Scholarship
Melissa Wilkinson DeHaven Conference Scholarship
Through this award, the Institute for Best Practices will use scholarship funds to support travel and conference registration at local or national conferences. Recipients attending a North Carolina conference will receive up to $600 in scholarship funds, while those attending a national conference will receive up to $1,200. Registration costs will be paid directly, and travel costs will be covered in advance to the greatest extent possible to minimize financial hardship for awardees. Those accepting awards must agree to allow the Institute to publicly post their name, award, conference attendance, and photo on its website and social media accounts.
Eligible candidates are those working within North Carolina Individual Placement and Support (IPS) teams, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, or Community Support Teams (CSTs), with priority given to non-leadership staff, particularly those in employment specialist and/or peer specialist roles.
Award Recipients
By attending the conference, I was able to gain more clarity about how IPS works from a different lens. I was intrigued by how much ground IPS truly covers not just in the United States but globally as well. I was able to meet IPS members from Australia, The United Kingdom, and Norway just to name a few. I learned helpful information regarding IPS such as statistics, research, and several other things that I am looking forward to implementing into my own workload.
In closing, to receive the award as Peer Advocate of the Year, I am extremely grateful! It feels good to know that my hard work has not gone unnoticed and that my role in IPS services is not only important to the members but also a vital piece to the IPS team as well.”
The Melissa Wilkinson DeHaven Conference scholarship removed a financial barrier and allowed me to attend the conference and gain valuable knowledge and skills that I can directly apply in my work. Attending the conference has helped me better support the individuals I serve, strengthened my understanding of best practices, and connected with others in the field. I met so many wonderful people!
Attending the conference gave me practical tools I now use in my work as a peer support specialist, as well as reinforcing and strengthening present skills. I learned how to better support individuals involved in the justice system by building trust and helping them navigate resources. I also strengthened simple DBT skills, like mindfulness and emotional regulation, that I can share in everyday situations. The session on suicide and psychosis helped me approach these conversations with more openness and empathy.
Overall, I feel more confident and better equipped to support individuals with mental health and substance use challenges. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to attend the ACT and IPS conference and I look forward to using what I learned to make a meaningful difference in my community.”
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Melissa was an IPS Consultant and Trainer Program Manager with the Institute for Best Practices from 2016 to 2023. Before joining UNC, she brought more than eight years of experience in North Carolina community mental health services, providing care to adults diagnosed with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders. She also served as an Evidence-Based Practice specialist with the Division of Mental Health, where she delivered training and technical assistance to IPS providers. At the Institute, she generously shared her expertise in evidence-based practices with both ACT and IPS providers.
Melissa passionately believed in the possibilities and hope available to people facing life’s challenges, and that all working-age individuals deserve the opportunity for meaningful employment. She was a fierce advocate for building a recovery-oriented system, one that centered employment as an integral part of people’s recovery journeys. She presented at conferences for mental health clinicians and Vocational Rehabilitation counselors, championing employment as a pathway to recovery, and engaged IPS stakeholders at both the local and state levels to identify and address implementation barriers. Tragically, Melissa passed away in 2023. Her imprint on IPS and ACT continues to be felt today, and this scholarship memorializes her enduring contributions as a trainer, consultant, and advocate. |