Expanding Access, Shaping the Future: VA Partners With Mississippi College to Strengthen Mental Health Care

Beginning this fall, graduate counseling students from Mississippi College will join the ranks of VA care teams as part of a new clinical training program. Under the supervision of licensed professional mental health counselors, students will work directly with Veterans to provide individual and group therapy, assist with treatment planning, and help manage care across various specialized mental health programs.

The initiative is more than just a student placement program—it’s a forward-thinking solution to two critical needs: giving Veterans quicker access to care and building the future mental health workforce.

“This collaboration is a meaningful step forward in meeting the growing mental health needs of our Veterans,” said Medical Center Director Michael Renfrow. “It allows us to serve more Veterans more quickly, while also mentoring the next generation of clinicians committed to public service.”

The partnership was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this summer. It marks the first official affiliation between Mississippi College’s Clinical Mental Health Program and the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center.

As part of their academic requirements, counseling students will complete practicum and internship hours on-site. They will carry limited caseloads, participate in patient assessments, contribute to interdisciplinary teams, and receive real-time feedback from VA staff and university faculty.

“This partnership creates a distinctive educational opportunity for students while simultaneously enhancing services provided to our Veterans,” said Timiko Williams, a licensed professional mental health counselor and site coordinator for the program. “Veterans will benefit from increased access to quality care, and students will develop invaluable experience working with a diverse patient population in a high-quality, supportive environment.”

The students, who are in the clinical phase of their master’s program, are carefully selected and thoroughly trained before beginning their rotations. All clinical work will be conducted under the close guidance of licensed VA professionals, with a focus on maintaining the high standard of care veterans expect and deserve through the use of first-line evidence-based psychotherapies.

With the demand for mental health services continuing to grow, the added support from Mississippi College students will help the VA expand access, reduce wait times, and deliver care more efficiently.

“Our Veterans deserve timely, compassionate, and comprehensive mental health care,” said Renfrow. “By investing in partnerships like this, we’re strengthening our ability to deliver that care now and for years to come.”

The partnership reflects the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center’s broader commitment to innovation in education, workforce development, and Veteran care. It’s a model of how academic institutions and federal health systems can work together to serve those who’ve served.