Idaho State University-Meridian counseling student Bianca Merkley awarded $5,000 fellowship

The NBCC Foundation, an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors has selected Idaho State University-Meridian’s Bianca Merkley for the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program-Youth.

As an NBCC MFP-Y Fellow, Merkley, of Eagle, will receive funding and training to support her education and facilitate her service to underserved minority populations, with a specific focus on teens and young adults.

Merkley is a master’s student in the mental health counseling program at ISU-Meridian. She plans to serve minority children and adolescents upon graduation. She will use this fellowship to grow professionally by making more connections with other counselors and students.

The NBCC MFP-Y is made possible by a grant awarded to NBCC by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in September 2014. The Foundation is contracted by NBCC to administer the NBCC MFP-Y, as well as training and collaboration activities, such as webinars, that are open to all National Certified Counselors.

The goal of the program is to reduce health disparities and improve behavioral health care outcomes for racially and ethnically diverse populations by increasing the available number of culturally competent behavioral health professionals.

The NBCC Foundation is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors based in Greensboro, North Carolina. NBCC is the nation’s premier professional certification board devoted to credentialing counselors who meet standards for the general and specialty practices of professional counseling.