EVANSVILLE, IND. (02/16/2023) The University of Evansville’s (UE) Multidisciplinary Mental Health and Wellness Clinic has received a $750,000 state award for the development of their community-based clinic.
The funding is part of the Evansville region’s READI Awards Initiative managed by the Southwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) in partnership with the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP). Indiana’s READI funds work toward improving the quality of place, quality of life, and quality of opportunity within their communities.
“This multidisciplinary clinic is part of the University’s larger vision of community outreach that will increase the quality of life for our community members. Faculty and students from multiple health disciplines will work and learn together to improve how we deliver health care while also gaining valuable experience in their chosen field,” said Mary Kessler, Dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences. “Our goal is to provide UE students with transformational educational and clinical experiences, which will improve their overall competency while also assisting the Evansville region with increasing and retaining needed health care providers in the local workforce.”
In the fall of 2023, UE will admit its first cohort of graduate students for the newly developed Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program. A key component of the PsyD program is the development of a community-based clinic where PsyD students and faculty provide psychotherapy and psychological testing to clients with mental health problems.
“The RDA continues to award READI funds to projects that align with our community’s vision called Talent EVV,” said Tara Barney, CEO of the E-REP. “Including this investment, over $8.7 million of READI funds have been awarded to projects within the health and life sciences cluster, which leverages nearly $77 million in total investment. The UE Multidisciplinary Mental Health and Wellness Clinic further supports our region’s growing health and life sciences cluster while providing a valuable service to our community.”
With the use of the READI funds, the PsyD program will grow its capacity to admit new students and ultimately increase the number of clinical psychologists and physician assistants who stay and work in the Evansville area upon graduation.
UE will be able to embed a physician assistant in the clinic to provide medication management for mental health conditions under the supervision of a licensed physician or psychiatrist. It will also increase opportunities for physician assistants and nursing students to apply what they are learning in class in actual practice.
The facility will be located directly across Lincoln Avenue at the site of Talbot Square, which was purchased by the University.
Approximately 5,000 square feet of the Old National Bank space will be renovated into the new clinic. The facility will incorporate office space, conference rooms, ten individual therapy rooms, and a larger space for group therapy.
Construction is expected to begin sometime in late April and continue through the summer months until an anticipated final completion date in August 2023.
