DeKalb, IL – In the battle for mental health wellness among our nation’s youth, NIU’s role on the frontlines is growing.
Photo credit: Bruno Nascimento, Unsplash
Recently, along with the University of Missouri, NIU received a five-year grant for $2.5 million to help nurture the next generation of professionals providing mental and behavioral support services to students.
The funding is devoted to training 10 graduate students, five through the NIU Department of Psychology School Psychology Program and five at the University of Missouri Special Education Doctoral Program. The grant is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), part of the U.S. Department of Education.
NIU Psychology Professor Julia Ogg is director of the project, known as SMART-MBH (Scholars in Multi-Tiered Approaches to Research and Training in Mental and Behavioral Health).
About 20% of elementary school students and high school students need mental health support and, “with COVID-19, a lot of those numbers were higher,” Ogg said. “This highlights the need to address mental health issues in schools where all students spend a significant amount of time.”
Missouri’s special education doctoral program’s involvement stems in part from historical data revealing that students with disabilities experience mental health challenges at a higher rate than their peers without disabilities.
NIU Professors Michelle Demaray and Julia Ogg.
“Most kids who get those kinds of supports get them in school,” Ogg added. “There are some outstanding programs that work effectively in schools to address anxiety, depression and other issues. The need is more pressing than ever.”
The grant’s focus, she said, is “training leaders with research expertise in addressing the mental and behavioral health of students in schools.”
“This funding will enable grad students to be successful in pursuing academic positions and become faculty themselves, and to drive the field of psychology forward as these scholars will have specialized training opportunities in research and teaching,” Ogg said.
At NIU, Ogg and Psychology Professor Michelle Demaray will train students in school psychology; at Missouri, Chad Rose and Aaron Campbell will be at the helm of guiding students pursuing doctorates in special education.
NIU students will be supported via tuition, stipends, health insurance and other resources to support their training and scholarship. Also, the funding covers technology—such as computers or statistical software—and travel expenses to present research findings at conferences, Ogg said.
There is also a “stats camp” and a summer research institute for both NIU and Missouri students. These opportunities will allow students to gain additional expertise needed for complex research, as well as opportunities to network with other scholars in the field.
NIU had applied for the grant at least three other times in recent years, so securing the funding represents a significant win for the university, Ogg said. “This is such a good opportunity for students,” Ogg noted. “We are excited to carry this out and excited about the ripple effect it will have on so many students in need of these services.”
Prospective students in the program will be interviewed early this semester, with offers made later in the semester, Ogg said. Students will enroll in the Fall 2024 semester.
Media Contact: Tom Parisi
About NIU
Northern Illinois University is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university, with expertise that benefits its region and spans the globe in a wide variety of fields, including the sciences, humanities, arts, business, engineering, education, health and law. Through its main campus in DeKalb, Illinois, and education centers for students and working professionals in Chicago, Naperville, Oregon and Rockford, NIU offers more than 100 areas of study while serving a diverse and international student body.
