MRC Scholarship Applications

The Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) are pleased to offer assistance to 50 eligible Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers to attend the 2009 Public Health Preparedness Summit.

These scholarships are intended to promote national awareness of the MRC program and build connections between MRC volunteers and local, state, and federal public health professionals.

In order to be eligible for this scholarship opportunity:

• You must be in a leadership position with an existing registered MRC Unit;
• Your Unit Profile on the MRC Web site must be updated;
• You must be able to attend the entire 2009 Public Health Preparedness Summit;
• You must complete a post-conference evaluation for NACCHO on the usefulness of the conference; and
  
• You must complete the entire application.

Only one applicant per MRC Unit will be reviewed. Selected applicants will be reimbursed for airfare, lodging, and Summit registration fees. An allowance will also be provided, based on a per diem basis, for any meals not provided by the Summit.

Application deadline is Friday, November 28, 2008. Selected individuals will be notified by Wednesday, December 10, 2008.

The 2009 Public Health Preparedness Summit will be held February 18-20 in San Diego, California.

Access the application here!

Applications are now being accepted for the Psychological First Aid MRC Instructor Train-the-Trainer Workshops. NACCHO will be offering four training sessions for individuals interested in learning how to become an instructor in an MRC-approved Psychological First Aid course.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a supportive intervention offered to individuals in the immediate aftermath of disasters and other public health emergencies. PFA is also a useful intervention to assist MRC volunteers and other responders in coping with the emotional stress associated with disaster response.

Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers interested in attending one of the four Psychological First Aid (PFA) Train-the-Trainer Workshops are encouraged to apply. Attendance is free, but by invitation only. Selected applicants will be reimbursed for airfare, lodging, and a per diem for meals not provided.

Preference will be given to applicants who meet the following criteria:

• Individuals with a mental health/behavioral health professional background;
• Individuals who hold leadership positions within their local, regional, or state MRC unit;
• Individuals with previous instructor training experience (for adult learners); or
  
• Individuals with previous disaster response experience.

Workshops will be held at the following dates and locations:
January 15–16       Las Vegas, NV
February 3–4         Orlando, FL
March 24–25          Denver, CO
April 4–5               Dallas, TX

Application deadline is Friday, November 21, 2008. Applicants selected for the January training will be notified by December 1, 2008. Applicants selected for subsequent training dates will be notified by December 29, 2008.

Access the application here!