John Daniel Searcy Fellowship 

The John Daniel Searcy Fellowship will provide one year of support to an advanced psychology doctoral student who will earn a Ph.D., Psy.D., or Ed.D.; are members of the North Carolina Psychological Association (NCPA); and whose doctoral programs, or pre-doctoral internship sites, are located within the state of North Carolina. The award will be made to individuals who have demonstrated superior academic achievement and are committed to a career focused on working with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) and who also intend to work in the non-profit and/or public sector. The fellowship pays a stipend of $5,000.  

The North Carolina Psychological Foundation (NCPF) has developed the award criteria. NCPF is dedicated to advocating for North Carolinians' mental health and access to mental health care through providing public education about mental health issues, helping those in need through our disaster response network, and supporting psychologists to continue to provide highly effective care for our citizens. The yearly award will be administered by the Scientific, Academic, and Student Affairs (SASA) Committee of NCPF; SASA is actively involved with academic and student programming, including student awards.

 

About Dr. John Daniel Searcy


Dr. John Daniel Searcy was a past president of the North Carolina Psychological Association (NCPA) and a long-time member of both NCPA and the former Division of Independent Professional Practice.  He graduated from East Carolina University with a master’s in psychology and received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from North Carolina State University.  Dr. Searcy helped organize the NCPA legislative committee and served as its chair.  During his time as chair of the legislative committee, the NCPA was able to ensure that psychologists could be credentialed to work in inpatient hospital settings.  Dr. Searcy served on the Coalition, a committee composed of statewide organizations that are committed to assuring the availability of services and support for individuals who experience addictive diseases, mental illness, and developmental disabilities.  A focus of Dr. Searcy’s career was advocating for services for persons with SPMI. One of his proudest accomplishments, during his tenure as director of the Johnston County Mental Health Center, was implementing programs in conjunction with Johnston Community College to assist persons with mental illness to find meaningful jobs.  An example of that focus was the development of a Greenhouse Program that offered engaging and fulfilling work to many clients. Dr. Searcy also successfully worked to keep mental-health patients within the community for treatment through the use of local inpatient hospitalization and many other supportive mental-health services.  Honoring his legacy is a great way for those who are the future of psychology to follow in his footsteps.

View the eligibility requirements and apply now