PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island College’s School of Social Work has been awarded a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources & Services Administration, the college announced Thursday.
The funds will be used to improve and expand school mental health services in underserved Providence public schools. The School of Social Work will use the grant to train 64 Master of Social Work clinical social workers over a period of four years, with an emphasis on recruiting multilingual and racially diverse candidates, RIC said.
In addition to coursework, students will also intern in schools throughout the city providing clinical social work services.
“At Rhode Island College we provide students with field experiences that are mutually rewarding, that fulfill a significant need and that increase the representation of clinicians within the communities that they serve,” said Interim Director of Field Education Paula Coutinho.
RIC said that interns from the program come trained to address mental health issues and work with families to reduce barriers to behavioral health services, in addition to being trained in trauma and school violence intervention.
Graduates of the program will be eligible to serve as school clinical social workers in Rhode Island, the college said.
