Jacksonville State University’s Department of Social Work has received a $2.4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to launch a new rural trauma-informed behavioral health workforce education and training program. The initiative aims to address Alabama’s mental health workforce shortage by preparing master’s in social work students to serve in high-need rural communities.
Scholarships and Workforce Development
The program will provide scholarships and stipends to 48 students working to obtain their master’s in social work over four years. According to Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Dr. Maureen Newton, the program’s mission is to “help build a stronger behavioral health workforce in Alabama’s rural communities.” The specialized training will create a “robust, trauma-informed behavioral workforce equipped to serve Alabama’s most underserved populations.”
Center for Best Practices and Regional Hub
The initiative establishes a “Center for Best Practices in Rural Behavioral Health” that will serve as a regional hub for training, continuing education, trauma-informed certification, and supervision. The center will train over 1,600 professionals during the grant period, offering social work supervision, clinical and non-clinical certifications, telehealth training, and other professional development opportunities. A “Rural Behavioral Health Collaborative” will develop a “rural trauma-informed toolkit,” host networking events, and offer mentorship and licensure exam preparation to support students facing workforce challenges such as burnout and instability.
Regional Reach and Long-Term Impact
Alabama faces a severe shortage in behavioral health workforce members, particularly in rural communities where access to timely, specialized care is limited. High poverty rates, lack of trauma-informed services, and significant barriers complicate the situation. The program is positioned to address these regional disparities with a network of more than 140 behavioral health partners across 26 Alabama counties and 10 counties in Georgia, creating long-term impact across the Southeast.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.wbrc.com/2025/07/02/jacksonville-state-university-receives-grant-build-trauma-informed-rural-mental-health-workforce/