Article by Julie Waechter, special to Adams State
The Denver Foundation recently awarded Adams State University a grant of nearly a half million dollars via the Colorado Health Access Fund to develop new programs to expand the region’s behavioral health work force, according to Amanda Hill, Ph.D., assistant vice president for Graduate Studies.
The two-year, $487,981 grant will support development of two new academic programs: a 15-credit undergraduate Behavioral Health Assistant I certificate and an online, 36-credit master’s of social work (MSW).
“With this grant, we will create new pathways into entry-level positions in behavioral health and social work to meet rural workforce demand in the San Luis Valley and across Colorado. There is also a need for master’s level clinicians in social work,” Dr. Hill explained. She added there is a greater need for behavioral health care in rural areas in general, and that the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment recognized a shortage of behavioral health care professionals in all six San Luis Valley counties.
Adams State will shortly hire a faculty member to develop MSW coursework and facilitate the program’s accreditation process, with the goal of launching the program in the fall of 2028. That Program Director will form an advisory committee and hire an MSW field director to oversee clinical placements.
Students who complete the undergraduate certificate can then apply those credits to a Bachelor of Arts in psychology or sociology. With that preparation, students may pursue an MSW or a master’s in counselor education, qualifying them to become a licensed professional counselor. The goal is to offer the certificate program beginning in the fall of 2027.
Established in 2014 with an anonymous $40 million gift, the Colorado Health Access Fund is a field-of-interest fund managed by The Denver Foundation. The fund is dedicated to improving health outcomes for underserved Coloradans. For the last 100 years, The Denver Foundation has built connections, facilitated collaboration, and funded community initiatives with the goal of building a stronger, thriving Metro Denver, Colorado, and beyond.
