Cleveland State University Secures Major Grant to Strengthen Ohio’s Behavioral Health Workforce

Cleveland State University recently received a $1.45 million dollar grant that will provide direct financial support to more than 80 master’s students in social work,  clinical mental health counseling, as well as doctoral students in counseling psychology.

The grant was facilitated by Dr. Sheila Patterson, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Scholarly Collaborations in the College of Health, and Dr. Tawanda Greer-Medley, Associate Director of Counseling and Director of Doctoral Studies in Urban Education in the School of Education and Counseling in the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education.

“For our graduates, it establishes a launchpad into their professional careers,” said Patterson. “It also ensures that their advanced clinical training is directly translated into immediate employment within the State of Ohio.”

The Ohio Behavioral Health Scholarship (OBHS) Program is a statewide partnership among the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, Health Impact Ohio and the Ohio Department of Higher Education to increase the number of licensed behavioral health professionals with graduate or professional degrees.

Award recipients must agree to work in an underserved community in Ohio.

Patterson said the state faces unprecedented demand for behavioral health services and a severe shortage of credentialed professionals, making investment in advanced training for social workers, counselors and psychologists a vital public health priority.

“Statewide, 75 of Ohio's 88 counties are designated mental health shortage areas. Our expectation is that these graduates will serve as clinical experts and leaders in mental health care across the state,” said Patterson.

“They are receiving evidence-based training in our Clinical Mental Health Counseling program (accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; CACREP), and our Counseling Psychology doctoral program (accredited by the American Psychological Association), and our master’s in social work (accredited by the Council of Social Work Education) so these recipients to step into health care settings fully equipped to address pressing mental health needs and to deliver quality care.”

The broader impact is that the grants will reduce the financial burden of graduate education, helping remove barriers and making advanced training more accessible to talented students.

“This scholarship addresses those financial hurdles by offsetting educational costs, while also retaining these talented students in the state,” said Greer-Medley. “This localized pipeline ensures that the state retains effectively trained mental health professionals who serve populations that desperately need their expertise.”