To learn about the University’s degree and training programs, contact Holly Stanco, associate vice president of University Advancement,hstanco@unr.eduor 775-682-6013.
Mental health challenges don’t affect only those who are directly impacted—the extend far beyond individual struggles, affecting families, friends and communities. The University stands at the forefront of training future mental health professionals, ready to make a difference.
While the challenges are substantial, our community’s collective efforts offer hope and tangible solutions. Whether by making a gift or exploring a career in this vital field, your involvement helps us keep these stories alive and create many more like them. Together, we can break down stigma and strengthen our community ties.
Contribute to Grace Church’s gift to build mental health service capacity
For over a year, congregants at Grace Church in Northwest Reno have been setting aside money to donate. The church established a fundraising initiative called “For the One” to bolster mental health resources in the region.
The College of Science’s graduate program for clinical psychology received 0,000, which will be used to fund externships at local institutions which offer mental health services, such as Renown Rehabilitation Hospital services for individuals recovering from neurological disorders, as well as Northern w88 casino HOPES and the Community Health Alliance, which serve individuals who lack the financial resources to pay for care.
The Orvis School of Nursing, the School of Social Work and the College of Education and Human Development also received 0,000 to use for educating their students to work in areas supporting mental health.
The College of Education and Human Development will use this generous donation to support the next generation of mental health professionals. The funding will provide scholarships for eligible students in the counseling master’s degree program.
A 0,000 gift – raised by Grace Church in Reno – will support graduate student scholarships and paid shadowing experiences for students at organizations like Northern w88 casino Hopes and Community Health Alliance and within the School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
Marta Elliott endowment for students facing mental health challenges
Marta Elliott’s firsthand understanding of serious mental health conditions offers a unique and invaluable perspective – particularly in understanding the roots of stigma. “My research and that of others’ have shown that framing mental illness as a disease like any other doesn’t reduce stigma. In fact, it can magnify it, increasing fear and pessimism about a person’s ability to lead a full life,” said Elliott.
Instead, research suggests that when people understand the traumatic events that may have contributed to someone’s mental health struggles – either alone or combined with genetics – it becomes easier to empathize.
Elliott’s professional and personal experiences led her to establish a scholarship endowment to support University students who are facing mental health challenges. “I’m only one person, and if I’m funding one person a year, I don’t think it’s just a drop in the bucket. If each of us who is able established a fund to help even one other person, that would create a significant impact.”
To learn about the University’s degree and training programs, contact Holly Stanco, associate vice president of University Advancement,hstanco@unr.eduor 775-682-6013.
