Federal Update: Impact of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ on Counselors and Mental Health Care

On July 4, President Trump signed H.R. 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” into law. The law cuts nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, and more than 11 million Americans are expected to lose access to healthcare by 2034.

It will take time to fully feel the impact of this law, as elements of it will be phased in over the next few years. However, these coverage cuts will be devastating to mental health care, especially given Medicaid’s disproportionate role in covering mental health care. Learn more about the legislation and how you can continue to advocate for mental health care access.

State Update: States Take Action to Stop Funding Cuts

Sixteen state attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit opposing the Department of Education’s cancellation of nearly $1 billion in school mental health funding. The lawsuit argues that the department unlawfully rescinded grants authorized under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, including funding to support counselor professional development and recruitment. Learn more about the lawsuit.

We are currently meeting with policymakers to advocate on your behalf and urge legislators to maintain funding and counselors’ access to these critical grant programs. Take action now and urge members of Congress to push for full restoration of and access to this funding.

More information regarding federal, state, and advocacy updates can be found at the following link:  CLICK HERE

BGF Children’s Therapy provides in-home and center-based behavior therapy for children diagnosed with Autism. They are seeking individuals to work one-on-one with the children we serve, starting in Fall 2025. Ideal candidates are working towards their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a related field and have some experience working with children. They train their staff in behavior analytic principles and the skills necessary to work with children diagnosed with Autism. They have hired students from DePaul in the past and have been very happy with their work and dedication. Hourly rates range from $20 to $25, depending on experience.

If you are interested, please reach out to the Clinical Director, Nicole Cissell, at nicole@bgftherapy.com or at 312-806-7937

www.bgftherapy.com

Hello First Year School Counseling Students!

There will be a mandatory, in-person 2^nd Year Professional Practice Orientation on Saturday, October 4th from 10:00 am – 12:30 pm. This meeting is mandatory for all school counseling students completing Practicum in Spring of 2026 and Internship in Fall 2026 – Spring 2027. It is required even if you have already attended this meeting in the past because there are changes and updates on key information year to year. This meeting will take place in person on Lincoln Park Campus (location TBD). We will be discussing all things related to Practicum and Internship that you will encounter during your Professional Practice experience. Look for additional future communications on CSL News and via email and please plan accordingly.

Please reach out to Jay Lesenko at jlesenko@depaul.edu or Dr. Hamm at jhamm@depaul.edu if you have any questions.

Hello First Year CMHC Counseling Students!

There will be a mandatory, in-person 2^nd Year Professional Practice Orientation on Saturday, October 25^th from 10:00 am – 12:30 pm. This meeting is mandatory for all CMHC students completing Practicum and Internship in 2026-2027. It is required even if you have already attended this meeting in the past because there are changes and updates on key information year to year. This meeting will take place in person on Lincoln Park Campus (location TBD). We will be discussing all things related to Practicum and Internship that you will encounter during your Professional Practice experience in 2026 – 2027. Look for additional future communications on CSL News and via email and please plan accordingly.

Please reach out to Jay Lesenko at jlesenko@depaul.edu or Dr. Hamm at jhamm@depaul.edu if you have any questions.

Family Guidance Centers has an internship opening for the 25-26 year. Interested students can visit Current Employment Positions – Family Guidance Centers, Inc (atsondemand.com) for more details and to apply.

https://www.fgcinc.org/

The Josselyn Center Northbrook location currently has an internship opening for the 25-26 year. The Josselyn Center is prioritizing interns who can see themselves staying at Josselyn if offered employment after their internship. Interested students can view the link below and reach out to Thomas Tharayil at ttharayil@josselyn.org for more details.

https://www.josselyn.org/about-us/clinical-internship/

Mosaic Nature Therapy and Wellness in Homewood, IL currently has an internship opening for the 25-26 year. Interested students can reach out to Rosa King at rosievera2005@yahoo.com for more details.

https://www.mosaicnaturetherapy.com/

Life Counseling Institute in Willowbrook/Park Ridge currently has an internship opening for the 25-26 year. Interested students can reach out to Zuly Ramirez at zuly@lifecounselinginstitute.com for more details.

https://lifecounselinginstitute.com/

The Wellness Center at Wilbur Wright College currently has an internship opening for the 25-26 year. Interested students can reach out to Hoyam Tanon at htanon@ccc.edu for more details.

https://www.ccc.edu/wright/departments/wellness-center/

Obsidian Institute of Integrative Medicine in Midlothian, IL currently has an internship opening for the 25-26 year. Interested students can reach out to Erica Washington at ewashington@obsidianinstitute.org for more details.

https://sites.google.com/obsidianinstitute.org/oiim/home

Thrive Counseling Center in Oak Park, IL currently has 2-3 internship openings for their Youth Internship Program for the 25-26 year. Interested students can reach out to Daisy Rios at drios@thrivecc.org or email internship@Thrivecc.org for more details. See additional details below and in the attached flyer as well.

www.thrivecc.org

Schedule for youth interns: 

• August 18^th – 21^st 9-5pm for intern training week
• Evenings (until 8pm) and Saturdays (9-2)
• Wed 1-3pm for group supervision and trainings
• Tues 1-3pm for clinical meetings and trainings (optional)

2nd year Master’s students:

• Bachelors in a mental health related field. 
• Thrive Counseling Center Internships are a minimum of 9 months (typically from August – May), 24 hours/week.
• Intern schedules are 40% direct clinical service, 60% indirect service, training, and supervision. This includes 1 hour/week of individual supervision with a licensed supervisor, 1 hour/week of group case consultation, and 2-4 hours of monthly clinical trainings.
• Gain experience working with a diverse population of adults, couples, adolescents, families, and groups. All internships include out-patient therapy, some offer the opportunity to gain additional areas of specialty including crisis intervention, and working with youth.

Iroquois Mental Health Center in Kankakee, Watseka, and Manteno currently has an internship opening for the 25-26 year. The main office is in Watseka and they ask that interns come to this office for training prior to going to Kankakee or Manteno to see clients. Interested students can reach out to Jill Erickson at jerickson@imhc.net for more details.

https://www.iroquoismhc.com/

Lu Rocha Counseling Services currently has 1-2 internship openings for the 25-26 year. They are especially interested in students who are bilingual Spanish/Mandarin speaking. Interested students can reach out to Lu Rocha at lu@lurocha.org for more details.

https://www.lurocha.org/

Northwestern University Career Center currently has an internship opening for the 25-26 year. Please note that this internship is specifically for students interested in career services. Interested students can reach out to Jeff Jenkins at jjenkins@northwestern.edu for more details.

https://www.northwestern.edu/careers/

CYN Counseling Center in Grayslake is currently accepting internship applications for the 25-26 year until the end of May. They ask that students send a Cover letter, Resume, 3 letters of recommendation, and unofficial transcripts. Interested students can reach out to Graciela Arroyo at gracielaa@cyngrayslake.org for more details.

www.cyngrayslake.org

Renowned international scholar, Dr. Marta Milani from the University of Verona, will be coming to DePaul this summer to host a summer seminar at the COE from July 8-11th. Attendees will receive CEUs and CDPUs. There are graduate student scholarships available as well. For more information, please reach out to Dr. Ockerman at melissa.ockerman@depaul.edu and check out the flyer.