The Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board in partnership with the Youngstown Chapter of the Links Incorporated has awarded $5,000 of their Mental Health Studies Scholarships to Black students studying social work and mental health.

Four students, Miah Pierce, Sharron Dickson, Alicia Clark-Williams, and Kaylarin Olds were awarded $1,000 each. Melea Johnson and Kelie Turner were awarded $500 each.

Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for the Board, Valerie Burney said "Year over year we see an increased demand for social workers and mental health professionals and even more so for people of color in those professions."

All the students awarded scholarships are pursuing a degree in social work at Youngstown State University.

"We are thrilled to award our first round of scholarship recipients for the Mental Health Students Scholarship and play a role in developing the next generation of social work and mental health professionals," said Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board Executive Director Duane Piccirilli.

The two community organizations plan on releasing information for the next round of scholarships soon.

The scholarships will be awarded in person at the board's location downtown on Monday, February 24.