Program Supplements for Minority Fellowship Program-Addiction Counselors (MFP–AC)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), announces the availability of one-year supplemental funding to enable grantees from the FY 2014 Now is the Time: Minority Fellowship Program-Addiction Counselors (NITT-MFP-AC) cohort to expand/enhance grant activities required under the 2014 Request for Applications (RFA), TI-14-010. Information on this program may be found in the original funding announcement, available on the SAMHSA website at http://media.samhsa.gov/Grants/archives.aspx.The purpose of the NITT: MFP-AC program is to reduce health disparities and improve health care outcomes for racially and ethnically diverse populations by increasing the number of culturally competent master’s level addiction counselors available to underserved minority populations, with a specific focus on transition age youth (ages 16-25) in public and private non-profit sectors. The current NITT-MFP-AC grants support students pursuing master’s level degrees in addiction/substance abuse counseling. Historically, the mental health and substance abuse needs of racial and ethnic minority communities within the United States have been underserved, due to a limited number of trained practitioners sensitive to the cultural issues or equipped with the language skills that impact effective services delivery.At a minimum the funds awarded will be used to conduct the following required activities:• Manage and distribute an expanded number of student stipends and other training related costs.• Expand stipend eligibility to also include students pursuing master’s degrees in related educational tracks (social work, counseling, nursing, etc.) who are committed to serving minorities with substance use disorders (SUD). It is still a requirement for the student’s program to include training on addiction issues associated with transition age youth (ages 16-25).• Collaborate with other professional organizations and educational institutions to support the expanded pool of qualified MFP-AC eligible students, and facilitate the dissemination of information concerning the program’s goals and outcomes.