The National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) has selected Indiana Wesleyan University graduate student, Eva Melendez, as a 2021 recipient of the Minority Fellowship Award (MFA) in Clinical Addictions Counseling.
Melendez, who is pursuing her master’s degree in Clinical Addictions Counseling, has been awarded $15,000 to go toward her studies at IWU. As a Fellow, she will also partake in many webinars and conferences, as well as work on an individualized fellowship plan with an appointed mentor.
She is the fifth student in the history of the IWU Clinical Addictions Counseling program to receive the NBCC MFA.
"The qualities Eva possesses to be selected for this award, speak to the continued tradition of excellence, and the national reputation of the Graduate Clinical Addiction Counseling program, and the character of the type of students that want to study in the program", said Dr. Don Osborn, director of IWU’s Clinical Addictions program.
After graduating from IWU, Melendez hopes to work with underserved clients in the rural community where she grew up.
“This community does have issues regarding substance use disorders and accessibility to treatment is a major barrier,” said Melendez. “There is only one facility offering mental health services, which is not open very often due to counselor shortages in the area. Upon graduation, it is my hope to join their staff and make a difference in my hometown.”
IWU’s graduate-level Clinical Addictions Counseling degree is a 48-hour program that prepares students to work in a variety of mental health settings to help those fighting addictions. Students study under highly qualified faculty members, gain hands-on experience, and learn to integrate their Christian faith into the practice of Christian counseling. For more information, visit www.indwes.edu/adult-graduate/programs/ma-counseling/addictions-counseling.