, their well-being is crucial. It’s all about finding that balance—if counselors aren’t taking care of their own wellness, it can lead to serious burnout. Dr. Beasley puts it simply, “If counselors are not managing their own wellness, it can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and reduced effectiveness.”

Through the Train & Retain program, participants will learn techniques for self-care that ultimately enable them to show up fully for the students. We all know how important role models are for young individuals, and these counselors will be just that, modeling healthy behaviors and providing impactful support.

A Community Approach

Augusta University is not working alone in this endeavor. The initiative is a collaboration with key stakeholders from both the university and the Richmond County schools. Collaboration, as Dr. Becton notes, is central to achieving their goals, stating, “We aim to develop a pipeline of mental health professionals.” This includes efforts to focus on increasing diversity among school counselors and ensuring they are well-equipped with modern strategies to address mental health comprehensively.

Looking Ahead

The team doesn’t plan to stop with just this grant. They’re already brainstorming ways to broaden their reach, exploring additional funding, partnerships with other districts, and deepening their research on the program’s long-term effects. The dream is to develop a model that can be replicated nationwide.

As this initiative gets underway, there’s a collective excitement about how it will transform the landscape of mental health education in Augusta. Dr. Beasley sums it all up by saying, “It also amplifies our ability to create meaningful change, showing that our community and stakeholders believe in this vision.” It’s a thrilling time for education in Augusta as they work towards a brighter, more supportive future for students and counselors alike!