Today, the grant remains a key resource in preparing future mental health professionals, expanding services in rural and frontier communities and increasing access to evidence-based mental health support for children, families and schools statewide.

“South Dakota continues to experience a significant shortage of school psychologists and other school-based mental health professionals, particularly in our rural and frontier communities. At the same time, schools are seeing increasing mental health needs among children and adolescents,” said Kari Oyen, Ph.D. ’16, Ed.S. ’08, interim chair and associate professor in the Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education. “As the state's only school psychology training program, USD is uniquely positioned to help build this workforce pipeline and expand work in ways that will have a lasting impact across South Dakota.”

Over time, the grant has enabled the School of Education to recruit highly qualified students and provide support that reduces financial barriers, allowing graduate students to spend more time focusing on their training and less time worrying about the cost of graduate school.

Likewise, the grant has allowed the university to expand access for its students in areas of advanced training opportunities, evidence-based intervention materials, leadership opportunities, conference experiences and expanded field placements.

“The grant has helped students see themselves not just as graduate students, but as future leaders in school mental health,” said Oyen. “Many of our students leave the program with a strong commitment to serving South Dakota communities, and this grant has played an important role in helping them develop both that commitment and the skills needed to follow through on it.”

Preparing Psychologists to Meet Student Needs

The university is equipping future school psychologists to respond to the wide range of student needs within their communities. Through practicum and internship experiences, USD students have implemented evidence-based interventions, collaborated with schools across South Dakota to address student needs and contributed to statewide needs assessments and research efforts.

Together, these experiences help students bridge the gap between coursework and practice while developing the skills necessary to serve as effective school psychologists. USD students have also received enhanced training in evidence-based mental health practices, prevention and intervention services, social-emotional learning, consultation, trauma-informed approaches and crisis response.

For USD Ph.D. student Ward Rumans, Ed.S. ’19, receiving enhanced training in suicide prevention, de-escalation and behavioral health prepared him with the skills necessary to approach difficult situations with greater confidence and understanding.

“My most meaningful experience has been the cumulative experience of sitting with children and listening to their stories over the years. These experiences have shaped my perspective on helping others by teaching me that a positive presence and a kind ear are often among the most important skills we can develop. There isn’t necessarily something special we need to say or do. Sometimes, we just need to be present and listen,” said Rumans. “Experience helps build confidence in that ability, but it’s still an incredibly difficult skill to develop. I think we’re often conditioned to believe that we need to do something extraordinary for someone who is struggling, when sometimes simply being there is enough.”

Third-year Ph.D. student Kyla Price-Wallin became interested in mental health as an undergraduate student working with students with disabilities. She recognized that mental health concerns often contribute to behaviors that students engage in, which led her to school psychology. Throughout her program, she’s become invested in crisis response, with trainings like PREPaRE, which illustrates the importance of crisis response in preventing and responding to mental health concerns following a crisis.

“The most meaningful experience throughout my work in this area has been providing mental health support for students with autism spectrum disorder during my practicum experience. Getting to see first-hand how mental health challenges impact this population furthered my drive to support students with disabilities,” said Price-Wallin. “I have also valued the opportunity to support students on campus who are at risk for mental health concerns. Providing actionable strategies in recognizing and coping with mental health concerns further equipped me to provide this support for future students in crisis.”

For students like Rumans and Price-Wallin, having opportunities to apply skills in authentic school settings under the supervision of experienced professionals is essential to combining knowledge with practical experience while preparing to meet the needs of today’s students and families.

Strong Partnerships, Rural Perspectives

The grant maintains its effort to support and meet the needs of today’s students and families as it brings universities, schools, education cooperatives, practitioners, administrators and community partners together with a shared goal—improving outcomes for children and youth.

Each partner contributes a different but complementary perspective. Schools and education cooperatives identify local needs and provide authentic training settings; practitioners and supervisors bring current field-based expertise; community partners connect the work to broader systems of care; and USD contributes research, evidence-based resources and a pipeline of future professionals. Bringing these groups together helps us move beyond isolated responses and develop more coordinated, sustainable approaches to shared mental health challenges.

“As students complete practicum and internship experiences, they build meaningful relationships with surrounding schools and communities,” said Oyen. “The grant helps students see that they can build rewarding and impactful careers close to home.”

These local connections are especially important in rural and underserved communities, where access to school-based mental health services has historically been limited. For students who complete internships or field experiences in these areas, the opportunity to make a difference firsthand can inspire them to continue serving these communities after graduation.

“By placing our trainees directly into these settings, students and families gain increased access to evidence-based mental health supports while our graduates gain valuable, real-world experience,” said Oyen. “When students train in rural and underserved communities, they build relationships, understand the strengths and needs of those communities and see firsthand the impact they can have. Those connections make it more likely that graduates will view these communities not simply as training sites, but as places where they can build meaningful careers and contribute over time.”

Beyond these direct benefits, the grant has also strengthened the school psychology program’s capacity to support schools beyond the grant period through resources like intervention aids, enhanced training modules, expanded internship networks, improved supervision systems and increased access to evidence-based practices. These efforts will continue to build local capacity and help schools meet students’ social, emotional and behavioral needs.

Taken together, the grant’s investment in people, partnerships and sustainable resources extend well beyond the immediate funding period. For Oyen, that long-term impact reflects the university’s public mission and its responsibility to respond to the needs of the state.

She believes this project is “exactly what a public university should be doing.”

“USD has a responsibility to serve the people of South Dakota, and that means helping communities address real challenges. By preparing mental health professionals, partnering with schools and increasing access to services in rural and underserved communities, we're investing in the health and well-being of children and families across the state. This grant has allowed us to make meaningful progress toward that goal while creating a stronger workforce for the future.”

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Alissa Matt
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