The AAMFT Blog

Minority Fellowship Program Volunteer Applications Now Open for 2020-21

AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) Volunteer Applications are now open for the 2020-21 year! Please download the attached file for information on the positions available and the application process. Applications are due September 15. 

Download Volunteer Applications 2020-21

The Minority Fellowship Program Recognizes Mentors of the Year: Dr. Tatiana Melendez-Rhodes and Nelson Perez

The Minority Fellowship Program is pleased to present the Mentors of the Year award to Dr. Tatiana Melendez- Rhodes and Nelson Perez.

 

Dr. Melendez-Rhodes is an Assistant Professor and Clinical Coordinator of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program in the Department of Counselor Education at Central Connecticut State University, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Connecticut, a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. She received her masters and doctoral degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Connecticut. She is also a clinical psychologist in Peru, her native country. She was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship allowing her to pursue her graduate studies in the United States.

 

Dr. Melendez-Rhodes has taught several graduate courses of marriage, family therapy, and supervision in universities in the United States and has taught undergraduate courses in the Department of Psychology in universities in Peru. She is passionate about teaching, mentoring, and interacting with her students. Dr. Melendez-Rhodes has worked in public hospitals, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, private practice and outpatient mental health organizations in Connecticut, Oregon, Washington, and Peru. She incorporates her extensive clinical experience as a psychologist and marriage and family therapist to her teaching and research. She currently serves on the Connecticut Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CTAMFT) Board as an Academic Liaison. The AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program is grateful to Dr. Melendez-Rhodes for her time and investment in the program and the fellows.

 

Nelson M Perez is an enthusiast psychotherapist who develops his professional practice as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Miami, South Florida, currently working with families who have children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, developmental problems, and other family issues. He practices based on a systemic and relational approach to individuals, families, and groups with a multicultural, inclusive, and narrative therapy perspectives. He has more than 14 years of clinical work including a spectrum from individual, family, child, and adolescent therapies to psycho-educational groups with a wide diversity of personal, family, and socio-cultural challenges. Also, this therapist has worked in several therapeutic and research programs with people with substance abuse and chronic health conditions such as Progressive Muscular Dystrophy, HIV, and Autism; in addition, treating families and individuals severely affected by psychiatric diagnoses, social isolation, and legal, immigration, and substance abuse problems. Nelson worked as a College professor of Psychology in Cuba in the University of Havana, teaching in several Psychology areas (Research Methodology, Clinical, Health, and Social Psychology). He has been awarded with two Scholarship Programs participating in international and cross-cultural family researches in Mexico and USA. At this moment, he is a doctoral candidate of Ph.D. in Family Therapy at Nova Southeastern University. Nelson has demonstrated special interest in exploring the dynamics, resources, and perspectives of Cuban-American families in their immigration, settlement, and integration processes in American Society, advocating, in his professional and academic activities, for individual and family developments through integration and communication, multi-system collaborative dialogues, and strength based focus. He is currently preparing the theoretical and methodological bases of his doctoral dissertation with Cuban-American families in the community of South Florida. He has experiences in different quantitative, qualitative, and mix methodologies in the research arena. The AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program is grateful to Mr. Perez for his time and investment in the program and the fellows.

A Snapshot of the Minority Fellowship Program

The AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program 2020-2021 applications are due February 14, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST.

To learn more about the 2020-2021 Application below are the remaining webinar dates:

Application Webinar on Thursday, January 23, 2020, 11am-12pm EST. Click here to join the webinar!

Application Webinar on Thursday, February 06, 2020, 11am-12pm EST. Click here to join the webinar!

Email the Minority Fellowship Program staff with any questions or concerns at mfp@aamft.org.

Here is a snapshot of the Minority Fellowship Program!

 

Minority Fellowship Program Applications Are Open

MFP Applications for the 2020-2021 year is currently open and will close Friday, February 14, 2020.

The AAMFT Research and Education Foundation's Minority Fellowship Program offers three Fellowships. The MFP is one of the longest running behavioral health workforce development grants funded by the federal government – funding provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These Fellowships are:

1. Dissertation Completion Fellowship (DCF)-For doctoral students at the dissertation stage of their curriculum;
2. Doctoral Fellowship (DF)-For doctoral students still in the process of completing pre-dissertation core curriculum;
3. Minority Fellowship Program- Youth (MFP-Y)-For masters students interested in service provision to the nation’s youth.

