The National Council for Mental Wellbeing is committed to expanding the research and evaluation of all Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) programs. The MHFA USA Doctoral Student Grants Program demonstrates this commitment by supporting doctoral students interested evaluating the processes, outcomes and impacts of MHFA in the United States. Each year, the grant will provide a one-time award of $5,000 to four outstanding full-time doctoral students who demonstrate significant potential as researchers in their field of study.
second-year Ph.D. student, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Morgan J. Grant, MS, MBA, CHES, CPH
third-year Ph.D. student, Health Education, Texas A&M University
Cho Rong Claudia Won
fifth-year Ph.D. student, School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Denise “Dee” Yookong Williams
third-year doctoral student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work
Our 2022 MHFA Doctoral Student Grant Awardees
Ami Patel
Second-year Ph.D. student, School Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park
Diksha Bali
Third-year Ph.D. student, School Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park
Ashley Coburn
Third-year Ph.D. student, School Psychology, University of Northern Colorado
Breanna King
Third-year Ph.D. student, School Psychology, University of Northern Colorado
Natalie Malone
Fourth-year Ph.D. student, Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky
Our 2021 MHFA Doctoral Student Grant Awardees
Caroline Barry
Second-year PhD student, behavioral, social and health education sciences, Emory University
Mazneen Havewala
Second-year PhD student, school psychology, University of Maryland, College Park
Olivia Khoo
Fourth-year PhD student, school psychology, Columbia University
Melanie Soderstrom
Fifth-year PhD student, criminal justice, University of Central Florida
Mental Health First Aid training has taught the officer to ask his charges, “What happened?” instead of, “What’s wrong with you?””–Officer Orlando Singleton
So many people are out there wishing for something better, hoping that help will show up. That’s what Mental Health First Aid is – it is help to get people connected to care and ultimately to get them to a better place.”–Tousha Paxton-Barnes, U.S. Army Veteran
I wish that every corrections officer could receive Mental Health First Aid training. I believe that our corrections system would be better because of it – the inmates would benefit, the officers would benefit and ultimately our communities would benefit.”–Lt. Virgil Meyer, Lieutenant, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
As adults, we sometimes forget how hard it was being an adolescent. When we see a kid who is just miserable at school, we might think they choose to be that way – or that it’s just part of adolescence. But in fact, they might be in a mental health crisis, one they certainly did not choose and do not want.
When a teacher says “how can I be helpful,” that is a powerful question. ”–Alyssa Fruchtenicht, School-Based Mental Health Counselor
