Social work training to boost mental health support for oil spill victims | Schools

Faculty and graduate students in The University of Southern Mississippi School of Social Work will aid in the Gulf Coast’s recovery from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill by addressing the mental health needs of those still impacted by the April 2010 disaster.

An allocation of more than $100 million in funds from the BP Health Settlement was designated for expanding residents’ access to health care and enhancing the skills of health care providers in the affected area. More than $8.2 million of that is going to Southern Miss for its role in the Mental and Behavioral Health Capacity Building Project.

The goal of the project is to provide mental and behavioral health in primary health care settings while also training graduate level social work and psychology students to work in those facilities. Southern Miss is part of a consortium of five universities in four states – Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida – affected by the spill that are engaged in the initiative.

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