Minority Fellowship Program

The Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) at the American Nurses Association (ANA) grew as a response to the lack of mental health and substance abuse nurse professionals who could provide culturally competent care to an increasingly diverse population with ever-expanding needs for mental health and substance abuse disorders services, research, advocacy, and policy development.

Through the MFP, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides federal grants to increase the number of PhD prepared nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and marriage and family therapists from underrepresented ethnic minority groups who will:

• Conduct research about substance abuse and mental health disorders prevention and treatment within minority populations, across all age groups and in a variety of settings;
• Assume leadership roles in the initiation of scientific investigations and service utilization phenomena that occur among ethnic minority populations;
• Expand and contribute to the evidence-based practice of substance abuse and mental health disorders prevention and treatment among ethnic minority populations throughout the lifespan; and
• Function as leaders and members of interdisciplinary research, public health policy, and direct-service care teams with the objective of improving the overall health status of ethnic minority populations.

MFP Alumni on the Future of Behavioral Health

For 50 years, the Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association has empowered over 1,000 diverse nurse leaders to transform behavioral health and advance health equity.

In this inspiring video, outstanding MFP alumni—including Dr. Bridgette (Brawner) Rice, Dr. Audrey Strock, Dr. Thomas Sargent, Dr. Daisy Lara, Grace Cheung, Dr. Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, and Dr. Stephanie Ferguson—share powerful reflections on how the fellowship shaped their careers and their bold vision for the future of nursing and behavioral health. Support this ground-breaking legacy and inspire the next generation of nurse leaders!

Watch their stories and learn more about the Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association.