Improving Mental Health Counseling for K-12

An assistant professor in counselor education plans to use a grant to understand and assist mental health clinicians in K-12 schools.

On Oct. 10, Taheera Blount, Ph.D., received a grant of $83,634, which originated with the National Institutes of Health and was awarded through the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) at North Carolina Central University (NCCU).

Blount's research will take part in three phases.

• Exploring how school-based clinicians collaborate with school counselors, social workers and administrators in meeting the needs of students.
• Working with an agency to test a data tracking system that evaluates the effectiveness of school-based mental health services.
• Developing a mental health toolkit that clinicians can share with parents, teachers and school administrators.

The grant will also help pay for a graduate student to assist with research. Blount will conduct interviews with mental health clinicians from Durham, Wake, Vance and Orange counties.

Prior to arriving at NCCU, Blount worked as a school counselor at Durham Public Schools for six years. Following that, she conducted therapy in schools and homes for four years.

"I've conducted clinical work on both sides," Blount said.

From that experience, Blount has seen the challenges that mental health clinicians face in K-12 schools. Those include finding a space to conduct therapy, the time and complexity of state funding, counselors being swamped with student clients, communications connected to scheduling and the stigma of receiving mental health services.

"I'm excited about receiving pilot funding for this research," Blount said.

In related news, Blount was named the 2025 counselor educator of the year by the North Carolina School Counselor Association. The honor was for her leadership, scholarship and service to the counseling profession.