James Madison is one of five Virginia universities receiving a $100,000 annual grant for two years to boost mental health services and the number of providers on campus.
Christopher Newport, George Mason, Longwood and Radford universities join JMU in receiving a total of $1 million in funds over two years for 2025-26 from the second round of the Higher Education Mental Health Workforce Pilot grants.
The grants were awarded from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, or SCHEV, in consultation with the Virginia Health Care Foundation.
JMU also received funding through the first round of the grant in 2022.
“The first round of the pilot showed promise in helping students with their mental health needs while addressing the shortage of licensed mental health professionals,” said Scott Fleming, SCHEV director. “In round two, we received proposals from more institutions than we could fund and hope to see expanded support of the program in the future.”
Each grant award will underwrite the salary and benefits of an on-site licensed clinical social worker or licensed professional candidate.
“Initiatives like this are always appreciated because they enable us to provide training and supervision to a resident and to increase to number of clinical hours that our center can provide to the student body,” said Nina Critz, associate director of JMU’s Counseling Center. “The grant also helps us fulfill our mission to provide a safe, supportive, trusting and confidential environment that empowers students to meet future challenges and lead meaningful lives.”
The previous grant allowed the JMU Counseling Center to hire, train and supervise a resident who offered additional appointments to students. The center plans to hire a new resident from the second-round grant in fall 2025.
The Virginia General Assembly funded the first pilot in 2022 and allocated continued funding in the 2024-26 budget.
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For local mental health resources, visit AFP’s Project Mental Health page.
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Crystal Graham
