Great Minds Fellowship at YSU Helping to Fulfill Community Needs
Due to the growing need for mental health support in many Ohio communities, the state developed the Great Minds Fellowship program for colleges to offer students approaching the last two years of their degree or certificate in areas such as social work and counseling.
As a result, Youngstown State University was awarded just over $2 million to begin offering the Great Minds Fellowship to students enrolled in the social work and counseling programs. Since receiving the grant in Fall 2023, the YSU Social Work & Counseling programs have worked with its faculty and students and community partners to utilize this award.
Students who have been selected for the fellowship are eligible for up to $10,000 in scholarships to cover tuition fees, loans, living costs and more. Those selected for the Great Minds Fellowship must be a resident of Ohio, complete an internship with one of Ohio’s Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHC) and commit to working at a CBHC for at least one year following graduation.
Jake Protivnak, Distinguished Professor and Counseling program director, and Dana Davis, associate professor and Social Work chair work within their respective departments to recruit and coordinate the fellowship for their students.
"We're here to help with community needs. We are willing to work with students, train them, and send them out into the field to fulfill these needs," Protivnak said.
Theresa Swindler, Social Work field director and Victoria Kress, Clinical Mental Health Counseling field experience coordinator assist undergraduate and graduate students who have received the scholarship to find jobs and internships with the CBHC.
“These community agencies rely heavily on YSU students,” Swindler said. “They have a significant impact addressing the mental health and emotional needs of children, adolescents and adults.”
Justine Knauf, Counseling student participant in the Great Minds Fellowship is completing her internship at Alta Behavioral Healthcare in Youngstown. She sent a testimonial of the fellowship’s benefits to Ohio Gov. DeWine.
“I am completing a year-long clinical field experience internship at a community behavioral health agency in Youngstown. I provide counseling to children, adolescents and their families who experience anxiety, depression and other mental health issues,” Knauf wrote. “The Great Minds Fellowship has provided me with financial assistance to be able to pursue a career that means the world to me.”
If you're interested in learning more about the fellowship, please contact Jake Protivnak, Counseling program director at jjprotivnak@ysu.edu or Dana Davis, associate professor and chair of the department of Social Work at ddavis05@ysu.edu.