ECU Awarded Major Grant to Advance Mental Health Services and Provider Training
East Carolina University’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences and Brody School of Medicine have been awarded a significant $1.3 million grant, aimed at bolstering mental and behavioral health services in eastern North Carolina while preparing the next generation of clinical providers. This three-year initiative, led by Dr. Marissa Carraway and Dr. Robert A. Carels, seeks to address critical gaps in mental health care access, particularly for underserved populations impacted by substance use disorders and the ongoing opioid epidemic.
The grant, funded through the Graduate Psychology Education Program by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), supports hands-on clinical training for doctoral students in health and pediatric school psychology. As the only institution in North Carolina to receive this funding cycle’s grant, ECU is positioned as a leader in integrating behavioral health services within primary care settings—a model designed to meet patients where they are and eliminate barriers to care.
Dr. Carraway, clinical associate professor in psychology and director of behavioral medicine in the Department of Family Medicine, emphasized the importance of expanding access for individuals who are underinsured or living in rural or vulnerable communities. “Having behavioral health providers available in primary care settings meets patients where they are and ensures access to care for those who might otherwise go without,” she explained. Many residents seek help for chronic health and behavioral issues during visits to their primary care physicians, making integrated services essential.
Training Future Providers and Addressing Opioid Crisis
Annual funding from the HRSA grant enables ECU to train six doctoral students each year in patient care across three key sites: the Department of Family Medicine (the primary training site), the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, and the Pitt County Detention Center. To date, 60 ECU students have benefited from these grants, gaining valuable experience in evidence-based behavioral health practices within interdisciplinary teams.
Dr. Carels, professor and director of clinical training in the Department of Psychology, noted that ECU’s program offers unique clinical training opportunities for psychology doctoral students. “Students are prepared to deliver evidence-based behavioral health services in primary care environments,” he stated. “This prepares them to address both the opioid epidemic and broader behavioral health needs as part of a collaborative care team.”
Doctoral student Rachel Glock, who aims to work in pediatric oncology, stressed the value of comprehensive care: “Patients’ physical needs are met alongside their mental health needs,” she said. “When all providers collaborate, patients feel heard, respected, and truly cared for.” Riley Craig, another doctoral trainee focused on adult populations facing serious illnesses, highlighted how integrated behavioral health services reduce barriers: “Being co-located with primary care physicians allows us to minimize obstacles to mental health care so patients can leave feeling cared for—both physically and emotionally.”
The urgency of this initiative is underscored by troubling substance use statistics: More than 36,000 North Carolinians died from drug overdose between 2000 and 2022. In 2023 alone, approximately 11 residents died daily from overdose—a sharp rise from eight daily deaths reported in 2020. Pitt County has consistently exceeded state averages in overdose-related fatalities.
With enhanced training programs and expanded integrated services funded by this HRSA grant, ECU is committed to improving mental health outcomes across eastern North Carolina—supporting both current community needs and building a stronger workforce of behavioral health professionals for the future.
