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VSU Marriage and Family Therapy Advisory Board Members

Laurie Bajalia, MS MFT, LMFT

Jeff Bickers, MS MFT, LMFT
Valdosta Psychiatric Associates

Casey Corbin, C.A.C.D., C.C.S.
Solutions Counseling Services

Rebecca Ferguson, MS MFT, LMFT
The Methodist Home for Children and Youth

Ros Johnson, MS MFT, LMFT
Behavioral Health Services of South GA

Leah McMillan, MS MFT, LMFT
Valdosta State University Counseling Center

Maike Wegner-Kleine, MS MFT, LMFT
Lanier Counseling Services

LaFrancine Wells-Bradford, MS MFT, LAMFT
Solutions Counseling Services

VSU Marriage and Family Therapy Advisory Board

Purpose  
The overall goal of the Advisory Board is to aid, foster, encourage, and promote the VSU Marriage and Family Therapy Program. Specific objectives for the Advisory Board are as follows:

  • To provide advice and counsel to the program faculty to aid in the development of excellence in program development.
  • To promote the goals and objectives of the VSU Marriage and Family Therapy Program to all its constituent communities, including the discipline of Marriage and Family Therapy, alumni, mental health consumers and employers, and the local, regional, and national community of friends and supporters of the program.
  • To assist in providing a greater breadth of educational opportunities to students.

Mission Statement

The mission of the VSU Marriage and Family Therapy Advisory Board is to provide critical and supportive advice to assist the program enhance its leadership role in education and research. The board will help foster a sense of community among the department’s alumni and promote, through academic, professional, and social events, excellence in the program’s educational programs, objectives, and our sense of community. The board will also assist in promoting the achievements of the program, recognizing distinguished alumni, and assist in identifying grant opportunities and fundraising efforts for the Marriage and Family Therapy program.   

Board Activities

The VSU Marriage and Family Therapy Alumni Advisory Board will assist the program by fostering interaction with its alumni and enhancing the program’s educational objectives through a variety of activities and functions that may include some of the following:

Curriculum and Program Growth

  • Feedback on the department’s educational objectives and curriculum enhancements
  • Developing and implementing strategic planning

Alumni Networking

  • Suggesting and contributing content for the MFT Alumni webpage.
  • Suggesting and contributing content for the MFT page of the departmental newsletter.
  • Dissemination of program and alumni news.

Events

  • Organization of alumni social events.
  • Organization of professional events for students (e.g., job workshops; internships).
  • Organization of seminars and short courses for regional mental health professionals

Recognize Student, Faculty, Program, & Alumni Excellence

  • Develop a Valdosta State University Marriage and Family Therapy Program Distinguished Alumni Award.

Assistance in Student Scholarships, Mentoring, and Job Placement

  • Cultivating student mentors and student internship
  • Assist program graduates in job placement

Board Membership & Organization

  • The board will consist of representatives from several generations of alumni of the VSU Marriage and Family Therapy Program, interested stakeholders form the regional and national mental health communities, and individuals who can contribute expertise in areas that will help develop MFT program excellence.
  • Members will be drawn from a variety of geographical regions and professional contexts, including clinicians and those who are pursuing or hold doctorates in Family Therapy, members of allied health professions that are interested in the growth of Marriage and Family Therapy, and those that possess expertise needed by the Advisory Board.
  • To assist in maintaining institutional memory, membership in the board will be staggered between 1 and 2 year service periods.
  • The board will be chaired by the Program Director with other positions filled by board members.
  • The Board can set up both ad hoc and permanent committees,
  • There will be two annual meetings, usually one in the Fall and one in the Spring; online meetings will be scheduled as needed.