The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) USA Doctoral Student Grants represent a commitment by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to grow the research and evaluation behind all MHFA programs.
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 fields of study and who are interested in evaluating the outcomes of MHFA trainings in the U.S.
Eligibility
Doctoral grant candidates must meet the following criteria:
Documented experience with MHFA (e.g., as a MHFA Instructor or Coordinator) and/or a strong interest in MHFA
Full-time student pursuing a doctoral degree in psychology, public health or related field of study.
Previous evaluation experience and demonstrated ability to document findings through publications and/or presentations.
Requirements
Once funded, doctoral grant recipients must:
Participate in quarterly research calls with the MHFA Research and Evaluation team.
Submit a final report of research findings to MHFA within two years of receiving the grant.
Participate in a MHFA-sponsored event highlighting research.
Pursue a formal non-MHFA publication or presentation opportunity.
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
