Fairfield University Collaborates for a Healthier Connecticut (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

Students enrolled in one of the following behavioral health masters’ programs at Fairfield University are eligible to apply during their final year of internship experience: Master of Social Work (MSW), Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC), Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), School Psychology, and School Counseling.

Participants must be accepted at an internship site that operates in a team-based model and is in a medically underserved community.

The application opens at the end of the spring semester, usually at the end of April or early May. Students will apply in the spring to participate in the program the following academic year.

This program is currently funded through June 2025.

In addition to the internship hours required by the respective graduate programs, the FCHC Scholars Program commitment spans one academic year during the students’ final year of the internship experience. Participants are asked to fully commit to attending monthly training meetings during the academic year, complete brief surveys during training and following graduation for reporting purposes, as well as voluntarily seek employment after graduation in an underserved community. The FCHC Scholars Program also provides resources to assist students during the job search process to support the fulfillment of this post-graduation commitment.

In addition to participating in an internship as required by their graduate program, participants will attend monthly educational meetings/trainings to gain expertise in models of integrated care, with an emphasis on culturally and linguistically responsive care in underserved communities. Scholars will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students across behavioral health master’s programs. Participants will also engage in training, including but not limited to provider well-being and resilience, job preparation, and networking. Scholars will also complete a small project related to their internship site.

In addition to the internship hours required by the scholars’ graduate program, we expect that participants attend monthly training meetings, complete any preparation work for meetings, and engage in a project related to their internship. Scholars should anticipate a time commitment of 2-4 hours/month. Meeting days and times are given to students well in advance of the start of the semester and are scheduled to avoid conflicts with class times.

Monthly training meetings alternate between remote and in-person. Information about days/times/modes of delivery for monthly training meetings will be provided well in advance of the start of the semester so that students can plan their schedules.

FCHC Scholars will receive a $10,000 stipend paid in two, $5,000 installments in the form of a check mailed to the address provided to the University’s Registrar’s Office at the time of enrollment for their master’s program. Stipend payments are provided concurrently with participation in final internship experiences.

There are no restrictions or requirements related to how the stipend money is spent.