History of the MFP

Racial and Ethnic Minorities make up more than 28% of the Nation's Population, yet less than 20% of America's Behavioral Health Workforce consists of these diverse populations.

This scarcity of professionals who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds constitute a workforce issue that contributes to the health disparities and quality of care and access to mental health care and or substance use treatment among minority populations.

In 1974, the National Institute of Mental Health established the Ethnic Minority Fellowship Program, a grant initiative, to enhance services to minority communities through specialized PhD training. NIMH awarded funding to the four core mental health organizations that included nursing at the American Nurses Association; Psychiatry, at the American Psychiatric Association, Social Workers, at the Council on Social Work Education; and Psychology, at the American Psychological Association.

Around 1994, NIMH transferred the Minority Fellowship Program to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which is a Division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

In 2014, under President Obama's Now is the Time Initiative, SAMHSA expanded the Minority Fellowship Program to include the Minority Fellowship Program-Masters. The MFP-M initiative aims to increase the number of culturally competent Masters level behavioral health professionals available to serve children, adolescents and youth transitioning into adulthood ages 16-25.

Eligibility Criteria

Citizenship

American citizen or permanent resident.

Ethnicity / Race

Member of an ethnic or racial minority group, including but not limited to:

• Asian or Asian American
• Black or African American
• Hispanic or Latino
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

Enrollment Status

Doctoral Applicants (PhD and DNP)

• Applicants must have a Master's Degree or completed at least nine (9) credits related to Psychiatric/Mental Health or Substance Abuse.
• Enrolled as a full-time doctoral student in a fully accredited nursing program. A full-time student is enrolled in a school for the number of credit hours or courses in any academic term that the school considers to be full-time. A fully accredited school or degree program is one that is accredited by a national accrediting agency and/or a state approval agency recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
• Must have an active Registered Nurse License.

Masters Applicants

• Enrolled full-time in an accredited masters degree behavioral health (psychiatric mental health/substance use) program in nursing. Full-time status is determined by the academic institution where you are currently or planning to matriculate; this status is typically designated by credit hours or a pre-determined number of courses. A fully accredited degree program is one that is recognized by a national accrediting agency, which is approved by the Secretary of the United States Department of Education.
• Your masters level curriculum and plan of study must embody behavioral health disorders prevention, treatment, and recovery that are under girded with theoretical and clinical science.
• Your approved plan of study, signed by your major academic advisor, which includes required core courses and clinical practice hours in behavioral health, must be submitted to the MFP staff 30 days after acceptance into this fellowship.
• Must have an active Registered Nurse License.

Commitment

The documents included in your application should demonstrate your commitment to a sustaining behavioral health (psychiatric mental health and/or substance use) in Practice, Education, Service or Health Policy for the designated populations in the fellowship program. Fellows are required to commit to a minimum of 2 years’ service in mental health and/or substance use after graduation.

How to Apply

1. Register

Click on the "Register" link to the right and complete and submit the registration form.

2. Login

Login to the Minority Fellowship Program with your email and password.

3. Select

Select the applicable Fellowship from the drop down list to create an application.

4. Save

During the applications period, your application can be saved as DRAFT until all the required information is completed and attachments uploaded. At any time, you can download and print your application by clicking on the icon in the application Summary section.

5. Submit

On completion, submit your application as FINAL. Download and print a copy of your application for your records by clicking on the icon in the application Summary section in the right column. Note: If an update is required prior to the Deadline, you can make the update and resubmit as FINAL.

Tips for a Successful Application

MFP Doctoral Fellowship

To be eligible to apply for the Minority Fellowship Program, you must meet the following criteria:

Citizenship

You must be an American citizen or permanent resident.  

Ethnicity / Race

Member of an ethnic or racial minority group, including but not limited to:

• Asian or Asian American
• Black or African American
• Hispanic or Latino
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

Education

• Applicants must have a Masters Degree or completed at least nine (9) credits related to Psychiatric/Mental Health or Substance Abuse.
• You must be enrolled as a full-time doctoral student in a fully accredited nursing program. A full-time student is enrolled in a school for the number of credit hours or courses in any academic term that the school considers to be full-time. A fully accredited school or degree program is one that is accredited by a national accrediting agency and/or a state approval agency recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Professional Membership

Membership in the American Nurses Association is recommended.

Commitment

The documents included in your application (CV, recommendations, essay, etc.) should demonstrate your commitment to a career in substance abuse or psychiatric/mental health issues affecting minority populations. Fellows are required to commit to a minimum of 2 years’ service in mental health and/or substance use after graduation.

Certification

Certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in one of the following is recommended:

• Adult Psychiatric - Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
• Psychiatric - Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
• Adult Psychiatric - Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Child/Adolescent Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Psychiatric - Mental Health Nursing

MFP Masters Fellowship

To be eligible to apply for the Minority Fellowship Program, you must meet the following criteria:

Citizenship

Be an American citizen or a permanent resident

Ethnicity / Race

Be a member of an ethnic/racial minority group as designated by federal guidelines:

• Asian or Asian American
• Black or African American
• Hispanic or Latino
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Enrollment Status

• You must be enrolled full-time in an accredited master's degree behavioral health (psychiatric mental health/substance use) program in nursing. Full-time status is determined by the academic institution where you are currently or planning to matriculate; this status is typically designated by credit hours or a pre-determined number of courses. A fully accredited degree program is one that is recognized by a national accrediting agency, which is approved by the Secretary of the United States Department of Education.
• Your master's level curriculum and plan of study must embody behavioral health disorders prevention, treatment, and recovery that are under girded with theoretical and clinical science.
• Your approved plan of study, signed by your major academic advisor, which includes required core courses and clinical practice hours in behavioral health, must be submitted to the MFP staff 30 days after acceptance into this fellowship.
• You must be committed to sustaining a career that provides behavioral health services for the designated populations in this fellowship program as evidenced by a signed statement that will be maintained in the MFP files. This signed statement is due no less than 60 days after your acceptance into this fellowship.
• Fellows are required to commit to a minimum of 2 years’ service in mental health and/or substance use after graduation.

Professional Membership

Membership in the American Nurses Association is recommended.