The NBCC Foundation, an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), recently selected Barry University graduate student Mirsha Alexandre for the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program-Youth (MFP-Y). As an NBCC MFP-Y Fellow, Alexandre will receive funding and training to support her education and facilitate her service to underserved minority populations, with a specific focus on transition age youth (ages 16–25).
Alexandre is currently pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling and marriage, couple and family counseling at Barry. After graduation, Alexandre intends to work with underserved minority teenagers and their families who are dealing with substance use, trauma and/or family issues. Alexandre is prepared for the fellowship to further enhance and develop her skills as a multicultural competent counselor and is hopes to provide outstanding mental health and family counseling to teenagers and their families in the community.
The NBCC MFP will distribute the award to Alexandre and the 39 other master’s-level counseling students selected to receive the fellowship award. Alexandre is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
The NBCC MFP-Y is made possible by a grant awarded to NBCC by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in September 2014. The Foundation is contracted by NBCC to administer the NBCC MFP-Y, as well as training and collaboration activities, such as webinars, that are open to all National Certified Counselors (NCCs). The goal of the program is to reduce health disparities and improve behavioral health care outcomes for racially and ethnically diverse populations by increasing the available number of culturally competent behavioral health professionals.
The Foundation plans to open the next NBCC MFP-Y application period in September 2015. To learn more about the NBCC MFP and its fellows, please visit www.nbccf.org.
To learn more about Barry University’s graduate program in counseling, visit: http://www.barry.edu/counseling-ms/.