Therapists of Color (TOC) Grant Award Committee

LA-CAMFT's Therapists of Color Grant Award: Grant Award Winners

Marvin Whistler, Mediator

On June 30, 2024, the most recent awardees of the LA-CAMFT TOC GRANT AWARD were randomly selected.  They are Shruti Shankar and Jacquelyn Perez.  Each will receive a check for $530, and free admission to 3 LA-CAMFT workshops or networking events.  The next cycle for the grant will begin on September 3, 2024.  It is limited to members of LA-CAMFT, and the award is limited to once per calendar year.

At the end of this article, there is an update on the impact that the award has had on awardees and their thoughts on its value.

Description of Grant Stipend

Every 4 months (3x per year), a grant award will be offered to two applicants who meet the following criteria: (1) must be a current LA-CAMFT member, (2) identify as a Therapist of Color, and (3) must be either an Associate, Trainee, or Student still in graduate school.

Grant winners will receive:

• $530 to be spent at the winner’s discretion
• Free admission to 3 LA-CAMFT workshops or networking events of the winner’s choosing with the exception of the Law & Ethics Workshop.

The $530 award can be used at the recipient’s discretion based on their own individual needs (whether it be for BBS fees, testing materials, memberships, rent, groceries, etc.). Confirmation for the purpose that the money is used will not be required.

Application and Selection Process

Interested members can complete the application on the LA-CAMFT website. The selection process entails using a Randomized Generator of the applicants who met the full criteria and complete the application online to take out human bias and decrease activation of one's trauma history. The drawing will be recorded via Zoom and posted onto social media along with an announcement naming the grant winners, whom will also be contacted via email directly. Registration for the next award cycle will open on September 3, 2024 and will close on October 26, 2024. The drawing will take place on October 27, 2024.

Awardees' thoughts on the LA-CAMFT TOC Grant Award

IMPACT OF THE GRANT

"It was very helpful. I was poor when I was an AMFT."

"The grant was very impactful as it eased the burden of some of the costs associated with the MFT process (training and supplies, L&E study materials, etc.)! The grant provided relief and helped finances feel less constrained as a trainee and now Associate."

"I found the grant very helpful to me particularly during a time when I was in dire need of additional funding & support to help keep me on track for the future."

"The grant was very impactful for me, as it helped me to pay my final fees, associated with my graduate program, so that I could finish strong. Every little bit counts, so I am very grateful to have been able to use this money to help toward that end."

VALUE OF THE GRANT

"I just want to express my sincere gratitude to the TOC Grant committee for this program as it truly helps alleviate some of the systemic socioeconomic gaps in this field that passionate therapists of color such as myself have to navigate in our journeys to becoming competent licensed mental health clinicians."

"I appreciate that this grant exists and can be applied to very easily. The gesture is meaningful and I hope other TOC are taking advantage of it."

"It really touched me. SFV chapter started giving scholarships too. I think TOC Grant was a positive influence to the therapists community."

"One additional comment I’d like to make is that it is very helpful that we are able to use the grant money at our own discretion. Removing limitations is advantageous because life happens to us all, and in order for us to be able to do our work well, sometimes we need to be able to address other situations, financially, that may directly or indirectly impact our work."

Best regards,

The LA-CAMFT TOC Grant Committee