The Initiative includes the Dickinson Fellowship Program, research projects, and community outreach and advocacy.
The Dickinson Fellowship provides training and funding for approximately eight undergraduate and graduate students each year. This multi-disciplinary, competitive fellowship supports students who will one day work with persons and their families impacted by severe and persistent mental health conditions, in mental health or other clinical settings such as primary care or acute care.
Seminars are held every other week throughout the academic year. Autumn Quarter is devoted to training about the individual experience of mental illness, while Winter Quarter addresses the family experience, and Spring Quarter focuses on community and government issues. Seminars include book analyses, video presentations and discussions, research planning and presentation, planning and discussion of community outreach, planning and discussion of activities with SPU's student-led chapter of Active Minds, and guest speakers.
To encourage cross-disciplinary understanding, students from various health perspectives discuss theoretical models and treatment for severe and persistent mental illness from their specific disciplines.
Students also attend community meetings of Active Minds, participate in the annual NAMI walk, observe Mental Health Court in Seattle, and have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research conducted by faculty scholars.
The Living Well Initiative also sponsors research in the area of severe mental illness, stigma, community health, and faith. Read several examples of published research conducted by faculty scholars and previous fellows.
Resources
Support the Living Well Initiative
If you would like to donate funds to support the Living Well Initiative, please visit SPFC’s donation page and select “Living Well Initiative” as your designation.