RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – UTRGV graduate interns in counseling, school psychology and social work have provided school-based mental health services to more than 23,600 Rio Grande Valley students through three federally funded projects designed to expand access to care and build the region’s mental health workforce.
From fall 2023 through spring 2026, 191 interns served pre-K through 12th-grade students in 12 partner school districts. More than 23,600 students received individual or group counseling, according to UTRGV. That total does not include assessments, classroom interventions, crisis services, prevention programs or presentations also provided by interns.
The U.S. Department of Education grants total $17.1 million and will continue supporting placements through December 2027. The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program supports partnerships that train school-based mental health providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies.
Project MHS ACCESS partners with Edcouch-Elsa, Harlingen, McAllen, Mission, PSJA and Sharyland school districts. MHS ACCESS 2 works with Edinburg, La Feria, Laredo and Mercedes school districts. The third project works with IDEA Public Schools and South Texas Independent School District.
The internships provide graduate students experience working alongside professionals in related fields while helping districts coordinate services. Grant funding also provides stipends, reducing the need for trainees to work additional jobs during their placements.
At least 33 former interns have been hired in the Rio Grande Valley, UTRGV said. Project leaders said the interdisciplinary model helps counseling, school psychology and social work trainees coordinate their work and support students before concerns become crises.
UTRGV said the Rio Grande Valley is designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration as a Health Professional Shortage Area, reflecting a shortage of mental health professionals. The projects are intended to increase the number of trained providers available in regional schools.
Source: UTRGV Newsroom
