KU social work training program strengthens mental health workforce in rural Kansas
LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas training program that addresses mental health workforce shortages has received funding to continue through 2029.
The Integrated Health Scholars Program (IHSP) at the KU School of Social Welfare recently received a $2.4 million award through the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, funded by the Health Resources & Services Administration.
The program partners with community agencies to train Master of Social Work students to provide high-quality integrated health services in rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) throughout Kansas and beyond.
Since 2014, IHSP has supported 305 social work graduates, who now work primarily with rural and underserved populations throughout Kansas and beyond.
Over the next four years, IHSP will prepare 48 MSW students and clinical supervisors to strengthen the behavioral health workforce in high-need, rural Kansas communities. The program will support new and expanded training sites with rural health clinics each year; promote collaborative interprofessional training; and support career development through community partnerships.
“Most of Kansas is considered to be a mental health professional shortage area. There are not enough behavioral health providers, especially in rural communities,” said Michelle Levy, research project director at the School of Social Welfare. “We need more social workers prepared to address mental health, substance use and nonmedical health care needs throughout Kansas.”
Need for mental health workforce training in Kansas
Kansas ranks 37th among all states in mental health workforce availability, with one mental health provider for every 450 people, according to a 2024 report from Mental Health America. Of the 105 counties in Kansas, 96 are in a Health Professional Shortage Area for Mental Health, as designated by the Health Resources & Services Administration.
Federally Qualified Health Centers are integral in expanding access to behavioral health and improving health outcomes for underserved populations — including children and youth. KU’s Integrated Health Scholars Program provides opportunities for social workers to address mental health and substance use, as well as other barriers to care and well-being in Kansas.
During the 2025-2026 academic year, 12 student scholars are spread across 10 counties in Kansas, receiving specialized training and providing team-based care through a practicum. Scholars also receive a $25,000 stipend to reduce financial barriers to earning their social work degree.
“We are especially excited about the opportunity to partner with rural health clinics and communities to grow their own behavioral health workforce,” Levy said. “In addition, this new round of funding includes a focus on fostering resilience with students and their clinical supervisors to build capacity for a strong and sustained workforce.”
Impact on program alumni in Kansas
Social Welfare alumna and IHSP graduate Lauri Goheen said the program was instrumental in preparing her for her school-based clinician role in Saline County. Goheen, who was an Integrated Health Scholar in 2023-2024, worked as a behavioral health intern at Salina Family Healthcare. She saw firsthand how mental health needs can go unmet in small towns.
Goheen said it was critical to grow a workforce that understands and values rural life.
“The Integrated Health Scholars Program shaped the way I show up for the people I serve. It gave me the support, training and confidence to step into rural communities where access to care is often limited,” Goheen said. “Because of this program, I feel equipped to walk alongside individuals and families through their struggles and remind them they're not alone.”
Goheen joined Pawnee Mental Health as a mental health therapist in August 2024, providing therapy to individuals and families in central Kansas. From 2014 to 2025, one-third of Integrated Health Scholars trainees lived in rural areas during the program. Many stayed in those areas after graduation, continuing to provide behavioral health services to their communities.
“The impact reaches far beyond me, by building hope and connection in the places that need it most across Kansas,” Goheen said.
Integrated Health Scholars for 2025-2026
- Sarah Anderson, Central Kansas Mental Health Center (Salina)
- Yolli Cole, Four County Mental Health Center (Independence)
- John Decker, Central Kansas Mental Health Center (Salina)
- Hailey Ward, Crawford County Mental Health Center (Pittsburg)
- Karen Gutierrez Avila, Genesis Family Health (Liberal)
- Madisen Kratz, Central Kansas Mental Health Center (Salina)
- Natalie Ladd, Health Ministries Clinic (Newton)
- Jon Mills, Labette Center for Mental Health Services (Parsons)
- Angie Nielsen, Spring River Mental Health & Wellness (Riverton)
- Jonathon Poffenbarger, Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center (Iola)
- Caressa Shafer, Atchison Public Schools (Atchison)
- Katrina Torres-Manning, Irwin Army Community Hospital School (Fort Riley).
Note: Given the funding timeframe, this year the program selected KU MSW clinical students who were already placed in a rural practicum. This includes FQHCs, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) and schools. Going forward, the program will focus on behavioral health workforce development within rural FQHCs in Kansas.