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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – The state Department of Higher Education has awarded Salem State University $930,000 for stipends to support students in behavioral health internships. The award joins $12.4 million committed to 37 colleges and universities in December to support and grow the behavioral health workforce.
The money will support an untold number of behavioral health-adjacent students at Salem State University who are engaged in unpaid internships and practicum work. That includes the School of Social Work, where students completing practicums often find great difficulty balancing the demands of their degree with those of the real world. With 400 to 600 hours of work to complete at their internship employment site per year, students in the School of Social Work often find great difficulty achieving balance.
“It can’t be understated the impact of stipends within the education of social workers,” said Beth Massaro, associate dean for the School of Social Work in the Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services. “We’re highly trained professionals who can work in such a wide range of settings. You almost can’t find a setting where you won’t find a social worker.”
“Because the work is so intensive and broad in scope, what we call our ‘signature pedagogy’ is the practicum experience,” Massaro continued, referencing an internship with a high number of work hours. “The knowledge comes together, and the student has the experience of how it’s applied in the real world while they have the support of the educational program.”
Many behavioral health degree and certificate programs require workplace-based internships, apprenticeships, or practicum credit hours as a condition for program completion. Required practicum placements play a central role in helping students prepare to serve as behavioral health practitioners, but these experiences are often unpaid and often require students to sacrifice paid work.
To support students pursuing these careers, the funding is going to colleges with behavioral health degrees that require field placements, with a focus on institutions in geographic areas that are priorities for advancing health equity.
Christian Rodriguez, a graduate student in the School of Social Work, is working his practicum at a family resource center for You, Inc., an affiliate of Seven Hills, in Southbridge. The experience “has prepared me for my future role as a graduate social worker, teaching me the value of perseverance and determination in the face of challenges,” he said.
Rodriguez is also a father, meaning he must also provide for a household in addition to working his practicum and completing his studies. For that, financial support has helped him continue to complete his degree without impacting his duties back home as well with ancillary employment. He’s on track to complete his degree in the summer of 2026, he said.
“If I had not received the help, I wouldn’t even have been able to pursue my master’s degree, because I’m a father and a student, and it’s a big sacrifice to pay for a master’s degree – something I’ve been paying for out of my own pocket since I started,” Rodriguez said. “I was more motivated for my classes because the grant alleviated some financial stress. This allowed me to focus on my studies and pursue my dream rather than stressing about a financial burden for my family.”
The $930,000 to be received by Salem State University was the third highest dollar amount announced by the state, with Simmons University awarded $1.54 million and $1.05 million awarded to Springfield College.
“Massachusetts needs more qualified behavioral health professionals, and our administration is committed to supporting students eager to do this work,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “By investing in students looking to treat those experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, we’re investing in the long-term health and wellness of communities across Massachusetts.”
Added Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, herself a Viking, “we want Massachusetts residents to be able to access qualified behavioral health professionals when and where they and their families need them, and that will only happen if we lift barriers for entering this field. One crucial step to creating a strong behavioral health workforce is making earning a degree financially feasible for students driven to fill the roles.”
Lydia Conley, president and CEO of the Association for Behavioral Healthcare, said, “as the behavioral health workforce crisis continues and the need for care throughout the commonwealth grows, programs such as this one are essential in building a cadre of emerging professionals to provide high-quality, community-based care where it is needed the most. This vital investment will provide critical support to students with significant financial needs and will enable behavioral health providers statewide to more equitably and comprehensively meet the needs of their communities.”