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Fairfield University Collaborates for a Healthier Connecticut (FCHC) Scholars Program

The Fairfield University Collaborates for a Healthier Connecticut (FCHC) Scholars Program was a year-long fellowship program that delivered enhanced education & training in integrated, team-based care to competitively selected students in six behavioral health master’s programs at Fairfield University: Master of Social Work (MSW), Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC), Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), School Psychology, and School Counseling.

As of July 1, 2025, we do not have further funding for student fellowships. However, we are still engaged with university and community partners in advancing interprofessional collaboration. If you are a Fairfield University faculty member or community partner, please reach out to us for opportunities to collaborate at fchc-scholars@fairfield.edu.

FCHC Scholars received interprofessional education about team-based, culturally sensitive models of behavioral health care. FCHC Scholars interned at training sites with models of integrated care that incorporate culturally and linguistically competent care, youth violence prevention, domestic violence prevention, and/or evidence-based practice in underserved communities.
Participants in the program were in their final year of internship in one of the following behavioral health master’s programs at Fairfield:
  • Master of Social Work (MSW)
  • Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)
  • Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC)
  • Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
  • School Psychology
  • School Counseling
Through student recruitment, workforce development, and specialized training for educators and community partners caring for vulnerable populations, the FCHC Scholars Program aimed to improve behavioral health services in historically underserved communities in Southern and Central Connecticut. The FCHC Scholars Program was grant-funded by a 4-year (2021-2025) Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program (BHWET) through HRSA.

Community Partners

Although we do not have further HRSA funding for student fellowships through the FCHC Scholars Program, we are still engaged with university and community partners in advancing interprofessional collaboration. Please contact fchc-scholars@fairfield.edu if you are interested in collaborating with the FCHC Scholars Program.

  • Amity Middle School, Orange, CT
  • Bridges Healthcare, Milford, CT
  • Child and Family Guidance Center, Bridgeport, CT
  • Clifford Beers Clinic, New Haven, CT
  • LifeBridge Community Services, Bridgeport, CT
  • Recovery Network of Programs, Bridgeport, CT
  • Shepherd Glen Elementary School, Hamden, CT
  • St. Augustine Academy, Bridgeport, CT
  • Turning Point AIC Program, Stamford, CT
  • Yale New Haven Health System, New Haven, CT
  • Midwestern Connecticut Council of Alcoholism (MCCA), Danbury, CT
  • Southwest Community Center, Bridgeport, CT
  • VA CT Healthcare, West Haven, CT
Video Poster

Fairfield University Collaborates for a Healthier Connecticut

Learn how Fairfield University is working to improve Connecticut.

My experience being an FCHC Scholar taught me how to work in teams and how to create collaborative frames of a client, so we have a mutual understanding of the client. My colleague and I recently applied to provide a training at an eating disorder conference for clinicians specializing in treating eating disorders. My experience as an FCHC Scholar influences all the work that I do!"

– Briana Padwe

Stag Spotlights

Brianna Padwe - Marriage & Family Therapy Class of ’22

Brianna Padwe's Journey in Family Therapy

Maria Saldana, Master of Social Work ‘24

Bridging Passion and Profession: Maria Saldana Shares Her Path as an FCHC Scholar

Briana Williams, Master of Social Work ‘24

Briana Williams Reflects on the Skills, Support, and Opportunities Gained as an FCHC Scholar

View More Spotlights

Program Highlights

Women standing at podium speaking and speaking.

The School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) and The Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences joined forces to co-sponsor a training session titled "Early-stage Psychosis Screening and Referral: Best Practices in Interdisciplinary Care." FCHC Program Director Dr. Julie Berrett-Abebe, Ph.D., LICSW, and Assistant Professor Dr. Joe Deluca, Ph.D., delivered a compelling presentation about early-stage psychosis detection and intervention within an integrated, team-based care framework.

Woman standing and speaking at podium.

Two FCHC Scholars from our first cohort, Arden Bush, LMSW, and Isabel (Iz) Mesquita, LMSW, presented at the prestigious Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)'s Annual Program Meeting in Atlanta this October 2023 (Pictured with Dr. Julie Berrett-Abebe, mentor).

Four people standing next to a projection screen, two on each side.

Dr. Jocelyn Novella, Ph.D., LPC, FCHC Project Evaluator, and Michelle Pagnotta, LPC, FCHC Project Coordinator, for taking the spotlight at the Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (ACES) 2023 Conference in Denver, CO.

Three women standing together smiling.

On September 29, 2023, we hosted a 2 hour training workshop titled, “Addressing Secondary Trauma & Building Resiliency for Behavioral Health Providers & Educators”, in an effort to address the often under acknowledged but universal experience of Secondary Trauma for folks providing behavioral healthcare.

Meet Our Team

Julie Berrett-Abebe
Julie Berrett-Abebe
Interim Director, Bachelor of Social Work | Associate Professor, Social Work | Project Director, Fairfield Collaborates for a Healthier Connecticut Scholars Program
Jocelyn Novella
Jocelyn Novella
Program Director, Clinical Mental Health Counseling l Associate Professor, Counselor Education
Michelle Pagnotta
Michelle Pagnotta
Adjunct Faculty, Counselor Education | Project Coordinator, Fairfield Collaborates for a Healthier Connecticut Scholars Program

This Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Grant is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant # 1 M01HP41966-01-00 for $1,615,932, entitled the FCHC Scholars Program. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.

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