91社区

USF'S ABA Program and School of Social Work faculty awarded $3.9 million training grant to fund project MABAS

Congratulations to ABA Program Associate Director Catia Cividini-Motta, ABA Program Professor Kwang-Sun Cho Blair, ABA Program Professor Kimberly Crosland, and the School of Social Work Professor Alison Salloum who have been awarded a $3.9 million training grant from the Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education to fund Project MABAS (Enhancing the Promotion of Mental Health Wellbeing of Children and Youth in High-Need Schools through Preparing School-Based Behavior Analysts and Social Workers).

In response to the challenges of increased mental health needs, including those resulting from traumatic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, community violence, and adverse childhood experiences, Project MABAS is aimed at enhancing the promotion of mental health wellbeing of children and youth with or at risk for behavioral and mental health challenges by preparing 40 high-quality school-based behavior analysts and social workers from diverse backgrounds. A special emphasis will be placed on preparing school-based personnel including those who are culturally and linguistically diverse, through interdisciplinary training to expand the evidence base on effective behavioral and mental health services for high-need children and youth who require individualized support in a variety of educational settings and to promote overall mental health and social-emotional wellbeing of the whole school. This project is a collaboration between the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) master鈥檚 program and the Master鈥檚 in Social Work (MSW) program within CBCS and three high-need 91社区 school districts (Hillsborough, Hernando, and Manatee).

Project MABAS will provide invaluable opportunities for both ABA and MSW Social Work students. Not only will students have the chance to gain interdisciplinary experience across behavior analysis, social work, and mental health, but they will also receive a full tuition scholarship and monthly stipend.

ABA students interested in applying to Project MABAS please contact Dr. Catia Cividini-Motta.. 

 MSW full-time students interested in applying to Project MABAS please contact Dr. Alison Salloum.

Additional information on scholarships offered through the ABA Program can be found here.