Psychology Master's Program Receives $2.2M in State Funding

The ongoing mental health crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, affects everyone, including youth. According to Mental Health America, Washington state currently ranks 40th in mental health care for youth, a score that indicates a higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care.

The Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology: Prevention & Treatment program is an innovative master's program offered through UW Psychology that addresses the youth mental health crisis.  The program’s mission is to provide students with specialized skills to deliver effective evidence-based mental health services to children, adolescents, and their families.  With an emphasis on cultural competence and humility, each year a diverse cohort of students develops skills to provide culturally responsive therapeutic interventions to meet the unique needs of families from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.  Using a rapid training model, the program can be completed full-time in as little as five quarters and part-time in just over two years. To date, the Master's program has 126 alumni and 31 current students enrolled.

The Psychology Department is thrilled to announce that the Master's program in Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology was recently awarded over $2.2M in state funding.  Funds will be used to double the number of students being trained each year and to create scholarships for traditionally underrepresented students and others who typically do not have resources to attend graduate school.

This investment from the state legislature will have a transformative impact on the Master's program and the communities these future practitioners will serve. Dr. Lynn Fainsilber Katz, Director of the Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology program, notes that "funding from the state legislature will give us an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the mental health of children, adolescents and families in Washington state. We are particularly grateful for the large investment in student scholarships so we can support students from underrepresented groups and others who might not otherwise be able to pursue a graduate education."

To learn more about the Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology: Prevention & Treatment program, please visit the program's website.