A transformative opportunity

Mental health was not a topic of discussion in Dr. Janee Both Gragg’s childhood home. Now a professor in the School of Education’s Counseling and Human Services program, Both Gragg has built her career around changing the narrative of her youth and founded the Alliance for Community Transformation and Wellness (ACTW), intending to create conversation and action around mental health and wellness in the Inland Empire.

Through her work with ACTW, the School of Education became the recipient of a $4.3 million grant from the Department of Education. Both Gragg is poised to transform the ACTW into the Inland Empire Mental Health Training and Integration Center (MHTIC), a goal she has relentlessly pursued since the alliance’s inception a decade ago.  

“The grant will have a tremendous impact in several ways, most importantly, it will fill a crucial gap in behavioral health care for youth in our community by placing highly qualified diverse counselors in schools,” Both Gragg said. “The grant will strengthen our partnership with Redlands Unified School District and provide resources to facilitate the training of mental health therapists.” Additionally, University of Redlands graduate students will receive stipends for specialized training to work in schools and Spanish-speaking communities, ensuring they can continue serving the region after graduation.

Advocating for Both Gragg and the grant has been School of Education Dean Nicol Howard, who mobilized institutional resources around a shared vision for establishing the Center.  

“This grant represents a transformative opportunity for both the School of Education and the University of Redlands,” Howard said. “It will establish the MHTIC, which builds on the School’s century-long commitment to educational excellence and our recent designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Additionally, the grant allows us to expand our existing Clinical Mental Health Counseling program by adding two new specializations: Counseling Spanish-speaking communities and school mental health.”

Looking ahead at the opportunity of impact the grant will have on U of R and the Inland Empire, Both Gragg is hoping the grant will “draw attention to the unique resources” needed to achieve high-caliber counselor training, programming, and filling the shortage in the mental health workforce.

“Investing in creative, high-impact practices has a strong return on investment,” Both Gragg said. “Alongside decreasing stigma and discrimination, help-seeking behaviors continue to increase. However, the lack of diverse counselors continues to impact help-seeking behaviors and access for youth is especially challenging.

“Training counselors prepared to deliver mental health in schools and support Spanish-speaking communities will improve youth access to prevention, early detection, and life-enhancing/saving intervention services,” Both Gragg continued. “In turn, we build a robust workforce of diverse highly qualified counselors committed to serving the region for generations.”

Learn more about the School of Education and its programs by visiting Redlands.edu.