When our Board of Commissioners adopted the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Strategic Plan in September 2022, the framework set guidelines for how money from the national opioid settlement and the county’s Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Fund would be allocated. 

Financial resources are important when building a plan to combat issues affecting our community, but those dollars don’t make an impact on their own. They must support programs and initiatives that create real change in the real world. 

One of the biggest areas of need we came to recognize was the demand for trained psychiatric nurse practitioners and mental health providers. All the money in the world can’t address a problem if there aren’t enough capable people ready to assist those in need. 

The county’s Fellows Program aims to provide tuition support to students who are pursuing their master’s-level mental health degree or taking part in a doctoral program to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. In exchange for this funding, graduates who become certified in their respective programs are asked to serve the citizens of New Hanover County by working for a minimum of two years in the community.

The goal is simple – extend a hand to the next generation of mental health providers today so they can help others in the future right here in New Hanover County.

People like Damien Lee, a former staff member at Coastal Horizons. After more than a decade of intensive, in-home therapy with young people in the community, he found a desire to expand his knowledge base, with a goal of one being a clinical director focusing on young adults who face substance use disorder. 

“Over my career, I saw myself in people I was working with and knowing the mentors that have been positive people in my life and just remembering and learning from them how to navigate the wave of adversity and developing coping skills, I wanted to help people help themselves,” Lee said. 

Or Sara Hobgood, a nurse with nearly 30 years of experience, who used a personal experience within her family as the catalyst for a career change. 

“I struggled and struggled to find help. You had to wait months to get in with somebody, and then there’s gaps in care,” Hobgood said. “After that experience, it just kind of became a calling and I had to do this. I had to be a provider out there who could help.”

With the search for our fourth cohort of students underway, we’re excited about what this program has the potential to do. 
So far, a total of 27 students have received financial support, including 22 mental health providers and five psychiatric nurse practitioners. These students represent nine different academic institutions and include three individuals who are bilingual. As of May’s graduations, 14 students will have completed their respective courses of study and will be joining an organization here in our community. 

For participants studying to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner, the Fellows Program awards up to $4,500 per semester, with a maximum of $36,000. For those on the mental health provider tract, funding is $3,500 per semester at a maximum of $14,000. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been in school, but I certainly believe those figures can help alleviate financial stress or reduce barriers for those unsure if they have the means or ability to continue their educational journey. 

Throughout the Fellows Program process, participants have routinely had the opportunity to network with organizations in our community that are providing much-needed mental health and substance use disorder services. Many of these organizations are actively looking for the next generation of providers, allowing our Fellows to explore these opportunities that await them after graduation. 

Help those who will one day help others. It’s a simple concept; one we believe will result in significant and positive change here in New Hanover County. We’re excited about our first cohort of students finishing their academic journeys this spring. We look forward to the continued work of our current cohorts and are excited to meet the next participants ahead of the fall semester. We firmly believe these individuals aren’t just addressing a problem – they are creating a solution. 

If you know a student pursuing these educational pathways who could benefit from this program, visit our Fellows Programs website linked here. The application portal will remain open through June 30 for the coming academic year.