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Lehman College’s MSW Program Receives $2.4 Million Grant to Address Youth Mental Health in the Bronx
July 24, 2025
With a new $2.4 million federal grant led by principal investigator Associate Professor Amanda Sisselman-Borgia, Lehman College’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program will expand its capacity to train and support social workers serving children and youth in some of The Bronx’s most underserved communities. Funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (HRSA BHWET) program, the four-year grant will strengthen the pipeline of social workers and clinical supervisors working in school- and community-based health care centers.
“We are grateful to the Social Work team led by Dr. Amanda Sisselman-Borgia for securing this HRSA grant so that our students can be educated to care for the most vulnerable clients in our communities,” said Dean of Health Sciences, Human Services, and Nursing Elgloria Harrison.
Each year of the grant, 60 MSW candidates in their final year of the program will receive $25,000 stipends to help offset living and tuition costs so they can focus on intensive fieldwork. In addition to financial support, the award includes tailored training in trauma counseling and crisis management for children and youth.
“Integration of behavioral health into the community, where youth and families go every day, is crucial for meeting needs and improving service provision in areas where there are not enough providers,” she added.
Designed to instill a holistic view of care, the program builds in collaborations with practitioners in at least two other disciplines, such as physicians, nurses, teachers, and therapists. Interdisciplinary workshops will expand on this approach.
“This grant is transformative,” said Sisselman-Borgia, project director and associate professor of social work. “It allows us to prepare a new generation of culturally competent social workers ready to meet the complex needs of young people in high-need urban areas.”
What’s more, as a BHWET grant recipient, Lehman joins a national network of behavioral health training programs, further raising the visibility and reputation of the college’s Department of Social Work.
“This puts Lehman on the map as a leader in behavioral health education and community impact,” said Sisselman-Borgia.