Learn About Hazelden Betty Ford
Two Hazelden Betty Ford Grad School scholars awarded national fellowships by National Board for Certified Counselors
Center City, Minn. (Oct. 15, 2023) – The Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School congratulates two of its master's-level students for earning fellowships that fuel the growth of racial diversity in the substance use and mental health disorder treatment field.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funds the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) through a grant, which increases the number of culturally competent addiction counselors and mental health counselors available to underserved minority populations, with a specific focus on transition-age youth (ages 16–25).
The program administers up to 50 master's-level counseling fellowships of $15,000 for addictions counseling students, plus the travel expenses to participate in other program-related trainings. More information on the program fellows can be viewed at: https://nbccf.org/programs/fellows/addictioncounseling.
"Minorities" include but are not limited to racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, sexual orientation, rural, or military groups. By strategically promoting and providing fellowships to master's-level counseling students, the NBCC MFP strengthens the infrastructure that engages diverse individuals in counseling and increases the number of substance use disorder professional counselors who provide direct substance use disorder services to minority populations.
"We are so proud of Shayna and Nicole, both of whom are very deserving recipients of these fellowships," said Kevin Doyle, EdD, president and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. "This marks the third consecutive year in which one or more of our students have been so recognized, and we are thrilled that our graduates will help address the dire need for a highly trained and skilled workforce to help underserved populations address substance use and mental health disorders long into the future."
Eligible applicants must demonstrate knowledge of and experience in addictions/substance use disorders services to one or more of the following: underserved minority communities, child/adolescent and geriatric groups, minority communities in inner cities and rural areas, minority persons (including LGBTQIA+), or those who are veterans or are from military families.
The scholarship recipients
Shayna Kasdan is a patient care technician at the Hazelden Betty Ford Center for Teens, Young Adults and Families in Plymouth, Minn., and is originally from Scottsdale, Ariz. Shayna plans on working in the field of substance use and mental health treatment specializing in adolescent care. She hopes to continue her education and is actively pursuing doctoral program opportunities. Her anticipated graduation date is April 2024.
Nicole Moore is currently working as a qualified professional working with adults with intellectual developmental disabilities living in residential placement. Her anticipated graduation date is April 2025 and plans thereafter to work as a dually licensed clinical mental health and addictions counselor in her own private practice.
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission (NASAC), the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies upholds the highest standards of academic excellence and professional competence. Offering both on-campus and online program options, it is part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit system of addiction treatment, mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services.
About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. As the nation's leading nonprofit provider of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient addiction and mental health care for adults and youth, the Foundation has treatment centers and telehealth services nationwide as well as a network of collaborators throughout health care. Through charitable support and a commitment to innovation, the Foundation is able to continually enhance care, research, programs and services, and help more people. With a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center, the Foundation today is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in its services and throughout the organization, which also encompasses a graduate school of addiction studies, a publishing division, an addiction research center, recovery advocacy and thought leadership, professional and medical education programs, school-based prevention resources and a specialized program for children who grow up in families with addiction.