Dear SFCP colleagues,
We are delighted to announce that SFCP is establishing a new Candidate Training Grants for Equity & Diversity Program to help cover costs of analytic training for candidates who identify as a person of color (POC) and candidates with financial need! All funds will be collected via voluntary contributions from SFCP Members (further details below). Please consider donating to this important fund.
A Candidate Training Grant Committee is in the process of being formed to develop fundraising efforts and procedures to implement the selection and distribution of Candidate Training Grants as soon as possible. Anyone interested in volunteering to participate in the Candidate Training Grant Committee (including candidates!) should contact besteinberg@comcast.net.
Aims & Eligibility: The goal of the Candidate Training Grant program is to make psychoanalytic training more affordable and accessible to individuals affected by systemic inequities which have previously served as barriers to pursuing psychoanalytic training (e.g. race-based or class-based inequities). Any candidate who self-identifies as POC and/or who self-identifies as having financial need is eligible if they are enrolled in the SFCP Psychoanalytic Training Program, or have accepted an offer of admission for the upcoming year.
Background: The Candidate Training Grants for Equity & Diversity Program is being established in accordance with a January 2023 ratification vote by all analyst and candidate members (based on majority-supported initiatives in the All-Member Survey on Diversity & Accessibility in Analytic Training – Fall 2022). The program was developed over this past year by a Task Force chaired by former Board Chair Paul Sorbo, and was approved by the Board of Trustees in November 2023.
Candidate Training Grant Distribution: To take full advantage of tax-free methods of fund distribution, the first priority will be to use all donated funds to offer tax-free tuition & fees credits for psychoanalytic training to all eligible candidates – up to the full amount that can be covered by the amount of donations received that year (full tuition and fees = $6740 per candidate in 2024-25). If donated funds in a given year are insufficient to cover the full tuition and fees amount, all collected funds will be distributed evenly amongst eligible candidates. If donated funds in a given year exceed the maximum amount that can be offered as a tax-free tuition credit, any additional donated funds will be distributed in the form of Candidate Training Grants paid directly to the candidate, to help offset additional costs of training such as required supervision, etc. (Note: Any training grant amounts paid to candidates in excess of the tax-free tuition credit is considered taxable income by the IRS.) The Candidate Training Grant program will be closely coordinated with the Enrico Jones Fund for Equality and Excellence to ensure maximal support of SFCP trainees across all programs (analytic training, psychotherapy training, and CCSW). A fuller description of the program can be found at this link: Candidate Training Grants for Equity and Diversity-FAQ.
Because this initiative is brand new, there is no way to estimate how much money will be available through donations, and how soon any training grants can be offered to candidates, but every effort will be made to implement the program as soon as possible. Please consider getting involved!
Sincerely,
The SFCP Leadership Team
Marcia Hodges, SFCP Administrative Director
Maria Longuemare, SFCP President
Brett Penfil, Chair of the SFCP Board of Trustees