Student Announcements

Attention: North Carolina Central University Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling Students!

The Counselor Education program was recently awarded funding from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services for a special program called IMPACT NC. IMPACT NC is an acronym for Integrated Mental and Physical health Access for the Care and Treatment of North Carolina youth/families.

What is IMPACT NC: IMPACT NC is a collaboration with local school systems, primary care providers, and NCCU’s Counselor Education program  to address the mental and physical health care needs of children, adolescents, and young adults in central North Carolina. The counseling program faculty will spearhead initiatives to develop and provide training to increase awareness of mental health, trauma, and behavioral health issues in these populations, focusing on interprofessional, team-based care models. The project will support integrated behavioral health training and supervision. 

• Students selected for the IMPACT NC program for practicum and internship will be placed in either a primary care placement connected with one of our partners (i.e., DukeWELL or a school in Durham, Vance or Person County (school counseling students only).
• Students will receive specialized training focused on applying interprofessional, team-based care models to deliver effective behavioral health services to individuals in underserved communities and engage in an immersive, year-long integrated behavioral health field experience as part of their academic curriculum.
• Students can receive funding who will be full-time in the field during practicum and internship over 1 year or doing part-time work in the field as part of their training over the next 2 years. 
• Students selected for IMPACT NC will graduate from a CACREP-accredited program with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to provide dedicated, competent, and collaborative integrated behavioral health services in underserved communities.

How do I apply?

• We are accepting applications beginning immediately for students planning to complete their field work during the 2025-2026 academic year.
• The first cohort for this program once selected would receive some paid -for training towards the end of this fall and would either be in Practicum or Internship 1 starting this spring semester.
• Students interested should provide a letter of interest and an up-to-date resume to Dr. Lupton-Smith, Student Recruitment Coordinator of the IMPACT NC program.  (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) no later than Sept. 12^th, 2025. These items will serve as your application.
• Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants will participate in a brief interview with IMPACT NC team members before final selection.