Abilene Christian University’s Department of Psychology has been awarded $3.6 million in research funding from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the recently announced Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Grant. The award is the largest federal grant ACU has received in the last 15 years.
Under the leadership of Dr. Rachel Team, associate professor and director of the school psychology program, and Dr. Brit’ny Stein, associate professor of psychology, the grant funding will be used by ACU’s school psychology program to support mental health services in local public schools. The grant will also provide financial support for recruiting and retaining graduate students in the program and help address the current shortage of school psychologists across the nation and state.
For the 2024 fiscal year, ACU will receive $662,758, with additional funding allotted for each of the next four years, totalling $3,672,972. ACU is the only Texas university included in this grant and one of 30 total.
“World-changing research and projects take place at ACU every day, and this award from the Department of Education affirms and supports those efforts,” said Dr. Phil Schubert, ACU president. “I’m so proud of our team and excited for the implementation of this program that will make a difference in our local community and have long-term influence to prioritize mental health nationwide.”
ACU’s innovative recruiting efforts and immersive training program, named Project SMILE (School psychologists Molded into Interdisciplinary Leaders in Education), will increase school-based mental health services in the Abilene and Wylie Independent School Districts through a partnership with Communities in Schools of the Big Country.
Dr. Tim Allen, associate professor of psychology at ACU, will serve as the coordinator of school psychology training for the project and will start by expanding the diversity of school-based mental health professionals through intentional recruitment to ACU’s school psychology program and partnership building with other universities. Project SMILE will then work to empower relationships, as the school psychology graduate students serve as interdisciplinary school-based mental health leaders in high-needs schools. These students will receive stipends to support their training, funding for professional conferences and unique practicum experiences providing school-based mental health services. Ultimately, Project SMILE will develop these ACU graduate students into highly trained school psychologists ready to serve schools and improve mental health outcomes for children and adolescents across the state and country. The SMILE program is funded solely through this Department of Education grant.
“We are beyond excited for this grant and the opportunity it provides for our community, our program and the profession of school psychology,” Team said. “This funding allows us to provide additional mental health services to both Abilene and Wylie ISD students and address the critical shortage of school psychologists across the state and country.”