Find more information here.

Email the Minority Fellowship Program staff with any questions or concerns at mfp@aamft.org.

Minority Fellowship Program Volunteer Applications Open for 2019-20 Year

Calling all Minority Fellowship Program Alumni and leaders in the Marriage and Family Therapy field! The AAMFT Research & Education Foundation is excited to announce that the Minority Fellowship Program Volunteer Applications for the 2019-20 year are now open. This is an opportunity for you to contribute to the efforts of the MFP in shaping the marriage and family therapy workforce and enhancing the field of mental health. You may apply to any of these positions listed below here!

Three significant ways that you can enhance the profession:

Ad- hoc Review Positions

• Ad-hoc reviewers serve as initial reviewers on eligible applications for the Doctoral (MFP-DF/DCF) and Master’s (MFP-Y) Fellowships offered by the MFP.
• No term limit

Mentor Positions

• MFP Mentors provide academic, professional and career development guidance to AAMFT MFP Fellows.
• MFP Mentors are marriage and family therapists or other behavioral health professional volunteers.
• No term limit

Advisory Committee Positions

• Professional Member Positions and Public Member Positions
• Advisory Committee members provide programmatic and professional
  guidance aid in the growth and development of the AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program.
• Attend all MFP Advisory Committee (AC) meetings. There are 1-2 Advisory Committee meetings annually in the DC Metro area.
• Committee members serves as reviewers and assist in the determination of Fellows.
• This position serves a 2-3-year term

To select the volunteer position you wish to apply for, please visit the MFP Volunteer Application Information Page.

If you have any questions or concerns email the AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program at mfp@aamft.org

Application deadline has been extended to September 23, 2019

Opportunity to Present at the Minority Fellowship Program Training Institute

The Minority Fellowship Program would like to invite the submission of workshop/presentation proposal materials for consideration at its upcoming 2019 Training Institute (TI) (May 15-19, 2019). 

The Minority Fellowship Program Training Institutes feature interactive seminars and advanced workshops with distinguished scholars and clinicians in the behavioral health field of marriage and family therapy. MFP Fellows gain an opportunity to learn from, and interact with, presenters in the areas of cultural sensitive interventions with ethnic minority populations, as well as, the integration of advanced quantitative research modalities. The Minority Fellowship Program is a national workforce development program that seeks to- through collaboration with federal agencies like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and leading behavioral health professional associations like AAMFT- increase the number of culturally competent behavioral health practitioners who provide substance abuse and other mental health services to underserved minority populations. 

Call for Presenters:
If you or someone you know is interested in presenting at the upcoming 2019 TI you are invited to submit a Presenter Information Form. Selected MFP Presenters will have an opportunity to help shape future cohorts of behavioral health services leaders and practitioners, and contribute to the advancement of the marriage and family therapy and wider behavioral health professions.

Apply Here

MFP Recognizes Mentors of the Year: Ryan Seedall and Ashley Landers

The Minority Fellowship Program is pleased to present the Mentor of the Year award to Dr. Ryan Seedall and Dr. Ashley Landers. 

Dr. Ryan B. Seedall is an Assistant Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program within the department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development (FCHD) at Utah State University (USU). Although the majority of the courses he teaches are at graduate level, he also teaches hybrid and online courses about diverse families. His research broadly focuses on understanding the process of change, (a) within couple relationships; and (b) within therapy. In addition, he has been a practicing MFT for the past 13 years. Outside of work he enjoys sports, reading, and spending time with his wife, Ruth, and their four children. The AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program is grateful to Dr. Seedall for his time and investment in the program and the fellows.

 

Dr. Ashley Landers is an Assistant Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the Northern Virginia Center at Virginia Tech. Dr. Landers is an AAMFT Clinic Fellow and Approved Supervisor as well as a MFP Alumni. She has extensive experience providing individual, group, and family therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. Her specialized training areas include Structural Family Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Ashley’s clinical and research interests converge around issues of complex trauma and families in child welfare. She views child welfare as a family systems level issue – recognizing that adverse experiences in childhood including maltreatment and family dysfunction are often associated with subsequent mental illness and substance abuse. Dr. Landers’ program of research focuses on families in child welfare, more specifically marginalized underserved minority families such as First Nations/American Indian families involved with the child welfare system. The AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program is grateful to Dr. Landers for her time and investment in the program and the fellows.

