Chaminade University of Honolulu received a $478,464 grant from the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation in support of the school’s doctor of psychology (PsyD) in clinical psychology program on Aug. 19. The grant will be used to provide tuition assistance to PsyD students.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation,” said Dr. Sean Scanlan, director of the PsyD program in a news release. The gift will help former PsyD students of Argosy University which suddenly closed in March.
Chaminade acquired Argosy’s Hawaii School of Professional Psychology (HSPP) doctor of psychology program and hired all its full-time PsyD staff and faculty members. The program is Hawaii’s only accredited PsyD program. Its closing would have severely impacted Hawaii’s mental health services.
“This program fulfills such an important need in our community,” said Tertia Freas, executive director for the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation. “It is our honor to support these incredible students in their journey to bring much-needed mental health services to Hawaii.”
“The five-year program is the only one of its kind in Hawaii,” said Chaminade president Lynn Babington.
Last year, students provided more than 12,000 volunteer hours of direct services through clinical practicums to the local community.