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Ouachita’s graduate counseling program receives $1.1 million grant

August 12, 2025 - Chase Hartsell

Ouachita Baptist University’s M.A. in counseling program has been awarded a four-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration totaling more than $1.1 million, it announced on Aug. 7.

To kick off the department’s Fall 2025 intensive, Dr. Sandra Gilliland, professor of counseling and director of the university’s mental health counseling program, told students the graduate program has received an HRSA grant aimed at providing medically underserved communities with more mental health providers. According to a survey conducted by Gilliland and her department, 80% of the university’s M.A. in counseling students live in such a community themselves.

“This grant speaks to our commitment to serving the medically underserved communities around us,” Gilliland said. "I hope that our students see that we are passionate about making sure that we are removing barriers to their education but also removing barriers for other people who need to be seen. We’re increasing access for everybody who needs mental health care.”

The grant is part of HRSA’s Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program. Gilliland and her team will use the funds to remove financial barriers for students and expand opportunities within the program, with 85% of the grant’s funds going directly to the students, including nine stipends designed to offset wages lost during clinical training.

“What is unique about our program is how many non-traditional students we have,” Gilliland said. “These are people from all walks of life, and they’re sacrificing time with their families. We also have young students who are just trying to make ends meet. We hope that this grant will take some of that burden off.”

The grant will also expand opportunities within the program by making telehealth and evidence-based trauma model training available to all students free of charge.

Carrie Roberson (left), Dr. Sandra Gilliland (center) and Dr. Ben Sells (right) celebrate the HRSA grant announcement on Aug. 7.

“It’s a huge benefit that we get the telehealth portion of our graduate program covered,” Cody Pallen, a counseling graduate student from Little Rock, Ark., said. “That kind of license will allow me to pursue clients long-distance, and that’s the whole reason why I’m doing this master’s degree. I want to work in person but also be able to meet with distance clients. The telehealth certification allows me to achieve that dream.”

“Ouachita has a long tradition of sending students into community-serving fields like counseling, education and ministry,” Dr. Ben Sells, Ouachita president, said. “We’re excited that this grant will help relieve our students’ financial burdens while also providing for underserved areas. I’m especially thankful for how Dr. Gilliland, Carrie Roberson and Jason Tolbert worked together for this grant.”

Starting in November 2024, Gilliland collaborated with Roberson, director of Development, as well as Tolbert, vice president for finance, to complete the HRSA grant’s extensive application process. All three dedicated significant time to the project, including a substantial portion of Christmas break.

“Carrie is the reason this grant happened,” Gilliland said of Roberson. “She obviously did the hard work, the tedious work, but she was invested emotionally. She cared because she cares about our students, she cares about Ouachita and she cares about the clients that our students will serve because they received these funds. We wouldn’t be here without her.”

That hard work isn’t lost on the students.

“The fact that it was written for the benefit of the students just speaks to the quality of faculty and staff that’s been brought on board to start such a great program,” Josh Wright, a counseling graduate student from Amity, Ark., said. “For me, it’s exciting to know that I’ll have all these opportunities without as much financial strain.”

Ouachita’s online M.A. in counseling is a low-residency program grounded in the Christian faith. Combining academic rigor and clinical experience, it is designed to help students become Licensed Professional Counselors equipped with the skills needed to assess, diagnose and compassionately treat those facing mental health and emotional issues. For more information, contact Ouachita at 870-245-5110 or [email protected].