Applications Open for 2019-20 Minority Fellowship Program

Applications for the 2019-20 Minority Fellowship Program year are currently open and will close on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

Update: The deadline has been extended to February 15.

The AAMFT Research and Education Foundation's Minority Fellowship Program offers three Fellowships. The MFP is one of the longest running behavioral health workforce development grants funded by the federal government – funding provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These Fellowships are:

1. Dissertation Completion Fellowship (DCF)-For doctoral students at the dissertation stage of their curriculum;
2. Doctoral Fellowship (DF)-For doctoral students still in the process of completing pre-dissertation core curriculum;
3. Minority Fellowship Program- Youth (MFP-Y)-For masters students interested in service provision to the nation’s youth.

Find more information here.

Join MFP staff for an informational webinar on applying for the Fellowship. Choose a time that works for you (all webinars are from 11 am - 12 pm Eastern):

• Application Webinar on Thursday, December 13, 2018, 11am-12pm ET. Click here to join the webinar! 
• Application Webinar on Thursday, January 10, 2019, 11am-12pm ET. Click here to join the webinar! 
• Application Webinar on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, 11am-12pm ET.Click here to join the webinar! 

• Thursday February 7, 2019 11:30am-12:30pm EST. Click here to join the webinar

Email the Minority Fellowship Program staff with any questions or concerns at mfp@aamft.org.

Support the Minority Fellowship Program

Calling all Minority Fellowship Program Alumni and leaders in the Marriage and Family Therapy field! We have opportunities for you to contribute to the efforts of the MFP in shaping the marriage and family therapy workforce and enhancing the field of mental health. You may apply to any of these positions listed below here!

Positions include:

Mentor Positions:

• MFP Mentors provide academic, professional and career development guidance to current AAMFT MFP Fellows.

• MFP Mentors are marriage and family therapists or other behavioral health professional volunteers.

Ad-Hoc Review Positions:

• Ad-Hoc reviewers serve as initial reviewers on eligible applications for the Doctoral (MFP-DF/DCF) and Masters (NITT-MFP-Y) Fellowships offered by the MFP.

Advisory Committee Positions:

• Professional Member positions and Public Member positions will provide programmatic and professional guidance aid in the growth and development of the AAMFT Minority Fellowship Program.
• Attend all MFP Advisory Committee (AC) meetings. There are one to two Advisory Committee Meetings annually in the DC Metro area. 
• Advisory Committee members serve as reviewers and assist in the determination of Fellows.
• These positions serve a two to three-year term. 

Volunteering for the MFP is an amazing opportunity to further the mission of expanding culturally competent mental health services to underserved populations, contribute to the growth and development of the behavioral health workforce, and gain access to members with similar interests and professional goals.

To review the volunteer position, you wish to apply for, please visit the MFP Volunteer Application Information Page.

Volunteer Applications are due Friday July 27, 2018

Minority Fellowship Program Volunteers Needed

The AAMFT Research & Education Foundation is excited to announce that the Minority Fellowship Program Volunteer Applications for the 2018-19 year are now open! The MFP is funded by grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), focused on training of doctoral and master’s level practitioners and researchers in culturally competent mental health and substance abuse services, treatment, and prevention. The MFP has supported the training of over 1,700 Fellows from various mental health disciplines including marriage and family therapy.

There are many ways that you can contribute to the efforts of the MFP in shaping the marriage and family therapy workforce and enhancing the field of mental health.

Positions include:

Advisory Committee Member (Professional and Public Member)

MFP Mentors

Ad-hoc members/ Initial Reviewers

Volunteering for the MFP is an amazing opportunity to further the mission of expanding culturally competent mental health services to underserved populations, contribute to the growth and development of the behavioral health workforce, and gain access to members with similar interests and professional goals.

Review the volunteer position you wish to apply for on the MFP Volunteer Application Information Page.

 

To learn more about this opportunity please attend one of our free volunteer webinars:

Thursday March 29, 2018, 2:30 PM -3:30PM ET Click here to Join

Thursday April 19, 2018, 2:30PM -3:30PM ET Click here to join  

Volunteer Applications are due Friday June 29, 2018