CLARKSVILLE, TN – Across Tennessee, the demand for advanced mental healthcare far outpaces the availability of providers. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 93 of 95 Tennessee counties are designated as mental health professional shortage areas. For individuals in crisis, this means long waits, long drives, and in some cases, going without care entirely.
In 2020, Austin Peay State University’s Department of Psychological Science and Counseling decided they could do more to address the crisis. They began the long process of establishing Tennessee’s first and only accredited Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in counseling psychology program.
“We knew our community was really struggling to get access to the highest level of trained mental healthcare,” said Dr. Nicole Knickmeyer, department chair. “So, we started getting resources in place to educate the practitioners Tennessee needed.”…