The Vermont Trauma, Resiliency, and Equity Education (VT-TREE) initiative provides additional training in trauma informed direct practice related to current social issues which emerge in direct practice settings with historically underserved and underrepresented communities. This training grant is funded by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to help diversify the behavioral health workforce. The grant provides a direct
stipend of $10,000* to second year Master of Social Work (MSW) and Counseling (MS) students who are already admitted and enrolled in their respective
graduate program at the University of Vermont. The goal of VT-TREE is to prepare students for trauma informed practice with underserved communities and to support interprofessional collaboration as part of the behavioral health workforce in Vermont.
*Per Student Financial Services (SFS) Policy: Federal financial aid policies require that all estimated financial assistance be factored into the overall financial aid award offer. This includes amounts awarded as stipends to support living expenses that are not considered compensation. If you apply for Federal financial aid by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the maximum amount of Federal loan funding you may borrow, if eligible, will be your total Cost of Attendance, less the VT-TREE stipend, if offered to you, and less any other aid you are receiving, which might include tuition remission, outside scholarships, etc. For more information about Cost of Attendance and the types of aid that may be available to you, please visit www.uvm.edu/studentfinancialservices
Who is eligible for the stipend?
Graduate students who are in their second year of study in either the Master of Social Work (MSW) or Counseling (MS) program at UVM.
Students who self-identify as diverse/historically underrepresented in one of the following underrepresented identities: racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, religious, linguistic, gender and sexual orientations.
As this is a federal grant, only US citizens and LPR's are eligible.
VT-TREE Training Activities
Required Trauma Informed & Resiliency Workshops: Students are required to participate in seven 3-4 hour, online synchronous seminars/workshops (4 in Fall'24 and 3 in Spring'25) facilitated by nationally recognized scholars. These sessions focus on a wide range of topics and issues that address concerns which will emerge in direct practice settings with historically underserved and underrepresented communities. The focus of these seminars is to increase knowledge and skillsets for trainees moving into careers in high need/high demand behavioral health settings.
Required Field Internship: Students will complete their second-year placement in an integrated primary health care or behavioral health care setting that provides services to children, adolescents and young adults with mental health or substance
use disorders and their families.
Required Participation in Program Evaluation: Students will be asked to complete pre & post surveys as well as participate in a focus group as part of the VT TREE evaluation. Students will be asked to evaluate their satisfaction with stipend amount, experience in trauma courses & seminar as well as satisfaction with their field internship and overall reflections on the program.
Required Participation in Orientation & Wrap-up Session: Students will be asked to participate in an online synchronous 1.5 hour orientation at the beginning of the program and a 1.5 hour wrap-up session at the end.