Establishing innovative student training clinics for counselor educators and marriage and family therapists

Universities have a rich opportunity to make an impact on their communities where poverty and barriers to mental health access exist. A training model is outlined for universities with graduate programs in counselor education and/or marriage and family therapy. Specifically, establishing a university-associated community-based student training clinic to service the mental health needs in impoverished communities helps fulfill the mission of service to the community most universities espouse. The article addresses such aspects as: student training, university support, financial implications, recruitment and retention of minority faculty and students, mentoring, and enhancing faculty scholarship.