Establishing Innovative Student Training Clinics for Counselor Educators and Marriage and Family Therapists

Abstract

Universities have a rich opportunity to make an impact on their communities where
poverty and barriers to mental health access exist. A training model is outlined for
universities with graduate programs in counselor education and/or marriage and family
therapy. Specifically, establishing a university-associated community-based student
training clinic to service the mental health needs in impoverished communities helps
fulfill the mission of service to the community most universities espouse. The article
addresses such aspects as: student training, university support, financial implications,
recruitment and retention of minority faculty and students, mentoring, and enhancing
faculty scholarship.