William James College Announces Multicultural & Veterans Mental Health Scholarships

William James College, a leader in educating mental health professionals and the largest graduate psychology program in New England, today announced the formation of its Multicultural and Veterans Mental Health Scholarships, aimed at increasing the number of individuals trained and committed to caring for underserved minorities, and veterans trained to care for other veterans.

“These scholarships allow us to better educate, mentor, and prepare a cadre of professionals to address mental health disparities, and serve culturally diverse individuals and communities locally and across the globe,” said Dr. Nicholas Covino, president of William James College. “We hope to inspire and empower students to commit themselves to serve historically marginalized populations.”

Historically underserved groups and military veterans experience very complex mental health issues, yet they are often averse to seeking treatment if they feel disconnected from those providing services. With approximately 90 percent of psychologists classified as Caucasian/non-Latino by the Annapolis Coalition, the establishment of these scholarships will help train more culturally sensitive professionals who can work effectively with minorities. It will also increase the number who can relate more fully to the military experience.

There are varying levels of scholarships available totaling more than $350,000, which includes a donation from New England Patriots owner Mr. Robert K. Kraft. The Multicultural and Veterans Mental Health Scholarships are designed to scale, and are forecasted to hit the $1 million mark in coming years.

This new scholarship program is part of the overall William James scholarship allotment that, with the addition of the new program, totals nearly $1.5 million.