Buffalo Mental Health Service Professional Fellowship

A school social worker fist bumps with a young student.

Prepare for a career in school social work — and help support the mental health of children in rural communities.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Buffalo Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Fellowship prepares future school social workers to address the unique mental health issues facing students and families in rural schools. The Buffalo MHSP is a competitive fellowship hosted in partnership with Erie 1 BOCES.

Submit your application for the 2025-26 Buffalo MHSP Fellowship by Feb. 20, 2025. 

Core Components

Advanced Year Field Placement

As a Buffalo MHSP fellow, you will complete your advanced year field placement in one of four rural school districts: Akron, Alden, Medina or Niagara-Wheatfield. There, you will gain hands-on experience working with youth and families, while providing critical mental health services. 

Seminars

Through biweekly seminars, you will receive intensive training on:

  • Evidence-based and promising practices in rural schools, including school-community partnerships, family engagement, trauma-informed approaches, trauma-informed schools and telehealth
  • Inclusive practices, including multicultural competence, inclusive pedagogical practices and culturally and linguistically inclusive practices

Coursework

Buffalo MHSP fellows must enroll in the following courses as part of your advanced year curriculum:

  • SW 599 Public School Social Work
  • One of the following Advanced Interventions courses:
    • SW 524 Interventions with Children and Adolescents
    • SW 527 Interventions with Groups
    • SW 526 Interventions with Families
    • SW 531 Crisis Intervention

Support Available to Buffalo MHSP Fellows

  • $10,000 stipend per semester
  • Mileage reimbursement to and from your field placement
  • Child care stipend (as needed)
  • Reimbursement for background check and school social worker certification fees

Questions?

Katie C. Stalker

Associate Professor; Director of Field Education

Research Interests: youth violence prevention; community-based participatory research; community-centered violence prevention; community partnership; field education

634 Baldy Hall

Phone: 716-645-6444; Fax: 716-645-3456

Email: kstalker@buffalo.edu

Annahita Ball

Associate Professor


Research Interests: social work services in schools; youth development; school-family-community partnerships; educational policy

652 Baldy Hall

Phone: 716-645-8951; Fax: 716-645-3456

Email: annahita@buffalo.edu