Specialized Training and Academic Retention (STAR) Fellowship Program

From the Center for Workforce Development

In June 2020, William James College was awarded a $3M grant by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) initiative. The SDS was designed to increase the number of graduate students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds who were committed to practicing in primary care settings and medically underserved communities. With funding from HRSA, the College launched the Specialized Training and Academic Retention (STAR) Fellowship, which aimed to diversify the behavioral health workforce by retaining clinical psychology students from academically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to provide culturally responsive services in primary care settings (PCSs) and medically underserved communities (MUCs) throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. From 2020 to 2025, the STAR Fellowship provided scholarships, mentorship, and professional development training opportunities to 48 WJC graduate students.

The STAR Fellows demonstrated a keen dedication to careers in PCSs and MUCs through continued engagement in academic training programs and concentrations that focused on underserved communities. Across the five-year funding period, STAR Fellows were placed at more than 70 field training sites, including community mental health centers, community-based organizations, K-12 schools, hospitals, and specialty clinics. These field training sites served various vulnerable populations such as adolescents, children, transitional-age youth, low-income populations, and individuals with disabilities. Over the course of five years, the STAR Fellows provided more than 48,000 hours of clinical services in the target communities.