Forging futures, building a pipeline: Testimonios from a collective of diverse MFP alums in the southwest
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2025
Journal articles
Lechuga-Peña, S., Mitchell, F. M., Ignacio, M., Harty, J. S., & Billiot, S. M. Forging futures, building a pipeline: Testimonios from a collective of diverse MFP alums in the southwest. Journal of Social Work Education, 61(Sup1), S38-S50.
@article{lechuga-pena2025, title = {Forging Futures, Building a Pipeline: {Testimonios} from a Collective of Diverse {MFP} Alums in the Southwest}, author = {Lechuga-Peña, Stephanie and Mitchell, Felicia M. and Ignacio, Matt and {Harty, Justin S.} and Billiot, Shanondora M.}, date = {2025}, journaltitle = {Journal of Social Work Education}, shortjournal = {J. Soc. Work Educ.}, volume = {61}, pages = {S38-S50}, doi = {10.1080/10437797.2024.2400064}, issue = {Sup1}, }
Abstract
Over its 50-year history, the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) has focused on increasing the number of practitioners and scholars trained to serve underrepresented and underserved racial and ethnic minority communities at risk of mental health and substance abuse issues. With over 1,000 individuals trained at the master’s and doctoral levels, the MFP has played a signicant role in preparing scholar-practitioners to make impactful contributions in addressing the needs of vulnerable populations. Through testimonios, we explore the career trajectory, collaborative partnerships, and community effect of a cluster of five doctoral-level MFP alums hired at a large public R1 university in the Southwest from 2016 to 2023. Our testimonios bear witness to our collective experiences as MFP alums and diverse faculty of color, particularly as they relate to our positionality before, during, and after our time as fellows. We examine the pivotal aspects of MFP participation, including its infuence on our engagement in antiracist, antioppressive, and decolonial initiatives and efforts to recruit and mentor graduate students of color. We close by sharing the enduring lessons and insights gained from the MFP and propose strategies for cultivating a diverse doctoral student pipeline in social work to address mental health and substance abuse issues.