Shawn Gaines has been selected for the Minority Fellowship Program funded by the National Board for Certified Counselors and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Shawn Gaines, a University of New Orleans graduate student in counselor education, has been selected for the Minority Fellowship Program administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors and funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The program funds fewer than 100 graduate students from around the country each year with a $10,000 to $15,000 fellowship, access to mentors and professional development.

Gaines is a master of education student on the clinical mental health track at UNO. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Longwood University in Virginia and a master of education in college student personnel administration from James Madison University. He serves as the senior director of programs at the New Orleans-based nonprofit Beloved Community.

“We’re incredibly proud of Shawn and look forward to seeing where this can take his career,” said Christopher Belser, associate professor of counselor education, who pointed out that four UNO master’s students have been selected for the National Board for Certified Counselors fellowship in the past five years.  

The National Board for Certified Counselors is a nonprofit organization that advances counseling and equitable access to mental health services worldwide through certification, assessment, advocacy and capacity-building.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. It works to improve substance abuse and mental health treatment services to those who are most in need of them.