Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ & Montana State University Partnering to Address Mental-Health Needs
Providing Mental Health Services to Rural Montana
Overview
RMHP4 is a federally funded grant program designed to prepare counselors for Montana’s rural schools and communities.
Through the formation of an innovative partnership composed of: 1) the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI), 2) the Montana State University (MSU) Department of Health & Human Development (HHD), 3) the MSU Center for Research on Rural Education (CRRE), 4) the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ (UM) Department of Counselor Education, and 5) our state agency partners (Montana School Counselor Association (MSCA); Montana Rural Education Association (MREA); Montana Small Schools Alliance (MSSA), we are working to improve the preparation, retention, and overall numbers and effectiveness of rural school-based mental health service professionals for rural and remote contexts.
The RMHP4 is a cohort model that prepares graduate counseling candidates to participate and serve as counselors in rural communities. The graduate candidates are provided with preparation, a professional learning environment, and supervision to create sustainable and supportive mental health services in rural Montana.
Our goal is to:
- Increase the number of counselors in rural schools and communities from 3.7 per year to 10
- Create a long-term sustainable model for best practice in preparation of rural mental health services in Montana and beyond.
- Foster safety and support in rural schools and communities for all community members.
Resources for Graduate Counseling Candidates
Through the grant, counseling Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ will be prepared and placed in rural schools across Montana as an integral part of their graduate counseling training. This multi-step preparation pathway will include:
- Rural Life Orientation Training
- Transportation, lodging, and meals provided
- Rural Professional Practicum
- $1200 stipend and counseling supplies provided
- Rural Counseling Internship
- $1200/month stipend, lodging, and travel provided
- Rural School and Community Counseling
- $12,000 post-degree stipend provided
*The RMHP4 Grant does not provide tuition.
How to Get Involved
How to become a counseling candidate:
- Contact a program coordinator (listed below)
- Apply to the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ and/or Montana State University's graduate counseling programs.
- Complete the application for the RMHP4 Cohort during the Spring semester of your first year
How to get a counseling candidate to your community:
- Getting Started: Prospective Rural Supervisors& Rural School Sites
- If you are a school counselor in a rural district and would like to have a counseling intern placed in your school, of if you are a licensed counseling supervisor and would like to provide supervision for a counselor-in-training in a rural district, please contact a Montana State University or Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ program coordinator.
- Supervisors will also receive compensation of $100 on average per weekly supervision session.
Additional Information and Resources
Program Coordinators
Dr. Kirsten Murray
Professor
Ñý¼§Ö±²¥
406-243-2650
kirsten.murray@mso.umt.edu
Dr. Rebecca Koltz
Professor
Montana State University
406-994-3244
rebecca.koltz@montana.edu