VA will establish a Vet Center (Readjustment Counseling Service) scholarship program to assist individuals pursuing graduate degrees in psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, or mental health counseling.
VA expects to award scholarships in the summer of 2023, providing funding to cover up to two years of graduate studies for individuals pursuing these degrees.
Upon completion of their degrees, these mental health professionals will then serve full-time for a period of six years at one of VA’s 300 Vet Centers across the country. They will serve in underserved areas that need additional mental health professionals and in states with a per-capita population of more than 5% Veterans.
Will assure access to highly qualified, compassionate staff
“In 300 communities across the country, Vet Centers provide Veterans, service members and their families with quick and easy access to the mental health care they need and deserve,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “These scholarships will help VA ensure all Veterans and service members—including those in historically underserved areas—have access to Vet Centers with highly-qualified, trained and compassionate staff.”
Vet Centers are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of social and psychological services, including professional counseling to eligible Veterans and service members, as well as National Guard and Reserve components and their families.
Many counselors are Veterans
Vet Center counselors and outreach staff, many of whom are Veterans themselves, are experienced and prepared to discuss the tragedies of war, loss, grief and transition after trauma.
In fiscal year 2022, 286,907 Veterans, service members (including members of the National Guard and Reserves) and their families received counseling at VA’s 300 Vet Centers, totaling nearly 1.34 million visits and outreach contacts.
The Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 created the scholarship program as an incentive to train more individuals in psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, or mental health counseling. It is also a part of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader efforts to support Veterans and improve mental health care access for all.
Learn more about Vet Centers.
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This is great. How do I apply for the scholarship?
This is a wonderful opportunity!
Please pass this message to the powers that be that the VA also needs a feeder program for recent graduates who ALREADY have the mental health masters degree and are licensed but in the associate phase under clinical supervision. The supply for the vet center needs are literally already available sitting on the shelf ready for placement. Hire LPC-A’s and LMFT-A’s and have fully licensed counselors/therapists currently working in the VA system to get their Supervisor designation. The feeder program could also provide free supervision as an incentive. You have trained and willing veterans with Associate licenses that are the supply to your demand right now!!
I’m a veteran myself and eventually would love to work at the VA as a mental health clinician. I graduated with my MSW last year and I’m working towards my license. I think we would have more mental health clinicians if the openings were not so limited to clinicians who are licensed and experienced. Unless I am reading the job description wrong but would this scholarship open the doors to only those using this scholarship and are not licensed? Or is it going to lessen the hiring requirement to new graduates who are working towards their license and currently associates.
Please someone clarify the whole process….
I would love to work for the VA. I am currently finishing my masters in clinical mental health and was wondering if the VA allows veterans to do their internship hours with them? Can we have more information on this, thank you
This seems like a fantastic opportunity! How do I show interest and apply?
I am interested in applying and would love to work with veterans in counseling, social work, or drug rehab. However, as I understand it, I would be required to move to wherever the VA tells me to for 6 years. Is this true even if I own a house with a VA loan? I live in Charleston, SC and would 100% take this opportunity if I would be able to work in Charleston or within an hour drive. Application information would also be helpful.
Hi Joseph,
According to the link below- the VA expects scholarship applications to be available by March 2023, and provide funding to cover up to two years of graduate studies for individuals pursuing these degrees. Recipients will be selected and their scholarships awarded by the end of April 2023. The application process is currently being developed and will be posted at the link below when available, or please visit the VA Scholarship Program page.
https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/Vet_Center_Scholarship_Program.asp
Hope this helps!
How do we apply for this?
Hi Ron
According to the link below- the VA expects scholarship applications to be available by March 2023, and provide funding to cover up to two years of graduate studies for individuals pursuing these degrees. Recipients will be selected and their scholarships awarded by the end of April 2023. The application process is currently being developed and will be posted at the link below when available, or please visit the VA Scholarship Program page.
https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/Vet_Center_Scholarship_Program.asp
Hope this helps!
Really excited to hear about this program. However, I just completed a Masters in Clinical Mental Health for individual and family counseling.
Could this new program fund a PhD in Counseling; or would it fund additional certification training in Neurofeedback or Hypnotherapy?
Please advise.
Hi Sergio-
I second this request/question. I completed a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy and would be grateful for a scholarship for a DMFT and/or training in Neurofeedback and Brainspotting.
This is an awesome initiative! How and when can we apply for the scholarship?
Hi Ashley,
According to the link below- the VA expects scholarship applications to be available by March 2023, and provide funding to cover up to two years of graduate studies for individuals pursuing these degrees. Recipients will be selected and their scholarships awarded by the end of April 2023. The application process is currently being developed and will be posted at the link below when available, or please visit the VA Scholarship Program page.
https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/Vet_Center_Scholarship_Program.asp
Hope this helps!
Hi! I’m a veteran currently working in the mental health field with only a Bachelors degree. So I feel this program is perfect! How do I apply?
I have years of experience working with mental health care professionals in juveniles and adults and I am seeking a degree so that I can be a service to my fellow veterans
I am in a different health field. Can I still apply to the program.
I want to know more information about the scholarship program. I already have a Bachelor’s in Psychology: Applied Behavioral Analysis and now pursuing a Master’s in Counseling and Human Service with a minor in Mental Health Counseling.
Are these scholarships available to African American and other minority veterans or only for white veterans only?
This sounds supremely outstanding! I surely will apply as a candidate to pursue an advanced degree in mental health counseling, marriage counseling or psychology. As a Latina, I find a lack of counselors at the VA who are like me. I know of other veterans of color who are frustrated at the lack of counselors that are relateable from a cultural and ethnic perspective.
I am very interested in this program. Could you please send me more information and about te process for VA Employees to access this program.
VRE needs a program like this!
I’m a veteran, funded my own graduate degree and licensed as an LPC Associate.
The Ft Worth Vet Center isn’t interested in me until I clear the 1500 supervised hours so I’m no longer an associate.
These new graduates are going to be in the same category. Can the VA get their act together and make it easier for veterans who want to provide mental health counseling to actually do so in the VA system?
I agree, Karl. Kudos for getting your grad degree and desiring to use it to help vets. Its unfortunate & unfair that VA makes it harder for those of us with the experience and/or education, to help our vet brothers and sisters. I’m Nam Era Army MI/MPI Vet and retired federal LEO, with BS Psych dgree. I also received a commendation medal for serving a year plus temp duty helping vets/family members with domestic violence/abuse issues, in the Army Family Advocacy Program. Although I did not finish my graduate degree, I gained much additional work/volunteer experience and education in mental health & social work, including facilitating grief groups. However, I do not even qualify for these VA peer advisor/counselor positions on usajobs.gov, because I am not a recently seperated vet. Come on VA! I understand and agree that its great for the helper and the hurting vet to have some common ground. But, do you not realize that younger vets understand and respect that us older, more experienced/educated & wiser vets went through similar fighting, stress, trauma & grief, no matter how long, when, or where we served, worked, lived or furthered our educations. Please start looking outside your boxes, at guys like Karl and myself who truly have the desire & means to help veterans in need now, rather than waiting for candidates to complete programs. The new scholarships and grad programs are great, but please let more of us aspiring and well qualified vets, help our hurting vet brothers/sisters and families now, while these other candidates are getting their education & experience.