Starting in fall 2024, Bluffton University will provide up to $10,000 in financial support to Bluffton University Master of Social Work students who are pursuing careers in high-need areas such as substance abuse counseling and mental-health treatment. Funding comes from the Great Minds Fellowship Grant awarded to Bluffton University by the Ohio Department of Higher Education,

“This award strengthens our commitment to graduate education in the social work field,” said Dr. Alex Sider, interim vice president of academic affairs. “It builds on the momentum developed by the Great Minds Fellowship grant at the undergraduate level to enable post baccalaureate students to strengthen their credentials, furthering our ability to address unmet regional needs for service provision and care in community and home-based settings.”

The grant funding is intended to help graduate students grow in their careers while helping communities across the state better care for those living with mental health and substance abuse disorders. 

Great Minds Fellows can use the funds to assist with the costs of completing their degrees such as tuition, textbooks, transportation, etc. 

Grant recipients must be residents of Ohio, complete a paid internship at a participating Ohio Community Behavioral Health Center (CBHC) and, upon graduation, commit to employment at a participating Ohio CBHC for at least one year. To qualify, students must also be new Bluffton University MSW students starting in fall 2024 and complete their degree within two years. Grants will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Three Bluffton University undergraduate students were awarded Great Minds grant funding in fall 2023 and must also commit to internships and employment in the area of mental health treatment.