Fellows Share Their Challenges and Triumphs
For Mycah Ayala-Brittain, volunteering in her mother’s special education classroom was her first opportunity to learn how professionals collaborate to meet the needs of children. The classroom had teachers, teaching assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, and medical personnel that collaborated to provide individualized care to support children with behavioral health needs.
Throughout her education, Mycah learned about the barriers that families face accessing quality health care. These experiences led her to pursue a doctorate in psychology, expanding her knowledge and allowing her to provide culturally sensitive mental health care. At Nemours Children’s Health, Mycah has had the chance to explore multiple behavioral health settings, further growing and strengthening her skills within an integrated health care system.
When Martisha Brown was growing up in Delaware, she felt like she didn’t have the counseling support she needed. High school brought about challenges, and there were few places to turn for help. She was drawn to school counseling to help fill that gap. Martisha returned to graduate school at the peak of the pandemic when child and youth mental health needs had reached an all-time high. Children were suffering. Martisha recognized the need and was motivated to help children and youth during an unprecedented time.
Along her journey, Martisha completed various internships where she provided counseling in elementary, middle, and high schools. She saw the children and young people going through the same things that she went through when she was a student in Delaware. Though the work was challenging, it was also rewarding to give back to her community.
After Martisha graduated, she joined Nemours Children’s Health in Delaware as an Innovative Mental Health Pathways for Adolescent and Child Therapists (IMPACT) Fellow. As an IMPACT Fellow, she has had the chance to work in the Swank Autism Center, primary care, outpatient, and hospital settings, while also meeting the training requirements to obtain her licensure as a mental health counselor. The Fellowship has inspired her to explore all the avenues of counseling she could pursue – from early childhood to autism.
Listen to Martisha’s story in her own words.
At a young age, Isaiah Brack realized that he had a passion for helping others. From volunteering at church or at school, Isaiah always found ways to help others and give back to his community. Now, as an IMPACT Fellow at Nemours Children’s Health, Isaiah provides behavioral health counseling to vulnerable children and teens in the Delaware Valley.
Isaiah’s passion for patient care comes from his drive and desire to learn, care for, and assist those in need of help and those who just need to be heard. Isaiah has shared that he’s grateful for the opportunity the IMPACT program has created and that he’s excited about providing critical counselling for those that need it most.
For Diana Rosales, nursing always seemed like a career that was tailor made for her. She has always had a passion for helping children, and when she started her pediatrics rotation in nursing school, everything just clicked. Seeing the impact she was making, Diana knew that she had made the right decision to become a pediatric nurse.
After finishing her schooling to become a nurse practitioner, Diana wanted to hone her expertise in pediatric care, so she applied for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Advanced Nursing Education – Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship (ANE-NPRF) Program. Through this training at Nemours Children’s Health, she has sharpened her skills across multiple clinical areas, including mental health.
Diana is confident that her Fellowship has prepared her to meet the needs of children and youth as a pediatric nurse practitioner.
Check out Diana’s story in her own words.
How Nemours is Addressing the Youth Mental Health Crisis
Nemours Children’s Health is committed to addressing the mental health crisis impacting our nation’s children and youth. The Nemours Federal Affairs Team in the National Office of Policy and Prevention helped secure $1.5 million in critical federal funding, which has enabled us to train additional pediatric providers to meet the mental health needs of our patients. On Monday, June 24, Nemours Children’s held an event to thank our federal congressional delegation for funding the IMPACT program in Delaware and to highlight other important federal investments in the mental health workforce.
Examples of Federally Funded Behavioral Health Training Programs
The event showcased how four federally supported programs have enabled training for pediatric providers to better meet the behavioral and mental health needs of the children we serve. The programs include:
- Innovative Mental Health Pathways for Adolescent and Child Therapists (IMPACT) Program: The IMPACT program provides specialized training and supervision to master’s-level social workers and counselors to meet the mental health needs of youth. Currently, eight fellows are participating in the two-year program, which is currently funded through an award from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Advanced Nursing Education – Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship (ANE-NPRF) Program: The ANE-NPRF program provides pediatric primary care nurse practitioner fellows with extensive training in specialized behavioral and mental health care and other pediatric subspecialities. This grant helps increase the number of primary care nurse practitioners in community settings, including rural and underserved areas of Delaware.
- Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) Award at Nemours Swank Autism Center: Nemours Swank Autism Center receives federal support through HRSA’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) grant, which is funded through the Autism Cares Act. The LEND program, a partnership between the University of Delaware and Nemours, provides immersive training on patient-centered care, interdisciplinary practice, and cultural humility.
- HRSA Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) and Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Programs: Since 2002, Nemours has received continuous funding from HRSA for the GPE and BHWET programs, which aim to increase the number of behavioral health professionals and improve the distribution of and access to a culturally responsive behavioral health workforce. Federal funding through GPE and BHWET has supported the development and growth of Nemours Children’ APA-approved Integrated Behavioral Health and Child Clinical and Community Tracks psychology internship program tracks as well as a bilingual training initiative, a social work internship, and behavioral pediatrics rotations for medical fellows.
Click here to learn about these important programs.
