The 2017 Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) Training Institute is a wrap! The Institute consisted of eight presenters from all areas of the Marriage and Family Therapy field, including the previous MFP Director Mudita Rastogi. The presentations consisted of a variety of subjects such as immigration, LGBTQ issues, being in the MFT field, and statistical training. The presentations allowed Fellows to look into research being conducted by presenters, while learning how to improve their own research through conversations and through a series of question and answer segments.
The Capitol Hill visit was a significant one, and the highlight of the Institute. The Fellows had an opportunity to advocate to Representatives and Senators on behalf of the mental health field. The Fellows did an excellent job in speaking with Representatives, legislative assistants, and Senators about the importance of training mental health practitioners in programs and fellowships such as the Minority Fellowship Program. The Fellows spoke about a wide variety of issues, including substance abuse (specifically opiod abuse in this country), cultural issues, and, trauma. The Fellows explained the significance of these issues and how continued financial and academic support would assist the government’s initiative in resolving these issues. The legislative assistants, Senators, and Representatives were impressed by the Fellows’ knowledge and passion for the mental health field. The visit to Capitol Hill was shared with followers of AAMFT's Facebook and Twitter page through photos of each visit, which you can see here or by scrolling through this post.
The Institute concluded with Fellow presentations. The Fellows did an extraordinary job presenting their research with passion and vast knowledge of their individual projects. In addition to all of the trainings and presentations, the Fellows had a terrific time catching up with one another, exploring Washington DC, and networking with presenters.
The MFP Staff is looking forward to the 2018 Training Institute and making future Institutes an even better experience for the MFP Fellows!