LOHF is launching a new scholarship program for college students pursuing degrees to enter the mental healthcare field. This program will further one of our Two Big Goals: to develop the workforce to meet demand for youth and children’s mental healthcare in Lancaster County.
Applications will open in early 2022 (online at lohf.org/scholarships) and must be submitted by May 15, 2022.
Students eligible to apply must be accepted or currently enrolled in a master’s degree program in social work or psychology and Lancaster County residents. We are starting this program for master’s degree students and plan to expand to bachelor’s level students in future years.
“We are currently facing a crisis in the form of a workforce shortage of mental health professionals in our community,” said LOHF Board Chair Adam Biuckians, MD. He is also medical director and child and adolescent psychiatrist at Community Service Group. “This new program will help to grow this workforce and improve access to needed mental healthcare in our community,” he said.
LOHF has offered scholarships for nursing students, investing $980,100 in nursing scholars since 2003. Current nursing scholarship recipients will continue to receive their funding through the time committed by LOHF. New scholarships will now be offered to students pursuing careers in mental healthcare for youth and their families.
Our vision is for all Lancaster County children and youth to experience mental well-being. We facilitate access to behavioral healthcare for youth and children and develop the workforce to meet this need.
LOHF is tackling the supply and demand crisis in youth mental healthcare in Lancaster County by pursuing Two Big Goals:
- To develop the workforce to meet demand for youth mental healthcare
- To increase access to mental healthcare for youth, children, and their parents
We are meeting Big Goal 1 with these programs:
- Lancaster Clinical Supervision Collaborative
- Continuing Education and Training
- Mental Healthcare Careers Scholarship
We are meeting Big Goal 2 with these programs:
Children need reliable options. Through the initiatives of LOHF, we hope to streamline connections between caregivers, existing structures, and available resources in Lancaster County. True to our osteopathic roots, we support a compassionate, holistic approach. Learn more about LOHF at lohf.org.
